Glossary
Affineur – The person who cares for cheese during the aging process (washing it, turning it, brushing it, etc.) to achieve the desired flavour and optimum condition.
Aged cheese – A cheese that is held for a period of in a carefully controlled environment to achieve the desired flavour and optimum condition. Depending on the cheese, it may be aged from a few days to several years.
Annatto – A by-product of the seeds of the achiote tree. It forms the basis of annatto colouring, which is used to provide various cheeses (Cheddar, Gloucester, Red Leicester) with their orange hue.
Bandaged cheese – Cheese that has been wrapped in cheese cloth and then sealed with a fat-based product, such as lard. The“bandage” protects the cheese, but also allows the cheese to “breathe” better than a wax or vacuum seal – leading to a more flavourful cheese. Examples of bandaged cheeses in Canada include Avonlea Clothbound Cheddar and Lindsay Clothbound Goat Cheddar.
Beesting – Milk from the first milking following the birth of a mammal. Also known as colostrum. The colostrum is high in nutrients and crucial for newborn farm animals.
Bloomy rind – Soft cheeses that ripen quickly –from the outside in – thanks to white molds that grow (or bloom) on the surface of the cheese. The bloom is the result of penicillium camemberti or penicillium candidumthat is added during the cheesemaking process or sprayed on the cheese after it’s made. Bloomy rind cheeses originated in northern France. Today, the most well know examples are Brie and Camembert. Canadian examples include: Comfort Cream, La Sauvaginge, Riopelle, Fleurmier and Rondoux
Blue cheese – Cheese that has blue mold growing through it. The blue mold is the result of penicillium roqueforti or penicillium glaucumthat is added during the cheesemaking process. Blue cheese is often pierced with needles during the make process; the resulting holes serve a dual purpose – they give the mold access to the oxygen it needs to flourish and creates channels along which the mold grows (creating “veins” of blue mold). The blue mold typically adds piquant flavours. Well known examples are Roquefort and Stilton. Canadian examples are: Ermite, Blue Haze, Bleu d’Ėlizabeth, Bleu Bénédictin, and Devil’s Rock.
Butterfat – The fatty portion of milk or cheese.
Brevibacterium linens – The bacteria that form the sticky reddish layer on washed rind cheeses. This reddish layer of “good” bacteria helps protect the cheese against undesirable bacteria. It also adds to the flavour profile of the cheese. Also known as b. linens.
Brine – A concentrated solution of water and salt that is used to wash or preserve cheese. Washed-rind cheeses are often bathed in brine on a regular basis to encourage the growth of b. linens (good bacteria). Some cheeses, like Feta, are stored in brine to preserve them.
Brining – The process of soaking a cheese in brine. Many cheeses are soaked in a brine solution from anywhere from a few hours to several days.
Caisen – One of the two major protein groups found in milk (the other is whey). Caisens make up approximately 80% of the protein found in milk.
Caseophile – Someone who loves cheese – a lot.
Cheddar – A firm cheese made using a process called cheddaring. The cheese can be off-white or orange (if coloured). A young cheddar can be rich and mellow; an aged cheddar can be full-bodied and sharp. Cheddar originated in the town of Cheddar, near Somerset, England. Knowledge of cheddar making is said to have made its way to Canada with United Empire Loyalists in the 1780s. The first cheese factory in Canada, which opened in Ingersoll, Ontario in 1864, made cheddar. Cheddar production played an important role in the Canadian economy between the 1860s and the early part of the 1900s.
Cheddaring – A step in the cheesemaking process that used for some cooked cheeses. Curds that have been heated, salted and allowed to fuse together in the vat are cut into slabs that are then stacked and turned regularly. Cheddaring is used to control the rate at which whey is expelled from the cheese.
Cheesemonger – Someone who sells cheese.
Chevres – The French word for “goats”. Commonly used to refer to soft-ripened goat cheeses.
Chymosin – Another word for rennet.
Coagulation – The process in cheesemaking when milk protein, known as casein, binds together and traps fat globules to form curd. Also referred to as curdling. The coagulation process can be triggered by lactic acid (produced by a starter culture) or an enzymatic agent (typically rennet).
