Luisito V. Galvez Jr. 06/26/2014

Assoc. 2A

Types of Cheese:

1. Fresh Cheese (Fromages frais)These cheeses are white and contain a lot of water. They are made from cow's milk, goat's milk, or sheep's milk and are not aged. Rather than adding rennet, which is used to create some cheeses, the curd is formed by adding lactic starter to the milk. These are not the types of French cheese you would see offered on a cheese platter at a meal. Rather they are eaten separately, sometimes in the same manner as a yogurt, and sometimes used in recipes.

2. Soft Cheese with Natural Rind (Fromages à pâte molle et à croûte fleurie)These are soft cow's milk cheeses, which you will recognize by their white, almost floury surface. They are aged about a month. These include a lot of well-known types of French cheese that you may have tried, and which is often served in France after the main course.

3. Soft Cheeses with Washed Rind (Fromages à pâte molle et à croûte lavée)Once again these are cheeses made from cow'smilk, but this time the rind is washed during the aging process, which prevents the formation ofsurface molds. This washing produces a supple and colorful rind. These types of cheese also find their way on to French cheese platters.

4. Pressed Cheeses (Fromages à pâte pressée)These types of French cheese are submitted to pressure during the processing, which drains the cheese of some of its moisture. After applying pressure, the cheeses are than placed in carefully controlled conditions and aged for several months.

During the aging, they are washed, brushed and turned so that the rind forms in a uniform fashion. You will find a large variety of pressed cheeses in the French supermarket.

5. Pressed and Cooked Cheese (Fromages à pâte pressée et cuite)Before being pressed, the curd is heated for an hour to make these types of French cheese. They are formed in large cylinders and are ripened for a long time. They are commonly manufactured in the mountainous regions of France. These are cheeses that are often used to cook with, especially to top hot dishes with.

6. Goat Cheese (Fromages de chèvre)Although you could fit the various goat cheeses into the other categories, there are so many of them that the French have given them their own family. There are officially over a hundred varieties of goat cheese in France.

Sometimes the goat's milk is mixed with cow's milk to create a mi-chèvre. Pur chèvre contains only goat's milk. Goat's milk cheese is fun - it comes in a wide variety of shapes and sizes and sometimes special little boxes.

7. Blue Cheese (Fromages à pâte persillées)These types of French cheese are easily recognized by the channels of blue or greenish-blue that runs throughout them. They are mostly made from cow's milk with the notable exception of Roquefort, which is made from sheep's milk.Blue cheeses are ripened a long time and have a strong flavor and smell. They make a great cheese to offer as part of a cheese platter after the main course.

8. Processed cheese (Fromages à pâte fondue)These types of French cheese are made from other cheeses blended together. They are usually sold in small portions and can be flavored with various things, such as garlic, pepper, and herbs. They are meant to be spread, and you might even catch a Frenchman eating this cheese as an appetizer.

http://www.easy-french-food.com/types-of-cheese.html