The British love their cheese and they have several varieties of cheese that may prove challenging to keep track of the numbers of cheeses. There has been the mass production of cheese over the years using different methods. At present, there may be up to 750 varieties of cheese alone in the United Kingdom.
However, it is vital to be able to classify these cheeses according to their features. For the cheese, there are many, from the cheddar to stilchelton and other cheeses. Also what to know about English blue cheese and different types of cheese such as soft or hard cheese. To distinguish the type of cheese in the UK, we have to understand how they have come to be grouped under such categories.
How is Cheese Grouped in the UK?
In the UK, the cheeses can be grouped based on the moisture contents and the age of the rind. And from this basis we have the following types of cheese as shown below:
- The fresh cheese
These are the types of cheese which are fresh, and still contain more moisture than any other kind of cheese. They usually have no rind, and they are taken as fresh as they are made. Some examples of this type of cheese include cottage cheese, RICOTTA, and MOZZARELLA. They usually contain about 19 to 24{b9f0a3b04dace13d3935278052834141d8be50e33456462a69d4c279d76c19e2} fats and are soft on the mouth.
- SOFT WHITE RIND
The smooth white rind is older than the fresh cheese and contains over 24 to 26{b9f0a3b04dace13d3935278052834141d8be50e33456462a69d4c279d76c19e2} fat. This type of cheese contains a white rind to show that the cheese had aged a little, with a distinct aroma. Some examples include Camembert, Brie de Meaux, and Chaource,
- The hard cheese
This is a more matured type of cheese that has been pressed hard for weeks to remove the moisture contents. They are usually crusty, white to grey substances, and they are typically polished to form the hard cheese. With about 28 to 34{b9f0a3b04dace13d3935278052834141d8be50e33456462a69d4c279d76c19e2} fat, they are generally thick and hard on the mouth. They are a much complex type of cheese and can be regarded as British cheese. Some common examples of cheese that falls in this category are Cheddar, Pecorino, Beaufort, Manchego, Gruyere, and Parmesan.
- The blue cheese
The blue cheese is a tasty spicy cheese that has aged more than the previous type of cheese stated above. The cheese contains 28 to 34{b9f0a3b04dace13d3935278052834141d8be50e33456462a69d4c279d76c19e2} of fats and is usually gritty and dried, having been drained for a long time. Some common examples of the blue cheese include Stilton, Gorgonzola, Roquefort, and the Picos de Europa.
In between the various classes of cheese stated above, we have some types in between these. We have other subcategories like semi-soft cheese, fresh soft cheese, and flavoured added cheese. These cheeses are mainly classified according to their age and moisture content. Cheese is famous in the United Kingdom, with many flavours of cheese due to many mixtures of ingredients.
