Cheese

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The terms "Big Wheel" and "Big Cheese" originally referred to those who were wealthy enough to purchase a whole wheel of cheese.

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Varieties
There are hundreds of different types of cheese that can be differentiated both by the type of milk - raw, skimmed or pasteurized and by the animal - cow, goat, sheep, buffalo, horse or camel.

Blue
This genre of cheese has been treated with molds that form blue or green veins throughout and give the cheese its characteristic flavor

Brie
Acclaimed as one of the world's great cheeses, Brie is characterized by an edible, downy white rind and a cream-colored, buttery-soft interior that should "ooze" when at the peak of ripeness.

Cheddar/Colby
A mild, whole-milk cheddar cheese that has a softer, more open texture than regular cheddar

Chevre/Fromage Blanc
French for "goat," chèvre is a pure white goat's-milk cheese with a delightfully tart flavor that easily distinguishes it from other cheeses.

Cottage/Farmer
A fresh cheese made from whole, part-skimmed or skimmed pasteurized cow's milk. "Sweet curd" cottage cheese — by far the most popular — has a rather mild (sometimes bland) flavor because the curds are washed to remove most of the cheese's natural acidity.    Farmer cheese is a fresh cheese is a form of cottage cheese from which most of the liquid has been pressed.

Cream cheese/Neufchatel
Thanks to American ingenuity, cream cheese — the most popular ingredient for cheesecake — was developed in 1872. The appellation comes from the smooth, creamy texture of this mildly tangy, spreadable cheese. The soft, unripened cheese is made from cow's milk.

Mascarpone
Hailing from Italy's Lombardy region, mascarpone is a buttery-rich double-cream to triple-cream cheese made from cow's milk. It's ivory-colored, soft and delicate, and ranges in texture from that of a light clotted cream to that of room-temperature butter

Feta
This classic Greek cheese is traditionally made of sheep's or goat's milk, though today large commercial producers often make it with cow's milk. Because it's cured and stored in its own salty whey brine, feta is often referred to as pickled cheese.

Gouda
Holland's most famous exported cheese is Gouda, with its characteristic yellow interior dotted with a few tiny holes. It has a mild, nutlike flavor that is very similar to Edam, but its texture is slightly creamier due to its higher milk fat content (about 48 percent compared to Edam's 40 percent).

Monterey Jack
So named because it originated in Monterey, California, this versatile cheese can be made from whole, partly skimmed or skimmed cow's milk. It's also called California Jack or simply Jack   cheese

Parmesan
This hard, dry cheese is made from skimmed or partially skimmed cow's milk. It has a hard, pale-golden rind and a straw-colored interior with a rich, sharp flavor. There are Parmesan cheeses made in Argentina, Australia and the United States, but none compares with Italy's preeminent Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Queso Blanco
A white, slightly salty, Mexican cheese with a rubbery texture that does not melt readily.   Good for snacks and used as a meat "extender". This cheese is also referred to as Panir in India.

Queso Fresco
A white, slightly salty, fresh Mexican cheese with a texture similar to that of farmer cheese. Queso fresco is available in cottage cheese-style tubs in Latin markets and many supermarkets.

Ricotta
This rich fresh cheese is slightly grainy but smoother than cottage cheese. It's white, moist and has a slightly sweet flavor. Most Italian ricottas are made from the whey drained off while making cheeses such as mozzarella and provolone.

Romano
There are several different styles of Romano cheese, all of which take their name from the city of Rome. Probably the best known is the sharp, tangy Pecorino Romano, made with sheep's milk.

Yogurt/Yogurt Cheese
A dairy product that's the result of milk that has fermented and coagulated because it's been invaded by friendly bacteria. This can be accomplished naturally by keeping the milk at about 110°F for several hours.

How To
· Select & Store

Recipes
· Rudy's Favorite Blue Cheese Dressing
· Cheese Fondue

Health Benefits
Cheese, a highly nutritious and palatable food, is of significant value in the diet because it contains almost all of the protein and essential minerals, vitamins, and other nutrients of milk.

History
According to ancient records passed down through the centuries, the making of cheese dates back more than 4,000 years. No one really knows who made the first cheese. According to an ancient legend, it was made accidentally by an Arabian merchant who put his supply of milk intoa pouch made from a sheep’s stomach, as he set out on a day’s journey across the desert. The rennet in the lining of the pouch, combined with the heat of the sun, caused the milk to separate into curd and whey. That night he found that the whey satisfied his thirst, and the cheese (curd) had a delightful flavor which satisfied his hunger.

Travelers from Asia are believed to have brought the art of cheese-making to Europe. In fact, cheese was made in many parts of the Roman Empire when it was at its height. The Romans, in turn, introduced cheese-making to England. During the Middle Ages—from the decline of the Roman Empire until the discovery of America—cheese was made and improved by the monks in the monasteries of Europe. For example, Gorgonzola was made in the Po Valley in Italy in 879 A.D., and Italy became the cheese-making center of Europe during the 10th Century. Roquefort was also mentioned in the ancient records of the monastery at Conques, France as early as 1070.

Cheesemaking continued to flourish in Europe and became an established food. In fact, the Pilgrims included cheese in the Mayflower’s supplies when they made their voyage to America in 1620.

The making of cheese quickly spread in the New World, but until the 19th century it remained a local farm industry. It wasn’t until 1851 that the first cheese factory in the United States was built by Jesse Williams in Oneida County, New York.

As population across the United States continued to grow dramatically, the demand for cheese increased and the industry gradually moved westward, centering on the rich farm lands of Wisconsin. In 1845, a band of Swiss immigrants settled in Green County, Wisconsin and started the manufacturing of foreign cheese in America. Most Wisconsin farmers began to believe that their future survival was tied to cheese and their first factory was a Limburger plant which opened in 1868.

The wholesale cheese industry was thus born and showed phenomenal growth during the latter half of the 1800s. By 1880 there were 3,923 dairy factories nationwide which were reported to have made 216 million pounds of cheese that year valued at $17 million. This represented almost 90 percent of total cheese production that year. By the turn of the century, farm production of cheese had become insignificant. The 1904 census reported only factory output, which totaled over 317 million pounds.

As cheese demand continued to grow and spread rapidly, manufactured and processed cheese production increased dramatically. Total natural cheese production grew from 418 million pounds in 1920 to 2.2 billion pounds by 1970. Rising demand for cheese throughout the 1970s and 1980s brought total natural cheese production to more than 6 billion pounds by the beginning of the 1990s. Processed cheese also experienced a surge in consumer demand with annual production exceeding 2 billion pounds a year by the beginning of the 1990s.

Currently, more than one-third of all milk produced each year in the U.S. is used to manufacture cheese. Recent increases in the overall demand for farm milk have in large part been due to the continued growth of the cheese industry. As consumer appetites for all types of cheese continue to expand, so will the industry.