Choosing and Using Cheese

CHECKLIST OF CHEESES

This checklist of cheeses is not intended to be encyclopaedic nor, indeed, objective. It is restricted to those mentioned in this book and aims merely to describe some of their characteristics and, wherever relevant, provide one or two hints on how to choose them. When the cheese is rare and/or very difficult to come by – but only in such cases – I have suggested possible alternatives. This in no way implies that the alternative is as good as, or even very similar to, the cheese it replaces. The aim is simply to suggest the most satisfactory substitute in the context of a recipe.

Appenzell (cow) A hard Swiss cheese with a distinctive and delicate tang, which results from its being marinated in white wine and spices during the curing process. Genuine Appenzell should show a bear rampant on its label. Possible alternatives: Beaufort, Gruyère.

Bagnes (cow) A semi-hard Swiss cheese mainly used in fondue and raclette. Mild yet full of character. Possible alternatives: Raclette.

Beaufort (cow) A hard French cheese. A subtly aromatic relative of Gruyère. Possible alternatives: Comté, Gruyère.

Bel Paese (cow) A semi-soft Italian cheese with a bland flavour.

Bleu d'Auvergne (cow) A semi-hard French blue cheese, which, like its cousin Bleu des Causses, can vary considerably in strength, texture and saltiness (so taste if possible before buying). The best Bleu d'Auvergne has a good tang, an almost buttery texture and is not too salty.

Bleu de Bresse (or Bresse Bleu) (cow) A semi-soft French blue cheese reminiscent of Gorgonzola.

Bleu de Gex (cow) A semi-hard French blue cheese. Aromatic with a touch of astringency. Possible alternatives: Stilton, Fourme d'Ambert.

Bleu de Sassenage (cow) A semi-hard French blue cheese similar to Bleu de Gex.

Blue Cheshire (cow) A semi-hard British blue cheese, coloured orange-red with annatto. Best when made with unpasteurized milk.

Blue Wensleydale (cow) A semi-hard British blue cheese similar to Stilton but smoother in texture and drier.

Boulette d'Avesnes (cow) A semi-soft French cheese containing tarragon. Its smell and flavour are fierce. Possible alternative: Maroilles.

Boulette de Romedenne (cow) A semi-soft Belgian cheese similar to Boulette d'Avesnes.

Brebis des Pyrénées (sheep) A semi-hard to hard French cheese. The term covers a range of cheeses that can vary considerably in strength and texture, from the mild and springy black-rinded Lou Palou, which may contain some cow's milk, to the harder and tangier Iraty and Laruns.

Bresse bleuSee Bleu de Bresse.

Brie (cow) A soft French cheese that should have a pronounced, if sweet, smell when ripe. Brie de Melun is generally regarded as a finer cheese than Brie de Meaux.

Broccio (sheep) A fresh Corsican cheese, usually unsalted. Possible alternatives: ricotta romana, fresh ewe's-milk cheese, ricotta.

Brousse (sheep, goat) A fresh French cheese. The mainland version of Broccio, made with either ewe's or goat's milk.

CabécouSee Goat cheese.

Caerphilly (cow) A semi-hard British cheese with a tart, creamy taste and crumbly texture. Far superior when made with unpasteurized milk.

Camembert (cow) A soft French cheese, originally made in Normandy and now manufactured by dairies all over France. It varies enormously in quality. The words Véritable Camembert de Normandie, or VCN, on the box usually guarantee your getting the proper unpasteurized product with its insistent, sweet smell.

Cantal (cow) A semi-hard French cheese. It comes in three categories, doux (mild and creamy-tasting), entredeux (medium-strong) and vieux (strong to pungent). The best categories for cooking are doux and entre-deux. See also Tomme fraîche de Cantal.

Cheddar (cow) A hard British cheese, now also made elsewhere in the world. It varies greatly. Rindless 'block' Cheddar is overbland, while unpasteurized Cheddar made on farms can mature to a rich and tangy cheese (the reason why much so-called 'farmhouse Cheddar' is disappointing is that it is manufactured industrially from pasteurized milk). Canadian, and occasionally American, Cheddar can be a very good strong cheese.

Cheshire (cow) A hard British cheese, sometimes coloured light orange-red with annatto, with a rich, subtle flavour. Unlike Cheddar, all Cheshire that calls itself 'farmhouse' is made from unpasteurized milk.

ChèvreSee Goat cheese.

Comté (cow) A hard French cheese with a texture, a depth of flavour and cooking qualities similar to those of its cousin, Gruyère.

Cotherstone (cow) A semi-hard British cheese with a mild lactic flavour and good melting properties.

Cottage cheese See Curd cheese.

Coulommiers (cow) A soft French cheese similar to Brie but smaller.

Cream cheese See Curd cheese.

Crottin See Goat cheese

Curd cheese (cow) An unsalted fresh cheese (see recipe p. 370) that can vary in consistency from fairly liquid to almost crumbly, depending on how thoroughly it has been drained. The terminology of fresh cheeses is a vexed question: curd cheese, lactic cheese, cottage cheese, fromage blanc, fromage frais, quark (or quarg) and cream cheese can be confusing terms because they are sometimes used loosely or interchangeably. Certain writers, when referring to cottage cheese, clearly have in mind something that is identical with the curd cheese recipe in this book; others are referring to the type of product usually marketed as cottage cheese – a granular and rather tart fresh cheese made from skimmed milk. Lactic cheese is just another word for curd cheese (and is sometimes called lactic curd or acid curd). Fromage blanc, fromage frais and quark are the equivalent of fairly liquid curd cheese as far as taste and cooking properties are concerned, though their fat content and commercial manufacture may differ slightly. Cream cheese, like its firmer French equivalent, Petit Suisse, is, properly speaking, a fresh cheese with a very high fat content (40-60 per cent), though so-called 'low-fat'...