Cheese One

Cheese Tasting One
This is a summary of cheese tasting one it does not include the lecture notes. We also taste other cheeses during our regional sessions in the kitchen and notes on those cheeses are included in the regional discussions. It seems strange to tastes wines, cheese, salume, and olive oil that are not always great, but being able to compare products that are flawed with those that are not flawed is very informative and really gets your taste buds, olfactory senses and your brain working to determine what makes something bad, ok, good, or great. It is a great workout for the brain and all your senses.

Mozzarella di Bufala – from Campania –smells of sweet cream, has a good taste sweet taste of milk, but is probably about 7 days old, it is has a slight skin – a fresh mozzarella should not have any skin. If a fresh mozzarella tastes a little bitter it can be from the grass the animal has eaten. Bufala and Capra – don’t digest carotene therefore their milks and cheese are very white. Pair fresh Mozzarella di Bufala with Spumante

Burrata – cows milk, a stretched curd fresh cheese like mozzarella – that is stretched and filled with fresh cream, then it is closed. When you cut it open a buttery, creamy center is revealed. It is a great fresh cheese. Molto Dolce – Exterior is little chewy – probably made at too high a temperature.

Stracchino – cows milk, in the old days the cheese was made from the milk from cows that worked the fields and it was called “Stracco Stanco” – milk from tired cows. The milk was not as rich from these cows. It is a fresh cheese, smells of milk, off white color – nice and tangy flavor. Very little aging – 10 days, soft cheese.

Ca Sciotta D’ Urbino – DOP Cheese- sheep’s milk “Pecora” - aged 30-90 days- The rind should be thin, if it is thick the cheese has been age too dry or too hot. Has small holes, aromas of butter, cream, cheese, slight straw, potatoes. Mild flavor not bitter(amaro), low acidity, balance. Can be used for dolce.

Asiago – DOP – from the Veneto region -90-100 Days- the best Asiago’s are aged for 1 year or more. This one has small holes, yellowish color, Simple aromas of butter, potato, milk. Semi soft – dolce, no acid, sticks to the palate, a common cheese-not distinguished, too young.

Camoscio D’ Oro – mould ripened cheese, like a Camabert or brie-it is found all over Italy. The rind has slight aromas of mold, ammonia. Inside smells of butter. Taste-butter, fairly sweet, mushrooms(from the rind)

Chevre di Capra – 2 days old, acid, tangy, brewer’s yeast, bitter(amaro) – the cheese has a defect.

Robiola Di Roccaverano – DOP-made from Latte Di Capra ,from the Piedmont, but can be made with mixed milks also. Smells of male goat, butter, and mushroom. Taste is full flavored, rich, creamy, animal, and mushroom.

Gorgonzola - Dolce- aged 50 days – too young. Smells of buttermilk. Not a nice consistency, soft, runny, not a lot of character- not a very good cheese.