Cooked cheese – A step in the cheesemaking process in which the cheese curd is carefully and systematically stirred and heated. The purpose is to expel whey so that the final moisture content of the cheese falls within a specific range. Cheddar and Gouda are examples of cooked cheeses.
Curd – The solid that forms when milk coagulates (curdles). Cheese is made from curd.
Curdling – The process in cheesemaking when milk protein, known as casein, binds together and traps fat globules to form curd. Also referred to as coagulation. The coagulation process can be triggered by lactic acid (produced by a starter culture) or an enzymatic agent (typically rennet).
Dry matter – The solid parts in cheese that would be left if all the moisture (water) were removed. The dry matter is made up of milk fat, proteins, lactose (milk sugar), and minerals.
Eyes – The round holes that form in a cheese due to the formation of gas bubbles during the aging process. The bacterial culture propionibacteur shermanii is used during the cheesemaking process to intentionally create holes in some cheese, particularly alpine-style cheeses (i.e., Swiss cheese).
Farmstead cheese – Cheese made with milk produced on the same family-run dairy operation where the cheese is made. Farmstead cheeses are also made using traditional techniques.
Fat content – The amount of butterfat or fat in a cheese. The fat content of a cheese is expressed as a percentage of the cheese’s dry matter (the components in cheese that would be left if all the moisture were removed).
Fondue – Originally a Swiss dish consisting primarily of melted cheese. According to The Fondue Cookbook, the dish “had its origin in necessity. Cheese hardened to the point of being inedible was melted and used as a 'dunk' for stale bread."
Fresh cheese – Cheese that has not been ripened (mascarpone, fresh mozzarella, cottage cheese, cream cheese, ricotta) or cheese that has been ripened for a short period (such as feta). Fresh cheeses typically have a short shelf life.
Fromager – Typically a cheese expert. But occasionally used to refer to a cheesemaker.
Firm cheese – A classification of cheese with a firmer (more dense) texture. Cheeses in this category typically have a moisture content of between 35% and 52% and can be aged for longer periods. Examples of firm Canadian cheeses include Blackburn and Toscano.
Lactose – A form of sugar found in milk. Lactose is actually made up of two simple sugars – glucose and galactose. Milk is about 4.8% lactose, but much of that lactose is expelled or fermented during the cheesemaking process. Properly aged hard cheeses typically have little residual lactose and should not pose any problem for lactose intolerant individuals.
Loaf – A cheese shaped like a loaf of bread (an elongated rectangle). An example of a Canadian loaf cheese is Lankaaster.
Modified milk ingredients – Any components of milk that have been altered from the form in which they are found in milk. Examples include whey, whey butter, cultured milk products, ultrafiltered milk, milk protein concentrates. While there is nothing bad or toxic about modified milk ingredients, they can change the he nutritional composition of the final product – for better or worse. Modified milk ingredients are used in some industrially produced cheeses. A cheese that lists “milk” in its list of ingredients cannot, by law, contain modified milk ingredients.
Natural rind – A rind that forms naturally on the exterior surface of a cheese.
Pasta filata – A type of cheese made using a process that involves heating, stretching and kneading the curd. Pasta filata cheeses tend to have a somewhat elastic texture and tend to melt well. Examples include mozzarella and boccocini.
Pasteurization – The process of heating milk to kill potentially harmful bacteria. While pasteurization is desirable from a microbiological point of view, it can affect the sensory characteristics of milk. The three primary methods of pasteurization are:
Raw milk – Milk that has not been heated above 40 degrees Celsius – the body temperature of animals.
Rennet – Complex enzymes that are added to milk during the cheesemaking process and which cause the milk to coagulate (curdle). Rennet is traditionally derived from the stomach lining of young mammals. However, in modern times, alternative forms of rennet are often derived from plants, fungi and microbial sources. These are referred to as vegetarian rennet. Approximately 70% of cheese in Canada is made with vegetarian rennet.
Rind – The exterior surface of a cheese. Different cheeses have different types of rind (for example, washed rind, bloomy rind, natural rind, etc.) and different characteristics (colour, texture, thickness, etc.). Most rinds (but not all) are edible, but whether or not you eat the rind is a personal choice.
Rindless – A cheese that doesn’t have a rind.
