Hispanic-style cheese with a flavor similar to cottage cheese. Softens but does not melt when heated. Use in sandwiches, salads, with fruit and in cooked foods. (Mild, White, Firm, moist)

Parmigiano-Reggiano is a hard-textured cheese that is cooked but not pressed. It has been described by connoisseurs as the King of Cheeses. Parmigiano-Reggiano is a D.O.P. protected trade name. Parmigiano-style cheeses that are made outside of the Emilia-Romagna and Lombardy regions of Italy, and outside the jurisdiction of the Consorzio, anywhere in the world, are called Parmesan.

The California Milk Advisory Board

Pasta filata, or spun paste, refers to a family of cheeses, mostly Italian, that are cooked and kneaded, or "spun". The cheeses range from very fresh to hard grating cheeses, and include mozzarella, provolone and scamorza.

The term used to describe the interior portion or meat of the cheese, below the rind. The texture of the paste can vary widely - from soft and buttery (fresh cheese) to firm and smooth to hard and dry (aged cheese).

The Gourmet Cheese Detective

The interior body (non-rind portion) of the cheese. It is described by its texture, density, and color. When milk is too low in beta carotene, producing pale cheese, the vegetable dye annatto can be added to the curds to give the paste more color.

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In cheesemaking, a process of heating raw milk to a specific temperature for a set period of time to destroy disease-causing and other undesirable organisms. High Temperature Short Time (HTST) pasteurization involves heating the milk to 161F (72C) for 15 seconds, followed by rapid cooling to below 50F (10C ). Low Temperature Long Time Treatment (LTLT) pasteurization involves heating the milk to 145F (63C) for 30 minutes. Some of the naturally occurring organisms that are important to flavor in cheese are destroyed during pasteurization and are replaced by adding starter cultures (See Starter Culture).

Refers to the practice of feeding a milk-producing animal by allowing it to graze on grass growing in a pasture. Planned pasturage describes controlled planting of the fields to standardize feeding. The pasture grasses may later be dried as hay or fermented for winter feed. Natural pasturage describes encouraging native vegetation along with any introduced grasses, thereby creating local, seasonal variations in the milk. (See Silage)

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The white surface mold added to bloomy rind cheese. As these cheeses age the mold will develop a rind which will soften from the outside inwards, thus creating an interior paste which becomes increasingly soft and runny.

The Gourmet Cheese Detective

The blue-green mold added to blue cheeses.

The Gourmet Cheese Detective

A French term for a blue-veined cheese (blue cheese). It is so named because the blue veins resemble parsley (persille in French).

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The scientific symbol of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution. pH 7 is defined as neutral, with declining numbers indicating increased acidity and numbers higher than 7 indicating an alkaline solution. As lactic acid is produced in cheese, the pH decreases. pH is easy to measure and is the most widely used indicator of acid production in cheesemaking.

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A descriptive term for a sharp-tasting cheese.

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A French-style cheese similar to Gouda or Edam in taste and appearance. Eaten as is, but also good for cooking. (Mild, Light yellow, Firm)

One of the largest groups of cheeses, pressed, uncooked cheeses comprise hard and semi-hard cheeses. Thus, the pastes are generally semi-firm to firm.

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A cheesemaking term that refers to the process of placing soft, wet cheese curds under pressure to remove whey and minimize fat loss. Many California cheeses, including Monterey Jack, are pressed.

The California Milk Advisory Board