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How 20 Cheeses Are Made Around The World | Regional Eats | Insider Food

Insider Food・88 minutes read

650 million kilos of Gouda cheese are produced annually in the Netherlands, but only 280 farmers make raw milk Boerenkaas, with unique artisanal methods. Parmesan cheese, valued at 2.2 billion euros, is produced in Northern Italy using a specific process, aged for at least a year and marked with the Parmigiano-Reggiano logo for authenticity.

Insights

Gouda cheese production in the Netherlands includes both industrial processes for the majority of output and traditional raw milk Gouda made on select farms.
Emmental cheese from Switzerland uses raw milk for a rich flavor, undergoes a 12-month aging process, and bears the Emmental logo for authenticity.
Parmesan cheese production in Northern Italy involves strict regulations, including the use of specific bacteria, aging for at least one year, and individual marking of cheese wheels.
Gruyere cheese from Switzerland, protected with AOP status, requires raw milk from local cows, minimum 5-month aging, and plays a key role in Swiss fondue recipes.

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Recent questions

How is Gouda cheese made?
Gouda cheese is made by pressing curds in wooden molds, brining for five days, and aging for at least 28 days, resulting in a unique taste and texture.
What is the process of making Emmental cheese?
Emmental cheese is made by storing milk, adding natural filaments, cutting curds with rennet, reducing liquid, turning cheese wheels, salting, and maturing for 5-7 days to develop flavor.
Where is Stilton cheese produced?
Stilton cheese is produced in six dairies across Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, and Derbyshire in England, involving pasteurizing milk, adding blue mold culture, and hand-salting curds.
How is Parmesan cheese aged?
Parmesan cheese is aged for at least one year, with some wheels aged up to 10 years, resulting in varying prices based on maturation, and it is made in a restricted area in Northern Italy.
What is the key ingredient in Swiss fondue?
Gruyere is a key ingredient in Swiss fondue, alongside Vacherin, providing consistency and flavor to the traditional dish.

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Summary

00:00

"Artisanal Gouda Cheese Production in Netherlands"

650 million kilos of Gouda cheese are produced annually in the Netherlands, mostly industrially, but some traditional raw milk Gouda is still made on select farms.
Gouda cheese is named after the city of Gouda in South Holland, where the cheese market was established in 1395, now a popular attraction.
Only 280 farmers in the Netherlands produce raw milk Boerenkaas or farmer's cheese, with two farms making Boeren Gouda, an aged artisanal raw milk cheese.
A family on an island in the Netherlands makes 15 wheels of aged artisanal Gouda daily, using cold milk from the previous day and fresh warm milk every morning.
The cheese curds are pressed in wooden molds for two hours on each side, then moved to brines for five days before drying for 24 hours.
The aged artisanal Gouda must wait at least 28 days to age, with some wheels aging longer, creating a unique taste and texture.
The cheese wheels are covered with a biological coating and aged for at least two years, with some wheels aging even longer, a process unique to only two farmers in Holland.
The giant mozzarella, Tettone, weighing 66 pounds, is made in a dairy in Southern Italy, where over 9 tons of mozzarella are produced daily.
The giant Tettone is made bespoke for big events and dinners, not for regular consumption, and is incredibly popular on social media.
Emmental cheese, known as Swiss cheese, is produced in the Emmental region in Switzerland, with AOP protection, ensuring specific production methods and raw milk usage.

24:17

Emmental and Stilton Cheese Production Process

Raw milk is used to make Emmental cheese, giving it a rich, full flavor compared to pasteurized milk.
The 12-month aged Emmental cheese has a less springy texture but a rich nutty flavor.
Authentic Emmental cheese must bear the Emmental logo and a unique cheese number for identification.
The Emmental cheese brand is protected by the AOP label, ensuring authenticity.
The cheese-making process at Farm de Tantapan involves storing milk for 18 hours, adding natural filaments, and cutting curds with rennet.
Cheese molds are gradually removed as the liquid reduces from 25 liters to 5 liters over 3 hours.
The cheese wheels are turned three times daily, salted, and matured for 5-7 days to develop flavor.
Stilton cheese is made in six dairies across Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, and Derbyshire in England.
Stilton cheese production involves pasteurizing milk, adding blue mold culture, and hand-salting the curds.
Stilton cheese matures for five weeks, with daily turning and piercing to develop blue veins and flavor.

