Part 113

«Gruyère.»—A fine kind of cheese made in Switzerland, and largely consumed on the Continent. It is firm and dry, and exhibits numerous cells of considerable magnitude.

«Holland.»—Same as Dutch.

«Leguminous.»—The Chinese prepare an actual cheese from peas, called tao-foo, which they sell in the streets of Canton. The paste from steeped ground peas is boiled, which causes the starch to dissolve with the casein; after straining the liquid it is coagulated by a solution of gypsum; this coagulum is worked up like sour milk, salted, and pressed into molds.

«Limburger.»—A strong variety of cheese, soft and well ripened.

«Lincoln.»—From new milk and cream; in pieces about 2 inches thick. Soft, and will not keep over 2 or 3 months. {177}

«Neufchâtel.»—A much-esteemed variety of Swiss cheese; made of cream, and weighs about 5 or 6 ounces.

«Norfolk.»—Dyed yellow with annotta or saffron; good, but not superior; in cheeses of 30 to 50 pounds.

«Parmesan.»—From the curd of skimmed milk, hardened by a gentle heat. The rennet is added at about 120°, and an hour afterwards the curdling milk is set on a slow fire until heated to about 150° F., during which the curd separates in small lumps. A few pinches of saffron are then thrown in. About a fortnight after making the outer crust is cut off, and the new surface varnished with linseed oil, and one side colored red.

«Roquefort.»—From ewes’ milk; the best prepared in France. It greatly resembles Stilton, but is scarcely of equal richness or quality, and possesses a peculiar pungency and flavor.

«Roquefort, Imitation.»—The gluten of wheat is kneaded with a little salt and a small portion of a solution of starch, and made up into cheeses. It is said that this mixture soon acquires the taste, smell, and unctuosity of cheese, and when kept a certain time is not to be distinguished from the celebrated Roquefort cheese, of which it possesses all the peculiar pungency. By slightly varying the process other kinds of cheese may be imitated.

«Sage.»—Same as green cheese.

«Slipcoat or Soft.»—A very rich, white cheese, somewhat resembling butter; for present use only.

«Stilton.»—The richest and finest cheese made in England. From raw milk to which cream taken from other milk is added; in cheeses generally twice as high as they are broad. Like wine, this cheese is vastly improved by age, and is therefore seldom eaten before it is 2 years old. A spurious appearance of age is sometimes given to it by placing it in a warm, damp cellar, or by surrounding it with masses of fermenting straw or dung.

«Suffolk.»—From skimmed milk; in round, flat forms, from 24 to 30 pounds each. Very hard and horny.

«Swiss.»—The principal cheeses made in Switzerland are the Gruyère, the Neufchâtel, and the Schabzieger or green cheese. The latter is flavored with melitot.

«Westphalian.»—Made in small balls or rolls of about 1 pound each. It derives its peculiar flavor from the curd being allowed to become partially putrid before being pressed. In small balls or rolls of about 1 pound each.

«Wiltshire.»—Resembles Cheshire or Gloucester. The outside is painted with reddle or red ocher or whey.

«York.»—From cream. It will not keep.

We give below the composition of some of the principal varieties of cheese:

Double Cheddar Gloucester Skim Water 36.64 35.61 43.64 Casein 23.38 21.76 45.64 Fatty matter 35.44 38.16 5.76 Mineral matter 4.54 4.47 4.96 ────── ────── ────── 100.00 100.00 100.00

Stilton Cotherstone Water 32.18 38.28 Butter 37.36 30.89 Casein 24.31 23.93 Milk, sugar, and extractive matters 2.22 3.70 Mineral matter 3.93 3.20 ────── ────── 100.00 100.00

Gruyère Ordinary (Swiss) Dutch Water 40.00 36.10 Casein 31.50 29.40 Fatty matter 24.00 27.50 Salts 3.00 .90 Non─nitrogenous organic matter and loss. 1.50 6.10 ────── ────── 100.00 100.00

When a whole cheese is cut, and the consumption small, it is generally found to become unpleasantly dry, and to lose flavor before it is consumed. This is best prevented by cutting a sufficient quantity for a few days’ consumption from the cheese, and keeping the remainder in a cool place, rather damp than dry, spreading a thin film of butter over the fresh surface, and covering it with a cloth or pan to keep off the dirt. This removes the objection existing in small families against purchasing a whole cheese at a time. The common practice of buying small quantities of cheese should be avoided, as not only a higher price is paid for any given quality, but there is little likelihood of obtaining exactly the same flavor twice running. Should cheese become too dry to be {178} agreeable, it may be used for stewing, or for making grated cheese, or Welsh rarebits.

«Goats’ Milk Cheese.»—Goats’ milk cheese is made as follows: Warm 20 quarts of milk and coagulate it with rennet, either the powder or extract. Separate the curds from the whey in a colander. After a few days the dry curd may be shaped into larger or smaller cheeses, the former only salted, the latter containing salt and caraway seed. The cheeses must be turned every day, and sprinkled with salt, and any mold removed. After a few days they may be put away on shelves to ripen, and left for several weeks. Pure goat’s milk cheese should be firm and solid all the way through. Twenty quarts of milk will make about 4 pounds of cheese.

CHEESE COLORANT: See Food.

CHEMICAL GARDENS: See Gardens, Chemical.

CHERRY BALSAM: See Balsam.

CHERRY CORDIAL: See Wines and Liquors.