Distinguishing types of cheese (cheese)

Cheese is a product that contains a lot of protein and fat from milk, usually cow’s, goat’s or sheep’s milk. Cheese originated in the West; Vietnamese people still commonly call cheese by the general name “pho-mat” (probably from a distorted pronunciation of the French word “fromage” – which means cheese). There are hundreds of different kinds of cheese in the world, used very widely in Western dishes. Just in Italian cuisine alone, if there were no cheese, there would be nothing to call Italian gastronomy. The two most famous Italian dishes in the world, pasta and pizza, would not exist without cheese. There is a saying, roughly translated, that if the French cook with water and wine, then the Italians cook pasta with water and cheese.

There are cheeses used only for cooking, some only for baking and some that can be used for both baking and cooking. There are hard cheeses and soft cheeses. Cheese is sold in large blocks, small blocks in bags, in tubs, sliced, or shredded. In this post, I will go over the most commonly used cheeses (at least the ones I have used so far on my blog).

1. Parmesan:

This is the short name of the cheese Parmigiano-Reggiano. This is the most typical cheese for pasta dishes. Parmesan is a hard cheese made from cow’s milk and needs at least 1 year, usually 2 to 3 years of aging for the cheese to “mature”.

Parmesan can be eaten on its own or used in cooked dishes. When eaten, parmesan is usually grated, shredded, thinly sliced, or cut into small chunks.

2. Cheddar:

This is also a hard cheese, pale yellow to off-white in color, originating from the village of Cheddar, Somerset. It is the most common cheese in England and also the cheese consumed in the largest quantity in the world. The longer cheddar is aged, the “sharper” it becomes; cheddar usually reaches maturity between 9 and 24 months. Sliced cheddar is often used in burgers, sandwiches, in baked dishes such as baked pasta or pizza, or in casseroles and risotto.

3. Mozzarella:

This cheese originates from Italy and is also categorized in the group of cream cheeses, made from water buffalo milk or cow’s milk. In its fresh form, mozzarella is quite soft, with a color ranging from white to yellowish depending on the animal’s diet. Traditionally, fresh mozzarella is made and eaten on the same day. Because of its high moisture content, fresh mozzarella can be stored in the refrigerator for about 1 week. The types of mozzarella that are now dried by reducing water content and shredded can be kept for up to 6 weeks. Mozzarella is an indispensable cheese in pizza; after baking, it melts and forms long, stretchy strands of cheese.

4. Blue cheese:

The name of this cheese describes the blue specks, sometimes bluish gray or blue mixed with dark tones in the cheese. These blue veins are what create its distinctive flavor. This cheese is made from cow’s, sheep’s or goat’s milk; “blue cheese” is just a generic name for a range of blue cheeses with different specific names. This type of cheese pairs very well with fruit, crackers (a type of crisp biscuit) or wine.

5. Cream cheese:

This is a fresh cheese, white, soft, with a mild cheese flavor and slightly sweet. It is the main and very familiar ingredient for making cheesecake. Cream cheese can also be eaten “fresh” with bread, crackers, etc.

6. Mascarpone:

Strictly speaking, mascarpone is not a cheese; it is a product created when an additional agent is added during the process of separating cream from milk. Mascarpone is soft, white and fresh. To make tiramisu, mascarpone is indispensable.

7. Ricotta cheese:

Ricotta originates from Italy and is made from the whey left from cow’s or sheep’s milk. During the process of separating cream to make cheese, the liquid that is separated out is used to make ricotta. This cheese is soft, white, slightly sweet and very low in fat. Ricotta is popular in many Italian desserts or served with other sweet dishes. Ricotta is also used to make cheesecake and many types of cookies. Some pasta and pizza recipes also use ricotta.

For now, I have briefly introduced 7 types of cheese and cream cheese that I have used. In a world with hundreds of different cheeses, in a country that neither produces cheese nor cooks with cheese like Vietnam, it is very difficult to gain experience with them unless you have the chance to travel, live, study or work in Western countries, or to eat Western dishes. If you ever have the opportunity, do not hesitate to try and explore.