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DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SEMI-CURED, CURED AND AGED CHEESES
Characteristics of the cheeses
The world of cheeses is huge. We can find so many different cheeses… cured cheese, soft cheese, cheese with pepper, fresh cheese, cheese with or without salt… In short, there are many varieties to be able to supply even the most demanding palates.
Even so, sometimes we let our instincts guide us and choose a cheese but we don't know what is behind it. How has it been prepared? What kind of milk is it made with? What is your healing time?
For this reason, the reason for the post is to give them to know one of these aspects. Specifically, the curing time of the cheeses. Surely you have heard of cured or semi-cured cheese; It can be sensed that what differentiates them is the time of their healing, but what does it really consist of? What is achieved with healing?
When talking about "healing time" refers to the time the cheese spends maturing. Cheese is basically made up of protein and fat. In addition, it also provides vitamins (such as A and B) and minerals such as sodium and potassium. As the cheese matures, the ratio of all its nutrients varies. Therefore, a cured or semi-cured cheese will have different percentages of protein, sodium, and so on.
This way, you can already get an idea. According to our physiological needs we would have to choose one cheese or another, because not all contain the same nutritional content.
If we imagined the cheeses arranged on a scale, from less to more cured, we could visualize all the differences. And, the main idea that could be obtained is that, the less curing, the less salt the cheese contains.
The cheese par excellence that does not present curing time is fresh cheese .; It means that it is a cheese that is not allowed to ripen, but is the result of the curdling of the milk. They can deduce that it will be a cheese reduced in sodium and in fat. It is an ideal cheese for those who suffer from high blood pressure or who are looking to lose weight.
Next, we find a cheese with a soft consistency, which is soft cheese. This type of cheese does have a curing time, but it is very short: from 15 to 30 days. Like fresh cheese, it is low in salt and fat.
From here, we already find cheeses with a longer curing time, tastier and highly valued worldwide. We will start by talking about semi-cured cheese, we will continue with mature cheese and, finally, we will add the concept of aged cheese.
Characteristics of semi-cured cheeses
A semi-cured cheese is one that has matured for a period of two to three months. What happens during this time? The process is as follows: the cheese is losing water, that is, water content, and all the nutrients have become more concentrated. The cheese that is obtained is denser, tastier, although on the other hand, the concentration of sodium and fat is higher. This does not mean that a person with hypertension cannot take it. It simply means that he will have to do it in moderation. Unlike the cheeses mentioned in the previous paragraphs, semi-cured cheese contains more calcium, potassium and vitamin D.
Characteristics of aged cheeses
The next type of cheese we find is aged cheese. This has a healing period of between 4 and 7 months. The result is a cheese with a very low percentage of water but a higher concentration of minerals and fats. Specifically, they are the cheeses that contain the most protein and fat. It can be defined as a cheese that provides a high number of calories to our body, it is a hard cheese with a strong flavor that alters all the senses.
So far, we have known what the curing time of cheese consists of and, they have been able to learn that the longer the curing time, the lower the concentration of water and the higher the proportion of nutrients. . It is important to know this aspect because depending on the state of health of each person, you will have to mold the cheeses you eat. At no time is it a matter of restricting any of them from the diet, but of being responsible with their consumption.
Characteristics of aged cheeses
Finally, we are going to dedicate a few lines to aged cheese. This type of cheese has a maturation process of 12 months or more.So ... Imagine what an explosion of flavor! Without a doubt, it is a claim for those who enjoy intense and highly flavored flavors. To achieve this, it is prepared with raw sheep's milk that at the end of maturation will provide all its characteristics.
Also, highlight the cheese rind. It is a bark that has not undergone any treatment, it is only covered with olive oil. For 12 months or more, the cheese breathes through the rind and gives it its distinctive character. At the end of the process, this bark is surprisingly edible, since it has not been treated with anything but oil.
As you can see, in the market you can find cheeses with a multitude of characteristics. It is worth knowing a little more about them, and not only their flavor, because it is really curious to see how with something as simple as the "passage of time" we get different cheeses. Some have a milder flavor, others are capable of surprising anyone because when biting them they are like an explosion… Without a doubt, the world of cheeses is something surprising. From here, I invite you to try them, to combine flavors and textures and, little by little, discover the delicacies that are prepared in our country.
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