The Differences in Cheese Qualities
— July 3, 2018Are you a cheese lover? Do you enjoy the pleasantly creamy varieties of cheese? If so, you probably understand the pain of not being able to afford all the flavoursome types of cheese. When it comes down to it, there are some awesome choices and qualities out there, and chances are that you haven’t even tried half of them yet. Yes, cheese all over the world can be expensive, but there is a good reason for it. Let’s tell you a bit more about what brings out these different tastes and what really makes a good quality cheese. But before you head out to your local supermarket, it’s a good idea to get yourself a couple of durable wood cutting boards, cheese boards and wood serving boards first to make it looks just as pleasing aesthetically as it is delicious.
What Really Makes a Type of Cheese a Better Quality?
There is a lot that goes into making cheese. Slight variations produce different types and qualities. A general breakdown of the steps taken to bring cheese to your store shelves would be as follows.
The Basic Ingredient: Milk
It’s easy to think that all you need to make cheese is one simple ingredient, milk. Warm it up, curd it and you’re done. This may be slightly true, but a lot depends on the type of milk you’re using.
Commodity milk bought from an open market is cheaper and produces cheese of a regular standard. Higher quality milk, on the other hand, is considered ‘cleaner’. This means that it has a lower somatic count or a higher protein and fat count. All these factors, as well as others, play a major role in determining the quality of the end product.
The Time it takes
Quality never comes cheap and it takes time to achieve a certain level. Fresh or briefly aged cheese is no match for ageing cheese. Super-aged cheese, like Gouda, is usually aged for over three years. However, the end result is simply heavenly. It’s hard, almost sparkling and utterly sweet. Serve it up on a stylish wood serving tray or a wood cheese board to make a delicious and healthy dessert.
What Makes Expensive Cheese Better
We do understand that healthier milk gives us a better quality of cheese and we know that the more time we spend in making it, the better results we will get. However, when it comes to the price, there are a few other factors that come into play as well.
The cheapest cheeses, such as cheddar and jack, are normally placed in airtight packaging and stored in cold warehouses. The price of ageing these varieties is enough to cover the cost of lighting, refrigeration and climate control.
Whereas, higher qualities of cheese that are also more expensive have to be aged in open air conditions. Cheeses that are cave-aged, natural-rinded or cellar-ripened are turned, flipped, brushed and sometimes even washed. With this being said, they end up losing a certain percentage of weight over a period of time. All of these factors increase their quality as well as their price.
By understanding what really goes into making cheese a better quality, lessens the guilt you have when buying expensive varieties. Put your wood cutting boards and cheese boards to good use and delight your family and friends. Introduce them to unique selections, such as Tomme Crayeuse, Roquefort and Queso de la Serena.
Make sure you’re prepared to serve the cheese you just bought in an elegant way! Visit Wood Cutting Boards for the finest selection of wood serving trays. Get your board engraved to top it off and serve your guests a platter that is as aesthetically pleasing as it is delicious! Bon appétit!
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