Fresh, Whey, and Stretched Curd Cheeses
The main factor in the categorization of these cheese is their age. Fresh cheeses without additional preservatives can spoil in a matter of days.
For these simplest cheeses, milk is curdled and drained, with little other processing. Examples include cottage cheese, Romanian Caş, Neufchâtel (the model for American-style cream cheese), and fresh goat's milk chèvre. Such cheeses are soft and spreadable, with a mild flavour.
Whey cheeses are fresh cheeses made from whey, which would otherwise be discarded, in the process of producing other cheeses. Corsican Brocciu, Italian Ricotta, Romanian Urda, Greek Mizithra, Cypriot Anari cheese and Norwegian Geitost are examples. Brocciu is mostly eaten fresh, and is as such a major ingredient in Corsican cuisine, but it can also be found in an aged form.
Traditional pasta filata cheeses such as Mozzarella also fall into the fresh cheese category. Fresh curds are stretched and kneaded in hot water to form a ball of Mozzarella, which in southern Italy is usually eaten within a few hours of being made. Stored in brine, it can easily be shipped, and it is known worldwide for its use on pizza.
Other firm fresh cheeses include paneer and queso fresco.
Read more about this topic: Types Of Cheese
Famous quotes containing the words stretched, curd and/or cheeses:
“Thou, pallid there as chalk,
Hast kept of wounds, O Mourner, all that sum
That then from Appomattox stretched to Somme!”
—Hart Crane (1899–1932)
“Firm-style bean curd insoles cushion feet, absorb perspiration and provide more protein than meat or fish innersoles of twice the weight. Tofu compresses with use, becoming more pungent and flavorful. May be removed when not in use to dry or marinate. Innersoles are ready to eat after 1,200 miles of wear. Each pair provides adult protein requirement for 2 meals. Insoles are sized large to allow for snacks. Recipe booklet included.”
—Alfred Gingold, U.S. humorist. Items From Our Catalogue, “Tofu Innersoles,” Avon Books (1982)
“Some bring a capon, some a rural cake,
Some nuts, some apples; some that think they make
The better cheeses bring ‘em, or else send
By their ripe daughters, whom they would commend
This way to husbands, and whose baskets bear
An emblem of themselves in plum or pear.”
—Ben Jonson (1572–1637)