Salting – The step in the cheesemaking process in which salt is added. The salt helps preserve the cheese (by creating an inhospitable environment for unwanted microbial growth and/or reducing the moisture content of the cheese). Salting also adds to the flavour profile of a cheese. There are different ways to salt a cheese:
Skimmed milk – The milk that is left after all or some of the cream has been removed.
Thermalized milk – Milk that has been heat treated to kill unwanted bacteria. The time-temperature combination is less than that used for pasteurization. The milk is heated to 63-65 degrees C for about 15 seconds then rapidly chilled. In Canada, thermalized milk cannot be sold for sold for consumption, but can be used to make cheese.
Triple cream – A rich and creamy cheese that is at least 75% butterfat (relative to dry cheese’s matter). To achieve this higher level of butterfat, cream is added during the cheesemaking process.
Turophile – Someone who loves cheese – a lot.
Ultra pasteurization – A form of pasteurization in which milk (or any other fluid) is heated to a very high temperature (138 degrees C) for a very short period (at least two seconds).
Washed rind cheese – Cheese that has been repeatedly washed in brine –in some cases brine with added alcohol or juice. The washing process discourages mould, but encourages the growth of beneficial bacteria that creates a sticky, orange surface on the cheese. Washed rind cheeses often have a pungent aroma, but a mild flavour on the palate. There are many examples of Canadian washed rind cheeses, including: Oka, Niagara Gold, Douanier, and Hercule de Charlevoix.
Waxed cheese – A cheese that has been sealed in a protective coating of wax. The protective coating helps to preserve the cheese. An example of a waxed cheese is Gouda. Canadian examples include: Old Grizzly, Devil’s Rock and Black Truffle. The colour of the wax is sometimes (but not always) used to denote the flavour profile or age of the cheese: yellow – young or mild; red – medium; black –aged or sharp.
Whey – The watery liquid that remains after milk has curdled. Whey contains lactose (milk sugar) and whey protein. Whey, which is drained from the curd during the cheesemaking process, is used to make ricotta. It is also used for animal feed.
Aged cheese – A cheese that is held for a period of in a carefully controlled environment to achieve the desired flavour and optimum condition. Depending on the cheese, it may be aged from a few days to several years.
Annatto – A by-product of the seeds of the achiote tree. It forms the basis of annatto colouring, which is used to provide various cheeses (Cheddar, Gloucester, Red Leicester) with their orange hue.
Bandaged cheese – Cheese that has been wrapped in cheese cloth and then sealed with a fat-based product, such as lard. The“bandage” protects the cheese, but also allows the cheese to “breathe” better than a wax or vacuum seal – leading to a more flavourful cheese. Examples of bandaged cheeses in Canada include Avonlea Clothbound Cheddar and Lindsay Clothbound Goat Cheddar.
Beesting – Milk from the first milking following the birth of a mammal. Also known as colostrum. The colostrum is high in nutrients and crucial for newborn farm animals.
Bloomy rind – Soft cheeses that ripen quickly –from the outside in – thanks to white molds that grow (or bloom) on the surface of the cheese. The bloom is the result of penicillium camemberti or penicillium candidumthat is added during the cheesemaking process or sprayed on the cheese after it’s made. Bloomy rind cheeses originated in northern France. Today, the most well know examples are Brie and Camembert. Canadian examples include: Comfort Cream, La Sauvaginge, Riopelle, Fleurmier and Rondoux
Blue cheese – Cheese that has blue mold growing through it. The blue mold is the result of penicillium roqueforti or penicillium glaucumthat is added during the cheesemaking process. Blue cheese is often pierced with needles during the make process; the resulting holes serve a dual purpose – they give the mold access to the oxygen it needs to flourish and creates channels along which the mold grows (creating “veins” of blue mold). The blue mold typically adds piquant flavours. Well known examples are Roquefort and Stilton. Canadian examples are: Ermite, Blue Haze, Bleu d’Ėlizabeth, Bleu Bénédictin, and Devil’s Rock.
Butterfat – The fatty portion of milk or cheese.
Brevibacterium linens – The bacteria that form the sticky reddish layer on washed rind cheeses. This reddish layer of “good” bacteria helps protect the cheese against undesirable bacteria. It also adds to the flavour profile of the cheese. Also known as b. linens.
