Cheese

Cheese or Paneer is a kind of dairy product that is made by special processing of curd. A special type of protein named casein in milk plays an important role in making cheese. Curd obtained by coagulating milk with the help of an enzyme or acid is separated and then processed through several steps to concentrate protein and fat while making cheese. In the final stage, the curd is cured at a specific temperature and humidity with the help of selected microorganisms to ensure distinct taste, odor, and texture specific to each type of cheese. This process of cheese curing is called ripening.

Cheese is made from the milk of domestic animals like cattle, buffalo, goats, sheep, etc. It is speculated that cheese evolved some 8000 years ago between the then Tigris and Euphrates rivers (present-day Turkey). More than a thousand different cheese varieties of unique taste, odor, and texture are available throughout the world. Preparation of some of these cheese varieties requires up to 2 years. However, the preparation of the majority of the cheese varieties takes a period ranging from several hours to several months.

Cheese is divided into several categories based on texture – soft, semi-hard, hard, and very hard. Moreover, cheese is of two kinds depending on the milk coagulating agent – rennet cheese and acid cheese. Rennet is a special enzyme that is generally collected from the stomach of a milk-fed calf or kid. However, rennet collected from bacteria is widely used throughout the world now. Eighty percent of the cheeses produced worldwide are prepared from milk coagulated by rennet. Cheddar, Emmental, Parmesan, Mozzarella, Stilton, Oshtogram cheese, etc., are notable rennet cheeses. Rennet cheeses are generally ripened, starting from 3 days to as long as 9 months, in some instances even longer. The rest of the cheese varieties are prepared by adding acid to hot milk by making curd. These types of cheese take only several hours to prepare because ripening is not required. Paneer for cooking, Cottage cheese, Cream cheese, Quark, etc., are note-worthy acid cheeses. More recently, a special type of cheese named processed cheese has become very popular, made by cooking rennet or acid cheeses and adding particular kinds of salts. These cheeses can be stored for longer periods.

Cheese is a highly nutritious food. Based on texture, cheese generally contains 20-30% fat, 15-20% protein, and 4-12% salt. Cheese is an ideal food for infants, patients, older people, and pregnant mothers as cheese becomes an easily digestible food through ripening. Cheese is usually consumed as such as an item of food. However, cheese is widely used as an ingredient for different dishes. For example, the use of Mozzarella cheese for making pizza, processed cheese for making a burger, and Ricotta cheese for making bakery products are widespread throughout the world. On the other hand, Paneer is used in India and Pakistan for making different types of curry dishes like chana-paneer, palak-paneer, etc.

The production of cheese is progressively increasing throughout the world. Countries like France, UK, USA, Ireland, Australia, etc., are noteworthy among the highest cheese producers. Cheese is becoming popular in Bangladesh very fast. Many small and large cheese factories have been established in different areas like Thakurgaon, Rangpur, Kishoreganj, Sirajganj, Munshiganj, etc. [Raihan Habib]

See also milk, dairy product.