Each strongly influences the character and
quality of the final cheese.
Milks Cheese is milk concentrated five- to
tenfold by the removal of water; so the basic
character of the milk defines the basic
character of the cheese. Milk character is in
turn determined by the kind of animal that
produces it, what the animal eats, the
microbes that inhabit the milk, and whether it
is raw or pasteurized.
Species The milks of cows, sheep, and goats
taste different from each other (p. 21), and
their cheeses do too. Cow’s milk is more
neutral than other milks. Sheep and buffalo
milk have relatively high fat and protein
contents and therefore make richer cheeses.
Goat’s milk has a relatively low proportion of
curdle-able casein and usually produces a
crumbly, less cohesive curd compared to other
milks.