Cheese German for Beginners
You really talk cheese! Has anyone ever said that to you? If yes: congratulations! Because then you already know your way around the technical jargon around cheese. For everyone else, we have briefly explained some important terms related to cheese and its production in this blog post. Have fun “talking cheese”!
What is the difference between milk and hay milk?
Hay milk is the kind of milk production that was common hundreds of years ago: in summer the cows get fresh grass and aromatic herbs, in winter hay. Fermented feed is avoided.
What is an affineur?
An affineur is a cheese refiner who, with a great deal of instinct and special knowledge, helps a cheese become a real treat. With brine, various herbs and other things, the affineur helps the cheese to develop optimally.
What is fat content in dry matter?
Cheese consists largely of water. In order to get the same nutritional values, the fat content of cheese refers to the dried state of the cheese.
Is there lactose-free cheese?
Lactose refers to milk sugar, i.e. the carbohydrates in milk. In order for the body to be able to absorb lactose, it breaks it down with the help of the enzyme lactase. If this enzyme is missing, the lactose cannot be broken down and people react with diarrhea or abdominal pain. As the cheese matures, lactose is broken down. Almost no lactose is detectable in hard cheese.
What is rennet?
There are different types of rennet: rennet of animal origin and microbial rennet. It ensures that the liquid milk coagulates, i.e. becomes thick.
What does curd mean?
The so-called jelly, a pudding-like mass, is created by cutting the thickened milk. The next step is the curds. The more the cheese is divided, the harder the cheese will be. The cheese is cut with a so-called cheese harp, a metal frame with parallel wires.
What are cheese cultures?
Cheese cultures are divided into acidification cultures, which are required for cheese production, and then there is the category of ripening cultures. These cultures can basically be divided into molds and bacteria. A camembert or a gorgonzola, for example, are made with the help of a mold, a red culture cheese with the help of bacteria.
What is whey?
Whey is a by-product of cheese making. It is the liquid that remains after removing the curd.
What is a cheese press?
A cheese press gives the cheese its shape and squeezes the last remaining whey out of it.
Why does cheese like to go swimming?
The salt bath, in which all types of cheese except cream cheese are put, serves to improve the taste, form a rind and give the cheese a longer shelf life.
What is raw milk cheese?
Raw milk cheese is made from raw milk, i.e. unpasteurized milk.
Well-known raw milk cheeses are, for example, Emmental, mountain cheese or Parmesan. In contrast to raw milk cheese, most types of cheese are made from pasteurized, i.e. heated, milk.
What is processed cheese?
Processed cheese is made from matured cheese. The cheese is melted and stirred at a high temperature for ten minutes, giving the cheese a long shelf life.
How do the holes get in the cheese?
The large round holes, such as in Emmental (round holes the size of a walnut) are caused by fermentation gases from bacteria. Pea holes mean small holes like in mountain cheese. Curd perforation is more irregular and occurs when curds are bottled without whey. This traps air. When the cheese is pressed, the breakage holes flatten out and the result is slotted holes or a closed dough, i.e. dough without holes.