49:34

Cheese Making Process: From Curds to Cheese

Cheese factory maintains warmth for firming cheese and optimal starter temperature
Cheese mixture cooked to 100 degrees, then agitated for squeaky cheese curd
Cutting cheese into curds with wire knife called cheese Harps
Cheese curds take about 2.5 hours to form after cutting
Even cutting of cheese curds expels more Whey and helps cheese stick together
Hands-on stirring ensures control and monitoring of cheese-making process
Checking cheese curds for firmness before moving to next step
Whey removed, cream sold for butter, Whey proteins made from excess Whey
Cheese curds pushed to sides, firming and forming one solid piece
Cheese curds salted three times to seal in flavor, control pH, and enhance taste

01:13:43

"Parmesan Cheese: Pricey, Prestigious, and Precise"

A wheel of Parmesan cheese can cost over a thousand dollars, with an average weight of 88 pounds, making it over $11 per pound.
Parmesan cheese takes at least one year to age, requires 131 gallons of milk to make, and can only be produced in a small area in Northern Italy.
Italy produces an average of 3.6 million wheels of Parmesan cheese annually, with the industry valued at 2.2 billion euros.
Parmesan cheese is made in a restricted area in Northern Italy, specifically in the region of Emilia-Romagna, with the name Parmigiano-Reggiano derived from Parma and Reggio Emilia.
The production of Parmesan cheese involves three essential bacteria that only grow in the specific territory where it is made.
To make Parmesan cheese, 131 gallons of milk are combined with fermented whey and rennet, then cooked to eliminate harmful bacteria.
The curds are formed, weighed at 220 pounds, split into two cheese wheels, and carefully handled by workers.
Each Parmesan cheese wheel is marked with the Parmigiano-Reggiano logo and an ID plaque containing production details.
The cheese wheels are aged for at least one year, with some aged up to 10 years, resulting in varying prices based on maturation.
Feta cheese is made with a combination of sheep's and goat's milk, aged for 15 days at specific temperatures to develop its distinct flavor profile.

01:35:00

Cheese Production and Aging Techniques Revealed

Feta cheese is aged for 15 days at mild temperature, then stored at a cold temperature for 45 days for full taste and aroma.
Gruyere is the most produced and consumed cheese in Switzerland, with 30,000 tons produced annually.
Gruyere has AOP protection, requiring traditional know-how, minimum 5-month aging, and raw milk from cows within 20 km.
4,800 liters of unpasteurized milk produce 12 wheels of Gruyere AOP, with 48 wheels made daily.
Gruyere is aged for 5 months, with the option to age up to 16 months for a sharper taste.
Gruyere is a key ingredient in Swiss fondue, alongside Vacherin for consistency.
Gruyere is versatile in cooking, used in French onion soup, quiche, and more.
Camembert cheese must weigh 250g, be 10cm in diameter, have 22% fat, and come from Normandy.
Camembert is traditionally packaged in paraffin paper and wooden boxes, aged for 4-5 weeks.
Ricotta is made from liquid whey, matured for a day, ladled by hand, salted, dried, and aged for 4-5 weeks.

02:04:38

Artisan Cheese Making Process Explained

The cheese is cut into two pieces, each weighing 2.5 kilos, and shaped by hand.
The cheese is placed in cold water to set the shape and stop fermentation, then tied together with a rope.
The cheeses are brined based on weight, with every kilo needing 24 hours, so the 2.5-kilo cheeses stay for 60 hours.
The cheeses are aged in caves for a minimum of six weeks and a maximum of two years.
Stinking Bishop cheese is washed with Perry, a pear cider, giving it a distinctive smell and texture.
The cheese is made with pasteurized cow's milk, vegetable rennet, and milk from Gloucester cattle.
The curd is transferred into molds and aged for two to three weeks, turned regularly for even maturation.
The Perry used to wash the cheese is later turned into a sweet pear spirit called puero.
Burrata cheese is made by splitting curds, stretching them in hot water, and filling them with stracciatella.
West Country Farmhouse Cheddar is made from raw milk, cheddared, salted, milled, pressed, and aged for a minimum of nine months.

02:36:12

Artisan Cheese Production and Maturation Techniques

Cheese production involves tagging with date and weight, storing on-site, turning, and vacuuming away mold.
Cave maturation in the Mendip Hills provides ideal conditions for cloth-bound cheese to mature with natural yeast and mold.
Cheddar strength varies with aging: mellow mature (4-6 months), mature (10-12 months), and vintage (20-24 months).
Cheddar Gorge Cheese Company opted out of PDO status to maintain traditional methods of production.
Sao Jorge cheese from a volcanic island is rich in flavor due to raw milk, natural fermentation, and unique aging conditions.
Cheese making on Sao Jorge involves raw milk, whey fermentation, slow curd cutting, and room temperature aging.
Anatto, a natural colorant, gives Red Leicester cheese its vibrant hue without affecting flavor.
Red Leicester cheese production includes cutting curds, salting, molding, pressing, larding, and aging in a humid room.

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