Cheese Expertise

Give it a good feel

An expert cheese grader will always give a little bit of cheese a good smoosh between their thumb and forefinger to find out about the body and texture of a cheese. Body describes how firm a cheese is (Cheddars usually take some squashing before giving in). Texture changes with maturity, young cheese tending to be more rubbery while older cheese smoothes out easily when you knead it. Cheeses are also referred to as ‘open’ when there are cracks or gas holes and ‘close’ when they are smooth.

Your nose knows

As with all food, aroma plays an important part in flavour and cheese aroma becomes more apparent at warmer temperatures. While the words to describe a cheese's aroma aren't quite as outlandish as those used to describe wine, you're perfectly entitled to use words like creamy, buttery, fruity or even farmyard.