How can I look like an authentic cheese monger when I’m tasting cheese?
When tasting cheese, one must consider the flavor dynamics. When we eat, we use all of our senses: hearing, sight, touch, smell and taste. These senses translate into our responses to what we eat: appearance, aroma, texture and flavor. The language we use to describe the flavor dynamics of cheese refers to these sensory experiences. Appearance – When first looking at the cheeses, note the nuances in color, ranging from pale white to ivory, to buttery, golden or blue-streaked. Notice the moisture in the cheeses, causing them to range from soft and spoonable to firm or crumbly. Words that describe appearance are: soft, runny, hard, crumbly, dry, moist, smooth, rough, crusty, moldy, white, yellow, ivory, orange. Aroma – The aroma of cheese is created by many factors including the cow’s feed and the butterfat content on the milk, as well as type of starter culture and enzymes that the cheese recipe contains. The length of time the cheese has been ripened or aged helps to intensify its arom
