- Water is present to varying degrees. Young cheeses like
Jack, young cheddars, and mozzarella have a relatively
high water content—up to 80 percent. The longer a cheese
is aged, the more moisture it loses, and the harder it
becomes. Famous hard cheeses, like Parmigiano-Reggiano
and Pecorino Romano, may contain as little as 30 percent
water after several years of aging. - Milk fat in solid cheese is dispersed in the form of
microscopic globules kept suspended in a tight matrix of
protein micelles (more on those in a second). Under
around 90°F, this fat is solid. Because of this, and because
of their suspension, these tiny globules don’t come into
contact with each other to form larger globules: cheeses
stay creamy or crumbly, instead of greasy. - Protein micelles are spherical bundles of milk proteins.
Individual milk proteins (the main ones are four similar
molecules called caseins) resemble little tadpoles with
hydrophobic (water-avoiding) heads, and hydrophillic
(water-seeking) tails. These proteins come together
headfirst in bundles of several thousand, protecting their
hydrophobic heads and exposing their hydrophillic tails to
their watery surroundings. These micelles link together
into long chains, forming a matrix that gives the cheese its
structure. - Salt and other flavorings make up the rest of the cheese.
Salt can have a profound effect on the texture—saltier
cheeses have had more moisture drawn out of the curd
before being pressed, so they tend to be drier and firmer.
Other flavorful compounds present in cheese are mostly
intentional by-products of bacteria and aging.
nandana
(Nandana)
#1