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You’ve been eating bad cheese.
But here, so you can focus on the cheese, are the experts who explain exactly how to enjoy it.
They are the Masters of Cheese in the United Kingdom. cheese academyand reveals the newbie storage mistake that will “smother your cheese,” whether you can eat it if you’re lactose intolerant, and whether the mold is dangerous to eat.
The gurus also reveal what happens to cheese if you freeze it, if it gives you nightmares and much more…
What are the worst cheese faux pas?
MailOnline speaks to the Cheese Masters at the Academy of Cheese to find out everything you need to know about eating, storing and serving cheese.
Wrapping it in transparent film
The Masters say: ‘Cheese is a living being, which will essentially suffocate in plastic wrap. If you bring home cheese from the farmers’ market, rewrap it in wax paper or store it in a vented plastic container.
Store it in the wrong place in the refrigerator.
Never leave cheese in the main compartment of the refrigerator, as “the cold air circulating is not a friend of cheese” and “will dry it out,” says the Academy team. Experts recommend “keeping it in the salad drawer, where there is more humidity.”
frozen cheese
Dairy lovers say, “Even though technically all cheese can be frozen, you won’t like it.”
According to the team, freezing the cheese “alters its delicate mix of fats, proteins and water irreversibly” leaving a “grainy, unpleasant texture” once thawed and a cheese without the “flavors it had in its prime.”
Serve it too cold
‘Sniffing the brie’, also known as ‘removing the tip of a slice of brie’, as shown in the image above, could cause you to miss out on many of the best flavours.
When serving cheese, specialists warn that many people “serve cheese too cold” and “it needs to reach room temperature.” They recommend removing it from the refrigerator at least an hour before serving.
Because? “The fat molecules contract” when the cheese is cold, making it much more difficult to “determine the flavor.” Temperature also affects the texture of the cheese.
But there is an exception to the one hour rule. The ‘mozzarella, ricotta and goat cheese’ only requires 30 minutes out of the refrigerator.
When serving cheese, specialists warn that many people ‘serve cheese too cold’ and ‘it is necessary to bring it to room temperature’
Leaving it until the end of the meal.
Save the cheese for after dessert? You’re making a big mistake, say the Masters, who urge people to “make your cheese the star of the show.”
They say, “Don’t serve it as an after-dinner dish, when everyone has eaten too much to really taste the cheese: add it to breakfast, lunch, dinner, and anything else.”
Cut the cheese rind
Cutting the rind off the cheese or “poking the brie” (removing the tip of a piece of brie) is a definite no-no.
Experts say: ‘In most artisanal cheeses, the rind is edible and, as many cheeses mature from the outside in, the flavors will evolve from the center out. Towards the crust it will offer completely different flavors to the center.’
Making fun of your cheese
Cheese experts say: “Eating a good piece of cheese is like watching only half a movie.” Tasting is a multisensory action and a good cheese will offer countless complex flavors.
“Use all your senses to help you with the experience, take your time and breathe as you chew to release all the flavors.”
Avoid moldy cheese
“The molds in blue cheese are perfectly safe and have been added expressly to help the cheese ripen and give it flavor,” say the experts at the Cheese Academy
Experts say: ‘All molds on the surface of hard cheeses can be safely removed, leaving you to enjoy the rest without throwing it away.
‘The molds in blue cheese come from the addition of Penicillium Roqueforti; They are perfectly safe and were added expressly to help the cheese ripen and give it flavor.
“For mold-ripened or bloomed-rind cheeses, which are usually white, an unhealthy rind will look yellow, brown, or gray, while in firmer cheeses the rind may begin to crack and become viscous to the touch”.
Can cheese give you nightmares?
Probably not. Professionals say this is an “unfounded” myth.
And they add: «Cheese is a complex food that the intestine needs time to completely digest. This is most likely the cause of the restless sleep.’
Can you eat cheese if you are lactose intolerant?
Experts say ‘cheese is a good source of calcium’
Probably. The Academy team states: ‘Most cheeses contain hardly any lactose, or only traces. During the cheese process, lactic acid bacteria, which occur naturally in milk or have been added by the cheesemaker, convert lactose to lactic acid.
‘In hard and aged cheeses, such as cheddar, alpine cheese and parmigiano, there is virtually no lactose left. Cheeses to avoid are fresh cheeses with a lot of moisture, such as mozzarella, ricotta, and soft, creamy cheeses.
Can you eat cheese if you are pregnant?
Yes, but be careful with the type, experts say.
They explain: “Current medical advice states that hard cheeses, such as cheddar or parmesan, are the safest choice during pregnancy.”
They warn to “avoid” blue cheese and “soft cheeses with high moisture content”, such as Brie or Camembert, and those with a “washed and sticky rind”, such as Epoisses.
Experts add: “The higher humidity and lower acidity of these cheeses make them more hospitable to the Listeria bacteria, which can cause listeriosis.”
Is eating cheese healthy?
Could be. Experts say that “cheese is a good source of calcium” and “one ounce of cheddar cheese provides 20 percent of daily needs.”
They add: “Calcium is a key nutrient for healthy bones and teeth, blood clotting, wound healing, and maintaining normal blood pressure.”
Is eating cheese bad for the planet?
No, the Academy’s specialists say: “Cows do not deserve the negative press they often receive in relation to climate change.” Rather, cows raised on a diet of well-managed pastures on farms that practice regenerative agriculture do more for the environment by sequestering carbon.’
What makes the perfect cheese board?
The Masters say: ‘Choose cheeses that offer complementary but diverse variety, with three or five being a popular number of varieties.
“Choose fresh and aged/soft and strong milk or a blend of cow, goat and sheep milk, or a variety of styles such as fresh, bloomed, washed, hard and blue rind.”
You will need between 50 and 75g of cheese per person and don’t forget to ‘decorate your board with simple pairings and accompaniments’, such as ‘good crackers’, ‘honey and preserves’, ‘fresh and dried fruits’ or ‘nuts and pickles’.
What should you drink with cheese?
“White wines are more versatile than red wines, since the tannins in red wine fight and defeat the cheese,” experts say.
Although “the complexity of cheese and its myriad flavors make it an impossible task to elevate one drink as the best,” experts have shared some “ground rules.”
They say: ‘What grows together, goes together. An oldie but definitely a goodie. Think West Country cheddar and Somerset cider, or Brie de Meaux and champagne.
‘White wines are more versatile than red wines. Generally the tannins in red wine will fight and overcome the cheese. Riesling, Gruner Veltliner and Chenin are good all-rounders.
“Sparkling wines are a safe bet, especially with rich, creamy cheeses: the bubbles add a refreshing acidity (while) sweet wines work with most cheeses.”
And for non-drinkers? They said: “A sparkling elderflower is a great choice for creamy cheeses, while a ginger press or kombucha pairs particularly well with blues.”
And the experts’ favorite cheeses?
The Cheese Academy has created a ‘Cheese Library‘ which includes cheeses from 48 countries around the world. They say: “We always love the classics, but as a British company, Cheddars and Stilton always top our list.”
They also love ‘The Triple Rose’ from Northern Ireland, an extra creamy white rind cheese.