Basically, all cheeses begin as milk that is cultured until a certain pH balance is reached throughout the product. At that point, the milk has a consistency like that of buttermilk. After it has settled, rennet is added. Rennet originates from enzymes found in animal stomachs. The likely origin of cheese is that nomadic people carried milk in sacks or bags made from animal stomachs. The enzymes that remained in those bags caused the proteins in the milk to coagulate or curdle. Modern day rennet is mostly a vegetable derivative, although some artisan cheese makers still use calves rennet in more authentic cheese making processes.

The curdled milk is now cheese in its youngest state. These curdles are often salted, put into molds and drained. At that stage, the cheese is a fresh cheese - ricotta, chevre and cottage cheese are examples of fresh cheeses.

To produce a mozzarella or provolone, the curd is heated and kneaded, then shaped - it can be found in different shapes like braids or knots. Provolone is actually tied with a rope and then hung while it is smoked and aged. Parmesan cheeses are shaped into giant wheels and then pressed with up to 50 lbs. of pressure which creates a dense, sharp cheese suitable for grating. The best Parmesan-Reggiano's will have crystal-like properties as a result of the pressure, drying and aging process.

Camembert or Brie cheeses result when a mold ("penicillin candidum") is sprayed to the outside of the fresh cheese round. It is then held in a high-moisture, ripening cabinet until it "blooms", or when the mold appears. The cheese ripens from the outside in, with just a slight amount of moisture lost. Inside the rind, the fibers that give structure to the cheeses are broken down which results in their wonderful creamy texture. Typically very rich in butterfat, you will often see these cheeses described as double or triple cream. This is a classification of the amount of butterfat in the milk with double cream cheese containing 60 - 74% butterfat and triple cream over 75% butterfat.

"Washed rind" cheeses like Munster or Taleggio are fresh cheeses that are washed with a solution of wine, beer or brandy. These washes promotes the growth of a particular bacteria to produce a different type of rind. Natural rind cheeses are as you would guess - the rind simply develops naturally. Cheddar and Cantal are examples of natural rind cheeses. Which brings us finally to blue - these cheeses are first pressed and during their aging process they are inoculated with a penicillin throughout the cheese which results in the blue veins of mold seen in a blue cheese

As for tastes, cheese can be described in many ways; sharp or mellow, fruity or tangy, caramel-like or nutty, floral or earthy. Acidity levels, the type of milk (goat, cow or sheep milk), the grass the animals eat, the season - all these things can subtly or strongly affect the flavor of cheese. The American cheese scene is booming and Americans are consuming cheese now in the way many Europeans do; not as an ingredient to add to a dish, but as a food to be savored on its own merits. Just as select wines, coffees, breads and chocolates have their followers, cheese can now be added to the long list of foods that people are appreciating and enjoying for their distinct and unique varieties.

The 14th Annual American Cheese Society Conference will be held in Seattle this year at the Sheraton Seattle Hotel and Tower from August 14th -16th. "Romancing the Cheese" will bring together chefs and restaurateurs, cheese makers and retailers from all over the country. Tom will be participating in a discussion with Nancy Oakes of San Francisco's Boulevard, Leslie Mackey of Macrina Bakery and Allison Leber of "Brie & Bordeaux". The panel will discuss how cheeses are featured on today's restaurant menus and the role of chefs and restaurateurs in the cheese industry. Other events at the Conference include a cheese judging contest - judging categories cover everything from spiced and herbed flavored cheeses, to aged sheep's milk cheeses to cultured products. For information on registration or attending panel discussions please contact the American Cheese Society at 415-344-0958.