The Delicious Science of CHEESE!

Summary

This script explores the fascinating science behind cheese, often considered mankind's oldest food produced by science. It delves into the accidental origins of cheese, the four core ingredients needed for its production, and the process of making it. The video visits a cheese shop in Austin to learn from a cheese expert, discussing the different types of cheeses, their textures, and the role of molds and bacteria in aging. It highlights how the environment affects the final taste and texture, making cheese a delightful blend of science, art, and microbial magic.

Takeaways

• 🧀 Cheese is considered one of mankind's oldest foods, possibly predating beer.
• 🔍 The origin of cheese is believed to be accidental, discovered by a Middle Eastern goat herder who stored milk in an animal's stomach sack, which turned the milk solid.
• 🍲 Rennet is a key ingredient in cheese-making, providing the milk with body and helping to separate curds from whey.
• 🥛 The basic process of making cheese involves four core ingredients: milk, cultures, rennet, and salt.
• 🔪 The size of curds cut during cheese-making affects the final texture of the cheese, with larger curds resulting in softer cheese and smaller curds in harder, drier varieties.
• 🧈 Fresh cheeses are characterized by their white color and lack of rind development, examples include feta.
• 🧈 Semi-soft cheeses have a lower melting point and are good for grilled cheese, while firm cheeses like cheddar and Gruyère have a higher melting point but may still be creamy.
• 🧀 Hard cheeses are often used for grating or in recipes, and their aging process can be significantly influenced by the environment, including native molds and bacteria.
• 🍄 Bloomy rinded cheeses use a specific mold, penicillium candidum, either mixed with the milk or sprayed on the cheese's exterior.
• 🍽️ Washed rind cheeses utilize bacteria, such as brevibacterium linens found in beer, which can impart a meaty flavor to the cheese.
• 🧫 The aging environment of cheese plays a crucial role in its final taste and texture, with different regions having unique native molds and bacteria that affect the cheese.

Q & A

What is suggested to be mankind's oldest food produced by science?

Cheese is suggested to be mankind's oldest food produced by science, potentially predating beer.

How did cheese originally come into existence?

Cheese is believed to have been discovered accidentally by a Middle Eastern goat herder who stored milk in an animal's stomach sack, which turned the milk solid.

What is rennet and its role in cheese making?

Rennet is one of the four core ingredients in making cheese and it gives body to the milk, helping to separate the curds from the whey.

What are the four essential ingredients required to make any cheese?

The four essential ingredients required to make any cheese are milk, cultures, rennet, and salt.

How does the size of curd cutting affect the texture of the cheese?

The size of curd cutting affects the texture of the cheese; larger curds result in a softer cheese, while smaller curds lead to a harder, drier cheese like Parmesan.

What are the different styles of cheese mentioned in the script?

The different styles of cheese mentioned are fresh cheeses, semi-soft cheeses, firm cheeses, and hard cheeses.

How does the aging environment affect the taste and texture of cheese?

The aging environment has a significant impact on the taste and texture of cheese due to the presence of native molds and bacteria that interact with the cheese.

What is the role of penicillium candidum in cheese?

Penicillium candidum is a strain of mold used in the production of bloomy rinded cheeses, contributing to their texture and flavor.

What is the significance of washed rind cheeses and how are they made?

Washed rind cheeses are made by applying bacteria, such as brevibacterium linens found in beer, to the rind during aging, which imparts a meaty flavor and aroma.

How is blue cheese made and what gives it its characteristic blue veins?

Blue cheese is made by introducing penicillium mold into the cheese, which requires oxygen to grow. The cheesemakers create passageways in the cheese by needling it, allowing the mold to form the blue veins.

What is the relationship between the history of cheese and biotechnology?

Cheese is considered one of the first biotechnologies, as it involves the use of microorganisms to transform milk into cheese, dating back 8,000 years.