Say cheese

 

Where would turophiles (people who love cheese) be without Gouda, Cheddar, Camembert, Brie, Cream cheese and the likes?!

Parmalat is proud of our delectable, not to mention award-winning range of Parmalat, Simonsberg and Melrose cheeses. Take a look at some must-know info about your favourite dairy treat.

 

• Say cheese ... and wine

• Safely storing cheese

• General cheese facts

• Mum remembered Melrose

• Research results to make you smile
 

 

Say cheese ... and wine

Having a cheese and wine? Take a look at this first to know which cheeses to choose.

Soft cheeses

Serve with white wines rather than reds. Good choices include Blanc Fumé, Cabernet Franc, Cap Classique, wooded and un-wooded Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, cream liqueurs, dry Riesling and Pinot Noir.

Hard cheeses

Most hard cheeses are great with red wine although some can be enjoyed with a dry white. Try Cabernet Sauvignon, wooded and un-wooded Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Grigio and Shiraz.

Strong cheeses

Matured cheeses that have a strong flavour and pungent aroma can be tricky to pair with wine. Pair Parmalat and Simonsberg’s award-winning mature and vintage cheeses with Shiraz and Riesling, this works well as do Pinotage, Pinot Grigio, Merlot, wooded and un-wooded Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Blue cheeses

These are the hardest cheeses to match with wine but the general rule of thumb is that sweet wines and fruity reds are the best match. Dessert wines, sweet sherry and Pinot Grigio all work well. If your choice is a white wine, choose a crisp Sauvignon Blanc.
 

Did you know?
Arista al latte, or pork braised in milk, is a traditional Tuscan dish in which the joint of meat is poached in milk to keep it tender.


Did you know?
Did you know that it takes ten litres of milk to make one kilogramme of cheese? Parmalat milk is pasteurised and treated with only the best selected cheese cultures available to make our variety of favourite cheeses. Read on for more interesting cheese facts:
 


Safely storing cheese


Generally, the harder the cheese, the longer it will remain fresh in a refrigerator. However, cheese will continue to ripen, no matter how carefully it is stored.

Soft cheeses should be eaten soon after purchasing. Check the ‘best before’ pack dates for white rind cheese like Camembert and Brie. Store cheese between 2°C - 5°C in its original wrapper or container. Once you’ve opened it, rewrap it in wax paper first, then plastic wrap or foil.

Tips on caring for cheese

When grocery shopping, place cheese in your trolley at the end of your shopping, right before checkout.  Make sure to return home and refrigerate the cheese immediately; don't leave it sitting in your car or on your kitchen counter.

Each time you use the cheese, return it to the refrigerator immediately. Store cheese towards the back of the refrigerator where the fridge is at its coolest, rather than in the refrigerator door.
 


General cheese facts
 

  • Why do some cheeses form mould?
    Some mould quicker than others, due to moisture content and contact with air. Cheese with a higher moisture content is more likely to form mould. The better a cheese is packaged the less likely it is that mould will form. An airtight vacuum package will virtually eliminate mould growth until opened.
     
  • Should I throw cheese away if it gets mouldy?
    Although most moulds are harmless, to be safe, cut away 1 cm of cheese on all sides of the visible mould. Use remaining cheese as quickly as possible.
     
  • Can you make cheese last longer by freezing it?
    Most hard cheeses can be frozen, but it might change the texture. It is recommended that thawed cheese be crumbled or grated for salads or as toppings.
     
  • Why is salt added to cheese?
    Salt is used as a preservative, a flavourant and to expel moisture from the cheese. Salt also prevents the cultures from developing further once the cheese is packaged.
     
  • What is the natural colour of cheese?
    The natural cheese colour is a yellowish off-white. The orange colour is caused by a natural colourant extracted from the annatto seed.
     
  • What makes blue cheese blue?
    Mould spores added to the milk give blue cheese its unique flavour, texture and colour. These moulds need to ‘breathe’, so the cheese is pierced to let oxygen in and carbon dioxide out. The moulds form along the pierced holes.
     
