BEST CHEESES
A whey with cheese
Shannon Turner, Good Taste magazine
Posted Fri, 30 Mar 2007

“Come over for some cheese and wine, darling.”

“Let’s picnic. You bring the brie and we’ll bring the wine.”

Cheese and snacks make great picnicking fare, not to mention the wine of course. Cheese is so convenient. And tasty. And nourishing. And it goes so well with wine. So it scores in every department.

Where does the story of cheese begin? Cheese making is thought to go back more than 10 000 years. It’s difficult to pinpoint of course, but legend has it, it all began with an Arabian traveller. He placed milk in a canteen made from sheep’s stomach that he was carrying during a journey across the desert.

To his surprise, after several hours he found that the milk had changed into cheese curds. This alchemical process was due to the combination of the sun’s heat and the coagulating enzyme, rennin, present in the sheep’s stomach. Happily, the process has improved a lot since then.

Going back in South Africa’s cheese history it’s easy to see how ‘cheese-eating’ trends have changed. “Gouda was the cheese of choice in South Africa for a long time, until gradually Cheddar took the lead because of its versatility and stronger flavour,” says Alan Fourie, Senior Cheese Consultant of Parmalat.

“But the real change came with globalisation. Now the consumer is exposed to a greater shelf space dedicated to a variety of ‘fancy’ cheeses, and more and more private dairies are opening, offering all sorts of intriguing types.”

If you’re not in the market for a long trip on foot, with a sheepskin canteen, just head down to your local store. Not sure what you should be looking for? Well, it all depends on the type of cheese you want. Soft cheeses should be uniform in colour and they should fill out the crust casing, which shouldn’t have any cracks. If you are looking for blue cheeses they mustn’t be too dry or crumbly, and their veins should be evenly distributed.

“May I help you?”

Never feel too shy to chat to the in-store cheese specialist — who knows, maybe they will help you choose the best quality cheese, and introduce you to different cheeses that you haven’t yet tried.

So, you’ve bought a block of your favourite, and were coaxed into buying one of the smelliest on the shelf — how should you store it? Make sure to wrap it properly — not in cling film, but in waxed paper, aluminium foil or a cloth cheese bag — and place it in the warmest section of your fridge. (The door is often one of the warmest spots.)

Storage life is related to the moisture content of the cheese — the softer the cheese, the shorter the amount of time it will keep fresh. In general, firm and semi-firm cheeses will keep for two weeks while soft, bleu and grated cheeses will keep for about one week.

You are probably aware that cheese is high in saturated fat. A big no-no for the health conscious. But, in general, cheese supplies us with a great deal of calcium, protein, and phosphorus. Nutritionally, cheese is essentially concentrated milk, so, it shares milk’s nutritional advantages and disadvantages as well.

How much better are low-fat cheeses for you?

“Although a low-fat diet is important, most consumers are more worried that the flavour won’t deliver the same emotional experience. And this is often true. Rather use low-fat cheeses as an ingredient in recipes where lots of other goodies have been added. Cheese consists mainly of protein and butterfat, so by reducing the butterfat the proteins become tough and tasteless and sometimes bitter. I would suggest rather enjoy the cheese you love, but in moderation,” says Alan.

From Gouda to Cheddar to Brie and Parmesan… cheeses vary dramatically. Although they are made following the same basic method, the final outcome is governed by the way they have been treated every step of the way.

Cheese gets its character during its maturation period. “It never ceases to amaze me that a longer ripening period, a slower coagulation or a slight change in temperature can deliver a product that is so different in texture that it qualifies as a different product,” says Rina Belcher Co-Owner of Belnori Boutique Cheesery.

Some cheeses are left to ripen for a few weeks, others for a year. Cheeses may be inoculated with spores to develop veins on the inside (such as blue-vein cheese) or sprayed with surface bacteria to produce bloomy mould (camembert and brie).

For the simplest cheeses, milk is curdled and drained, with little other processing. These are soft and spreadable, with a mild taste. Whey cheeses are fresh cheeses made from the whey discarded while producing other cheeses. Traditional Mozzarella also falls into the fresh cheese category.

Whichever whey you look at it, cheese is not to be left out of the picnic basket.

Treat your taste buds

It’s that time again, for the SA Cheese Festival (27 – 30 April) on Bien Donné farm between Paarl and Franschhoek. Expect to find an abundance of boutique and renowned cheeses from cheese-makers across the country. But don’t miss out on this year’s draw card—authentic French cheeses especially imported for the festival.

Why not find your favourite cheese, and ‘taste’ it all day long, but don’t forget about the various wines, olives, freshly baked bread and other delicacies on offer.

Tickets are R75 per person, inclusive of a shopping bag, festival programme, gourmet cheese tastings and inspirational demonstrations by some of South Africa’s top food fundis. For more details call (021) 975-4440 or visit www.cheesefestival.co.za.

Tips/Facts

• Cheese should be cut in such a way that each part of the cheese, from the rind to the heart, can be enjoyed
• Always serve cheese at room temperature, so take it out of the fridge an hour or two before serving
• If using cheese in quiches or other egg mixtures, grate it finely. When cheese melts it gives off oil and finely grated cheese will distribute the oil better throughout the mixture
• When making cheese sauce always add the cheese off the heat and don’t reheat it again or the sauce will go stringy

Recipes

Ciabatta Cheese Melt

“An awesome taste sensation,” that was an 8-year old’s reaction to this delicious but simple snack. Prep 10 minutes. Cook 10 minutes. Easy to make.

thick slices of ciabatta, rubbed with olive oil, toasted under the grill

1 cup calamata olives, pitted and mashed

fresh basil leaves

1 tube of chevin

paper thin slices of parma ham

punnet of rosa tomatoes

salt, ground pepper, olive oil and balsamic vinegar to season

Top the toasted ciabatta with the mashed olives. Place a few basil leaves on top. Roll the chevin with a few basil leaves then wrap with the parma ham, place it under the grill until the cheese is melted and oozy. Roast your tomatoes, which you have seasoned with salt, ground pepper, olive oil and balsamic. Now place the chevin on top of the basil leaves and squish a few of the roasted tomatoes on top.

Grilled Stuffed Nectarine Halves

It’s simple. The flavours of the fresh nectarines are offset with the creamy decadence of the filling. Prep 15 minutes. Cook 10 minutes. Easy to make.

as many nectarines as you have guests, stoned (that’s the fruit stoned)

200g marscapone

200g fresh cream cheese

1 vanilla pod, scraped

amaretti biscuits, crushed

and a little icing sugar

Halve the nectarines and stone them. Mix the marscapone, cream cheese, vanilla pod scrapings, crushed amaretti biscuits and icing sugar (the quantity of sugar is determined by your own personal preferences). Stuff the nectarine halves with the mixture. Place on a baking tray and place under the griller until golden. Delicious on their own or with a little vanilla ice cream.

If no space, just include pasta as an ingredient, no need to make it fresh…

Recipes by Diane Heierli