Real versus Processed Cheese

People are becoming increasingly more aware of what they eat. This has led to the preference of eating more natural foods as opposed to the unhealthy processed foods. So when it comes to cheese, how do you tell the authentic real cheese from the knock off processed variety? Simple, the answer is in the taste. Undoubtedly, real cheese will have a distinct taste and flavor from the processed cheese. It is said that if you are accustomed to the real stuff, you can smell a fake from a mile. This is true also for cheese. If you smell real cheese you will get a sweet earthy or fruity scent while the processed variety gives you a cooked milk smell.

Real cheese is a product of fermentation that takes place over a length of time. In some cases the aging process of cheese may last up to several years. This is a painstaking process that ensures you end up with good quality cheese that is also healthy for you. The products used for this processes are usually natural and no artificial colors and flavorings are added. This is not the case with processed cheese.
Processed cheese is just that, real cheese with several unhealthy additives, such as emulsifiers, fats and oils and unnatural flavors and colors all cooked together. This is done ostensibly so that the cheese is more manageable. Real cheese does come apart on heating to high temperatures, separating into water and solid, especially the soft cheese varieties. Processed cheese is heated to high temperatures of up to 180 degrees so that it stays together during cooking. If you want to tell the real cheese from the fake one, you will notice that real cheese flakes off on bending while the processed one is sort of rubbery and jelly like.
Taste is one of the ways in which you can distinguish real cheese from processed cheese. The latter has some salt added into it which makes it very salty indeed. The real cheese will give a savory or fruity taste depending on the type of cheese. The saltiness is awful and quite unnatural. It also raises concerns health wise due to the amount of sodium present.

One of the very distinctive features of real cheese is that it does not have a shiny, polished look. You should be able to discern this without even touching it, so it becomes fairly easy to shop for the authentic cheese. This should be the easiest and fast way of telling the real from the fake.

One of the reasons for having processed cheese is so that it can have an extended shelf life. This is why it is usually not refrigerated and can stay that way for a very long time. Authentic cheese will never survive without refrigeration and this is part of its allure. Processed cheese is usually heated to a liquid and then fashioned into blocks or slices. Some of these are packed individually in wrappers for convenience during usage. However, real cheese is usually cut from a block and packed in slices. Make sure you buy your cheese from a reliable authentic cheese monger and be assured of quality.