Romano cheese is a term used in the United States and Canada for a class of hard, salty cheese suitable primarily for grating similar to pecorino romano, from which the name is derived. In spite of the name, it should not be confused with genuine pecorino romano which is an Italian product recognized and protected by the laws of the European Union, though United States law allows Romano produced entirely from sheep's milk to be called "pecorino romano". [1]
Per U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations, Romano cheese can be made from cow, goat, and/or sheep's milk. [1] It must contain less than 34% water and at least 38% milkfat. Cream, skim milk and/or dry milk and water can be added or removed to create the correct level of milkfat. [1] Milk can be bleached with benzoyl peroxide or a mixture of benzoyl peroxide with potassium alum, calcium sulfate, and magnesium carbonate but, in that case, vitamin A must be added after treatment. [1] Safe artificial blue or green coloring may be added only to counter any yellow coloring of the milk. [1] Rennet does not need to be used and any "suitable milk-clotting enzyme that produces equivalent curd formation" may be used. [1] Curd must be broken up to the size of corn kernels, stirred and heated to 120 °F (49 °C). The curd is drained, pressed into forms and the cheese is then soaked in brine for 24 hours. After brining, it is rubbed with salt and washed several times. Next it is dry-cured. It is occasionally turned and scraped, and may be coated with vegetable oil. Romano must be aged at least five months.
Romano cheeses are often grated over pasta, often in combination with Parmesan.
Mozzarella is a southern Italian semi-soft, non-aged cheese traditionally made from Italian buffalo's milk by the pasta filata method.
Halloumi or haloumi is a cheese of Cypriot origin made from a mixture of goat's and sheep's milk, and sometimes also cow's milk. Its texture is described as squeaky. It has a high melting point and so can easily be fried or grilled, a property that makes it a popular meat substitute. Rennet is used to curdle the milk in halloumi production, although no acid-producing bacteria are used in its preparation.
Feta is a Greek brined white cheese made from sheep's milk or from a mixture of sheep and goat's milk. It is soft, with small or no holes, a compact touch, few cuts, and no skin. Crumbly with a slightly grainy texture, it is formed into large blocks and aged in brine. Its flavor is tangy and salty, ranging from mild to sharp. Feta is used as a table cheese, in salads such as Greek salad, and in pastries, notably the phyllo-based Greek dishes spanakopita "spinach pie" and tyropita "cheese pie". It is often served with olive oil or olives, and sprinkled with aromatic herbs such as oregano. It can also be served cooked, as part of a sandwich, in omelettes, and many other dishes.
Pecorino cheeses are hard Italian cheeses made from sheep's milk. The name "pecorino" derives from pecora, which means "sheep" in Italian.
Parmesan is an Italian hard, granular cheese produced from cows' milk and aged at least 12 months.
Goat cheese, goat's cheese, or chèvre is cheese made from goat's milk. Goats were among the first animals to be domesticated for producing food. Goat cheese is made around the world with a variety of recipes, giving many different styles of cheeses, from fresh and soft to aged and hard.
Asiago is a cow's milk cheese, first produced in Asiago in Italy, that can assume different textures according to its aging, from smooth for the fresh Asiago to a crumbly texture for the aged cheese. The aged cheese is often grated in salads, soups, pastas, and sauces while the fresh Asiago is sliced to prepare panini or sandwiches; it can also be melted on a variety of dishes and cantaloupe. It is classified as a Swiss-type or Alpine cheese.
Cheesemaking is the craft of making cheese. The production of cheese, like many other food preservation processes, allows the nutritional and economic value of a food material, in this case milk, to be preserved in concentrated form. Cheesemaking allows the production of the cheese with diverse flavors and consistencies.
Pecorino Sardo is a firm cheese from the Italian island of Sardinia which is made from sheep milk: specifically from the milk of the local Sardinian breed. It was awarded Denominazione d'Origine status in 1991 and granted protected designation of origin protection in 1996, the year in which this European Union certification scheme was introduced.
White cheese includes a wide variety of cheese types discovered in different regions, sharing the sole common characteristic of their white hue. The specific type of white cheese can vary significantly depending on the geographical location.
Sheep's milk is the milk of domestic sheep. It is commonly used to make cultured dairy products such as cheese. Some of the most popular sheep cheeses include feta (Greece), ricotta (Italy), and Roquefort (France).
Caprino is an Italian cheese traditionally made from whole or skimmed goat's milk. The name of the cheese derives from the Italian word for goat, capra. With modern methods of production, the cheese is made from cow's milk as well or a combination of both cow's and goat's milks. The two major styles of caprino are fresco ("fresh") and stagionato ("aged").
Granular cheese, also known as stirred curd cheese and hard cheese, is a type of cheese produced by repeatedly stirring and draining a mixture of curd and whey. It can refer to a wide variety of cheeses, including the grana cheeses such as Parmigiano-Reggiano (pictured) and various others. Many types are commonly used in the production of processed cheese, especially American cheese, which by law must consist of Cheddar cheese, Colby cheese, cheese curd, or granular cheese.
There are many different types of cheese. Cheeses can be grouped or classified according to criteria such as length of fermentation, texture, methods of production, fat content, animal milk, and country or region of origin. The method most commonly and traditionally used is based on moisture content, which is then further narrowed down by fat content and curing or ripening methods. The criteria may either be used singly or in combination, with no single method being universally used.
Pecorino toscano is a firm-textured ewe's milk cheese produced in Tuscany. Since 1996 it has enjoyed protected designation of origin (PDO) status.
Sheep milk cheese is a cheese prepared from sheep milk. Well-known cheeses made from sheep milk include the feta of Greece, Roquefort of France, manchego from Spain, the pecorino romano and ricotta of Italy. Yogurts, especially some forms of strained yogurt, may also be made from sheep milk.
Bastardo del Grappa is a traditional cheese produced in the foothills of Monte Grappa massif and in the provinces of Treviso, Belluno, and Vicenza, in Italy. Bastardo del Grappa is a certified PAT cheese qualifying it as a genuine Italian product.
Pecorino di Carmasciano, or simply Carmasciano, is an Italian cheese of the Pecorino family of cheeses made from sheep's milk. It has been recognized since 2009 by the Italian Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies as a prodotto agroalimentare tradizionale, abbreviated as PAT. Pecorino di Carmasciano was featured at Expo 2015 in Milan.
Boerenkaas is a Dutch cheese, most of which is handmade from raw milk. The milk may be from cows, goats, sheep or buffalo; at least half of it must be from the farm where the cheese is made. The cheese may also contain cumin or other seeds, herbs, and spices.