Brine – A concentrated solution of water and salt that is used to wash or preserve cheese. Washed-rind cheeses are often bathed in brine on a regular basis to encourage the growth of b. linens (good bacteria). Some cheeses, like Feta, are stored in brine to preserve them.
Brining – The process of soaking a cheese in brine. Many cheeses are soaked in a brine solution from anywhere from a few hours to several days.
Caisen – One of the two major protein groups found in milk (the other is whey). Caisens make up approximately 80% of the protein found in milk.
Caseophile – Someone who loves cheese – a lot.
Cheddar – A firm cheese made using a process called cheddaring. The cheese can be off-white or orange (if coloured). A young cheddar can be rich and mellow; an aged cheddar can be full-bodied and sharp. Cheddar originated in the town of Cheddar, near Somerset, England. Knowledge of cheddar making is said to have made its way to Canada with United Empire Loyalists in the 1780s. The first cheese factory in Canada, which opened in Ingersoll, Ontario in 1864, made cheddar. Cheddar production played an important role in the Canadian economy between the 1860s and the early part of the 1900s.
Cheddaring – A step in the cheesemaking process that used for some cooked cheeses. Curds that have been heated, salted and allowed to fuse together in the vat are cut into slabs that are then stacked and turned regularly. Cheddaring is used to control the rate at which whey is expelled from the cheese.
Cheesemonger – Someone who sells cheese.
Chevres – The French word for “goats”. Commonly used to refer to soft-ripened goat cheeses.
Chymosin – Another word for rennet.
Coagulation – The process in cheesemaking when milk protein, known as casein, binds together and traps fat globules to form curd. Also referred to as curdling. The coagulation process can be triggered by lactic acid (produced by a starter culture) or an enzymatic agent (typically rennet).
Cooked cheese – A step in the cheesemaking process in which the cheese curd is carefully and systematically stirred and heated. The purpose is to expel whey so that the final moisture content of the cheese falls within a specific range. Cheddar and Gouda are examples of cooked cheeses.
Curd – The solid that forms when milk coagulates (curdles). Cheese is made from curd.
Curdling – The process in cheesemaking when milk protein, known as casein, binds together and traps fat globules to form curd. Also referred to as coagulation. The coagulation process can be triggered by lactic acid (produced by a starter culture) or an enzymatic agent (typically rennet).
Dry matter – The solid parts in cheese that would be left if all the moisture (water) were removed. The dry matter is made up of milk fat, proteins, lactose (milk sugar), and minerals.
Eyes – The round holes that form in a cheese due to the formation of gas bubbles during the aging process. The bacterial culture propionibacteur shermanii is used during the cheesemaking process to intentionally create holes in some cheese, particularly alpine-style cheeses (i.e., Swiss cheese).
Farmstead cheese – Cheese made with milk produced on the same family-run dairy operation where the cheese is made. Farmstead cheeses are also made using traditional techniques.
Fat content – The amount of butterfat or fat in a cheese. The fat content of a cheese is expressed as a percentage of the cheese’s dry matter (the components in cheese that would be left if all the moisture were removed).
Fondue – Originally a Swiss dish consisting primarily of melted cheese. According to The Fondue Cookbook, the dish “had its origin in necessity. Cheese hardened to the point of being inedible was melted and used as a 'dunk' for stale bread."
Fresh cheese – Cheese that has not been ripened (mascarpone, fresh mozzarella, cottage cheese, cream cheese, ricotta) or cheese that has been ripened for a short period (such as feta). Fresh cheeses typically have a short shelf life.
Fromager – Typically a cheese expert. But occasionally used to refer to a cheesemaker.
Firm cheese – A classification of cheese with a firmer (more dense) texture. Cheeses in this category typically have a moisture content of between 35% and 52% and can be aged for longer periods. Examples of firm Canadian cheeses include Blackburn and Toscano.
Lactose – A form of sugar found in milk. Lactose is actually made up of two simple sugars – glucose and galactose. Milk is about 4.8% lactose, but much of that lactose is expelled or fermented during the cheesemaking process. Properly aged hard cheeses typically have little residual lactose and should not pose any problem for lactose intolerant individuals.
