Mozzarella Cheese
Mozzarella is a semi-soft, non-aged cheese made using a stretched curd technique that renders a mild flavoured cheese that melts and turns stringy and chewy when heated. It is used primarily in pizzas and salads. Mozzarella originates in the southern part of Italy where it was traditionally made from milk of the water Buffalo – this begs the question – how do you milk a Buffalo – my answer: with EXTREME caution ☺. Mozzarella can also be made from cow, goat and sheep milk. As Mozzarella has not been aged it has a higher water content and related lower calorie content – so it’s a good option for those watching calories!

What did the ball of Mozzarella say as it was being grated? I’m falling to pizza’s!

Cheddar Cheese
A relatively hard cheese with an off-white colour unless colourant has been added (South Africa is one of the few countries in the world that continues to add colourant to its Cheddar). The more mature the Cheddar, the sharper and more pronounced its taste. Its origin is the village of Cheddar in Somerset, South West England. You cheddar believe it! Cheddar is often used as a topping for pastas, bakes and in toasted sandwiches.

Cheddar safe than sorry! ☺

Cottage Cheese
This soft, sweetish, fluffy fresh cheese is made simply by curdling full cream milk with an acid and separating the resulting solids from the liquid. Although versions of Cottage Cheese have been enjoyed in many countries for hundreds of years, it is believed that what we know as Cottage Cheese originates in the 1800’s and was the first type of cheese to be made in America by immigrants from Europe. Farmers would turn excess milk into a soft, fresh cheese which added variety to the diet and opened up a whole range of new recipe opportunities using this unique, fresh cheese.

While plain Cottage Cheese has many uses, we now also find that manufacturers add a variety of flavouring to the curds which makes for interesting spreads. Lower calorie versions are made from skim milk but this renders a product that is more sour. This soft, fresh cheese is easily digestible and so can easily be incorporated into convalescent meal plans.
Cottage cheese can be enjoyed on salads, crackers and is the key ingredient in cheese cakes.

Cottage cheese is just longing for something to curdle!

Feta Cheese
This compact, salty cheese was first made in Greece by blending sheep and goat milk. It is made into compact blocks which are left to age in brine. Feta is a table cheese and is notably used crumbled over salads or incorporated into pastries such as Spanakopita (spinach & feta in Phyllo).

A cheesy version of the Eurythmics hit song:
Sweet Cheese are made of these
Who am I to diss-a-Brie?
I cheddar the world and the feta cheese,
Everybody’s looking for Stilton.

Gouda Cheese
A creamy, yellow, solid but springy cow’s milk cheese with a mild, sweetish flavour originating in the Netherlands and named after the town which had the sole right/monopoly to host a market where farmers could sell their cheese. All the cheeses countrywide would be taken to the Gouda market to be sold during the middle ages (feudal system). Cheese making in the Netherlands was traditionally done by the women – Farmer’s wives passing the techniques down to their daughters.
The term Gouda cheese now refers to a general style of cheese making resulting in a cheese who’s flavour varies with age, starting mild and sweet and becoming more sharp and acidic as it ages. Boerenkaas is the protected form of Gouda made in the traditional manner using unpasteurised milk following specific proportions and techniques. Boerenkaas can apparently only be made in the Netherlands using milk from Dutch cows. Surprisingly we get a lot of Boerenkaas in South Africa, so perhaps Dutch immigrants brought this much protected cheese making skill with them when we were still a Dutch Colony in the late 1600’s after Jan van Riebeek established a fresh produce trading post in Cape Town.

The pronunciation of the word Gouda results in much debate but the correct pronunciation of this Dutch word is Ggowda (roll the g), however in the West it is commonly pronounced Gooda – either is considered acceptable. Gouda cheese makes a delicious table cheese and the more mature varieties can successfully be added to baked dishes.

Blue Cheese
Blue cheese refers to those cheeses that are cultured using penicillium, an edible mould, which produces blue-green spots or veins throughout the cheese – this is achieved by injecting spores into the milk mixture before the curds form or having spores mixed in with the curds after they form – each method producing a different variety of Blue cheese. Blue cheese can be mild or sharp and has a distinctive odour, which is most certainly not to everyone’s liking!

It is believed that Blue cheese was discovered by accident when cheeses stored in caves that happened to have the perfect temperature and moisture levels for the growth of certain varieties of harmless mould – thus resulting in a new product. Salt mines in Austria apparently show evidence that miners between 800 – 400 BC were already consuming Blue cheese – so it’s been around for ages!

Blue cheese is often crumbled into salads, included in sauces or melted and used as toppings.

Don’t feel blue, just eat some cheese!

Emmental (Holy Cheese ☺) :
Emmental, Emmentaler, or Emmenthal is a pale yellow, medium-hard cheese with large air voids in it produced as the cheese making cultures release gas. It has a sweet/savoury but mild flavour. It originated in the Emme valley, Switzerland and is considered a “true” Swiss cheese.
Historically, the holes or ‘eyes’ in Emmental cheese were considered a sign of imperfection by cheesemakers who would try to avoid them, however in modern times eye formation is valued as a sign of maturation and quality. Emmental cheese is usually served cold, as chunks or slices on a cheese board and can also be used in a variety of dishes, particularly in gratins, and fondues

Un-Brie-lievable: Brie & Camembert
Similar, and largely interchangeable, both are cheese of French origin. Brie is originally from the region of Brie in northern France, while Camembert comes from the region of Normandy in western France. The difference in origin contributes to slight variations in flavour and texture. Both cheeses are made from cow’s milk.
Typically Brie can be bought as a wedge/triangle in supermarkets while Camembert is almost always round in shape. Brie and Camembert have different ripening times, which affect the texture, flavour, and smell of the cheeses. Brie has been aged for 5 – 10 weeks resulting in its mild, buttery flavour, while Camembert is made using stronger lactic starters resulting in a slightly stronger flavour despite only being aged for 3 – 4 weeks. This shortened ripening time makes Camembert lose its shape easily when heated.

I camembert to be without you!