A cheese maker will say the secret to cheese is the bacteria culture. Without bacteria we would have bland tasting curds. Most cheese making follows the same basic steps. Bacteria are introduced into milk to consume lactose, the milk sugar, and to produce lactic acid. The products created when bacteria digest fats and proteins give cheeses their distinctive and strong flavours. Lactic acid also creates an acidic environment favourable for the curdling agent called rennet. Rennet is an
enzyme that causes milk to coagulate or curdle

The milk separates into curds (the solid fat and protein) and whey (the liquid). Curds are salted for taste and pressed into shape eliminating the rest of the whey. The pressed curd is cured under controlled temperatures and humidity for different
times referred to as the aging or ripening process. Whey is used in protein shakes and other products.

During ripening, enzymes and bacteria continue to modify proteins, fats and sugars in the cheese and ultimately give individual cheeses their final characteristics.

When it comes to judging cheese, there's more to it than taste. There’s appearance, aroma, texture and more. Canadian dairy plants produce many types
of cheese; some of them international award winners—all of them delicious.

Have you ever wondered how the holes in Swiss cheese are made? They occur during ripening, which begins by storing the cheese in a cool place for several weeks. It is then placed in a warm spot at about 21C for four to six weeks.
Special bacteria ferment the remaining lactose producing carbon dioxide bubbles in the cheese, which are called “eyes.”

The discovery of cheese is said to have happened more than 5,000 years ago when a nomadic Arab poured milk into an accessible container, the stomach of a butchered sheep. The sun warmed the milk causing the rennet in the stomach to do its magic. When the nomad stopped for a drink, the milk had coagulated and transformed into curds and whey, like cottage cheese. Whether the nomad
ate the cheese is lost in history, but someone must have liked it!

Understanding a Cheese Label.

What does % MF and % BF mean on a cheese label?
Per cent milk fat (% MF) and per cent butter fat (% BF) both refer to the percentage of total fat in cheese. Per cent MF and per cent BF are terms used to classify cheeses by type, such as cheddar or mozzarella. Each variety of cheese has a range of % MF that it can have. For example, mozzarella can have a minimum of 20% MF, whereas partly skimmed mozzarella has a minimum of 15% MF .

What about the term % moisture?
Per cent (%) moisture refers to the amount of water or liquid ingredients in the final cheese product. A cheese like mozzarella can have a maximum of 52%
moisture, while a harder, drier cheese like Parmesan will have a maximum of 32% moisture. Sixty per cent is the highest % moisture cheese will have.