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Cheese

Eggs & dairy · Cheese

Cheese

Milk curdled and drained into countless styles, from soft fresh cheeses to hard aged grating cheeses.

Also called: cheeses

Around the world: peynir (tr) · queso (es) · fromage (fr) · formaggio (it)

211 recipes with it

Photo: Unknown author, via Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA-3.0)

What it is

Cheese is made by curdling milk (from cows, sheep, goats or buffalo) with rennet or acid, draining off the whey and often salting and ageing the curds. Fresh cheeses such as ricotta and paneer are mild and moist; brined cheeses like feta are salty; semi-hard and hard cheeses like cheddar and parmesan are aged for deeper flavour; blue cheeses are ripened with moulds. Choose by whether the recipe needs melting, crumbling or grating.

How it’s used

  • Melting into sauces, toasties, pizza and gratins
  • Grating over pasta and soups
  • Crumbling into salads and tacos
  • Frying or grilling (halloumi, paneer)
  • Fillings for pastries and dumplings

Characteristics

When cooked
Young moist cheeses melt smoothly; very aged cheeses grate finely but can turn oily or stringy if overheated. Fresh, acid-set cheeses like paneer and halloumi soften but do not melt.
Sold as
fresh, fermented
Cooking uses
Usually eaten raw, Commonly cooked, Suitable for baking, Used as a garnish

Kinds in our pantry

Storage

Refrigerated. Wrap hard cheeses in waxed paper or baking paper then loosely in a bag so they breathe; keep fresh cheeses in their liquid or sealed. Cut small spots of mould from hard cheese generously; discard soft or fresh cheeses that go mouldy.

Diet, allergens and safety

Contains Milk.

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Dairy-free
  • Egg-free
  • Gluten-free
  • Nut-free
  • Soy-free
  • Caffeine-free
  • Contains milk (allergen), including sheep, goat and buffalo cheeses.
  • Soft and mould-ripened cheeses, and any made from unpasteurised milk, carry a Listeria risk; pregnant people and the immunocompromised are commonly advised to avoid them unless cooked until steaming hot.

Related ingredients

Recipes with cheese

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