  • What is the white stuff on the outside of Brie and Camembert?
    It’s a penicillium mould (not antibiotic penicillin) called a bloom, which has either been added to the milk or sprayed onto the moulded cheese. The bloom is safe to eat and adds to the flavour of the cheese.
     
  • What are fresh cheeses?
    Cottage, cream, and ricotta are all fresh cheeses. They are not cured and do not keep for long.
     
  • Why is mozzarella so stretchy and Parmesan so crumbly?
    When cheese is young the protein structure is largely elastic, making it smooth. Mozzarella, a very young cheese isn’t cured at all. Parmesan on the other hand, is older and the proteins have broken down, so the cheese will crumble readily.
     
  • Why does cheese ‘sweat’ when heated?
    Cheese is a combination of milk fat, protein and water (whey), also known as oil in water suspension. It as a 100% natural product and has no stabilisers or any sort of protection against heat.
     
  • Can I still enjoy cheese if I’m lactose intolerant?
    Yes! Even if you are lactose intolerant, you can still enjoy your favourite cheese. Many aged cheeses like Cheddar contain very little, if any, lactose. During the cheese-making process, most of the lactose is removed. Aged cheeses like cheddar generally have less lactose than unripened cheese (like cream cheese). Cheese is an ideal source of calcium for people who are lactose intolerant.
     


Mum remembered Melrose


Parmalat's much-loved Melrose is made from A grade Cheddar and Gouda Cheese and it is high in Calcium for strong bones and teeth.

Melrose is tartrazine free and includes no added sugars, only natural lactose sugar.
Melrose has a full range of vegetarian friendly products and even Melrose Biltong is made with Soy Fibre.
There are six glasses of milk in a 400g Melrose Cheese Spread and three-and-a-half glasses of milk in a pack of Melrose Cheese Wedges.
 


Research results to make you smile

While the proverbial ‘apple a day’ may keep the doctor away, eating processed cheese such as Melrose with your meal can, according to new research, keep the dentist - and cavities - away.

The strong link between dairy products and healthy bones and teeth received credibility with a study at the University of Iowa’s Dows Institute for Dental Research. It was found that eating processed cheese with your meal can go a long way to fight tooth decay and even help restore damage caused by loss of minerals.


Processed cheese gives plague the boot

Dows’ intensive research looked at the effect of processed cheese on aspects such as the pH value (acid levels) of plaque and how processed cheese can help protect our teeth enamel. The researchers determined that processed cheese eliminates the acid production of plaque – the buildup on teeth which can lead to tooth decay and gum disease. They also found that processed cheese lessens the loss of minerals, a cause of cavities. Consuming cheese at mealtime can also help rebuild tooth surfaces that started to decay from the acids produced by bacteria in the mouth. Read about Melrose Cheese spread here.

A cheese by any other name … would taste as good

Cheese is loved around the world.

Take a look at some of the words for it in various languages:
Ost - Scandinavian
Queso – Spanish
Formaggio – Italian
Queijo - Portuguese
Kaas - Dutch
Fromage - French
Brânză - Romanian

The goodness of Gouda

Gouda cheese was named after the Dutch town of Gouda, just outside Rotterdam. It is a traditional, creamy, hard cheese and the flavour is sweet and fruity. Gouda’s taste will intensify and grow more complex as time passes.
Mature Gouda (in other words of 18 months and older) is coated in black wax which provides a stark contrast to the deep yellow interior. Gouda is considered to be one of the world's great cheeses. It is a table cheese and a dessert cheese, excellent with fruit and wine.

Cheeky Cheddar

Cheddar is believed to be the most widely purchased and eaten cheese in the world. Fully cured Cheddar is a hard, natural cheese. Cheddar’s colour usually ranges from white to pale yellow. Colour is added to some Cheddars and this gives cheese a yellow-orange colour. Cheddar is always made from cow's milk and has a slightly crumbly texture if properly cured. If the cheese is too young, the texture is smooth. Cheddar gets a sharper taste the longer it matures and it is generally matured between 9 and 24 months.