Loaf – A cheese shaped like a loaf of bread (an elongated rectangle). An example of a Canadian loaf cheese is Lankaaster.
Modified milk ingredients – Any components of milk that have been altered from the form in which they are found in milk. Examples include whey, whey butter, cultured milk products, ultrafiltered milk, milk protein concentrates. While there is nothing bad or toxic about modified milk ingredients, they can change the he nutritional composition of the final product – for better or worse. Modified milk ingredients are used in some industrially produced cheeses. A cheese that lists “milk” in its list of ingredients cannot, by law, contain modified milk ingredients.
Natural rind – A rind that forms naturally on the exterior surface of a cheese.
Pasta filata – A type of cheese made using a process that involves heating, stretching and kneading the curd. Pasta filata cheeses tend to have a somewhat elastic texture and tend to melt well. Examples include mozzarella and boccocini.
Pasteurization – The process of heating milk to kill potentially harmful bacteria. While pasteurization is desirable from a microbiological point of view, it can affect the sensory characteristics of milk. The three primary methods of pasteurization are:
- high temperature/short time – the milk is heated to 72 degrees C for 15-20 seconds
- low temperature/long hold – the milk is heated to 63 degrees C for at least 30 minutes
- ultra high temperature – the milk is heated to 138 degrees C for at least 2 seconds.
Raw milk – Milk that has not been heated above 40 degrees Celsius – the body temperature of animals.
Rennet – Complex enzymes that are added to milk during the cheesemaking process and which cause the milk to coagulate (curdle). Rennet is traditionally derived from the stomach lining of young mammals. However, in modern times, alternative forms of rennet are often derived from plants, fungi and microbial sources. These are referred to as vegetarian rennet. Approximately 70% of cheese in Canada is made with vegetarian rennet.
Rind – The exterior surface of a cheese. Different cheeses have different types of rind (for example, washed rind, bloomy rind, natural rind, etc.) and different characteristics (colour, texture, thickness, etc.). Most rinds (but not all) are edible, but whether or not you eat the rind is a personal choice.
Rindless – A cheese that doesn’t have a rind.
Salting – The step in the cheesemaking process in which salt is added. The salt helps preserve the cheese (by creating an inhospitable environment for unwanted microbial growth and/or reducing the moisture content of the cheese). Salting also adds to the flavour profile of a cheese. There are different ways to salt a cheese:
- adding salt to the curd, rubbing the cheese with salt, washing the cheese with a
salt brine, - or soaking the cheese in a salt brine.
Skimmed milk – The milk that is left after all or some of the cream has been removed.
Thermalized milk – Milk that has been heat treated to kill unwanted bacteria. The time-temperature combination is less than that used for pasteurization. The milk is heated to 63-65 degrees C for about 15 seconds then rapidly chilled. In Canada, thermalized milk cannot be sold for sold for consumption, but can be used to make cheese.
Triple cream – A rich and creamy cheese that is at least 75% butterfat (relative to dry cheese’s matter). To achieve this higher level of butterfat, cream is added during the cheesemaking process.
Turophile – Someone who loves cheese – a lot.
Ultra pasteurization – A form of pasteurization in which milk (or any other fluid) is heated to a very high temperature (138 degrees C) for a very short period (at least two seconds).
Washed rind cheese – Cheese that has been repeatedly washed in brine –in some cases brine with added alcohol or juice. The washing process discourages mould, but encourages the growth of beneficial bacteria that creates a sticky, orange surface on the cheese. Washed rind cheeses often have a pungent aroma, but a mild flavour on the palate. There are many examples of Canadian washed rind cheeses, including: Oka, Niagara Gold, Douanier, and Hercule de Charlevoix.
Waxed cheese – A cheese that has been sealed in a protective coating of wax. The protective coating helps to preserve the cheese. An example of a waxed cheese is Gouda. Canadian examples include: Old Grizzly, Devil’s Rock and Black Truffle. The colour of the wax is sometimes (but not always) used to denote the flavour profile or age of the cheese: yellow – young or mild; red – medium; black –aged or sharp.
Whey – The watery liquid that remains after milk has curdled. Whey contains lactose (milk sugar) and whey protein. Whey, which is drained from the curd during the cheesemaking process, is used to make ricotta. It is also used for animal feed.
