Monday, November 24, 2014

Different Ways Cheese Is Served Around The World

Unless you are a true cheese connoisseur, chances are that you are familiar with the various national cheese varieties, but not anything much more exotic than that. Many countries will eat similar cheese and serve them in a similar manner, but there are always exceptions. In reality, traveling to another country will show you at least slight differences in the way that cheese is served. Here is just a quick overview to give you an idea of some things you may notice.
Base Milk Used
Before looking at how cheese is actually served, it helps to know how it is made in the first place. While the process of making cheese is always fairly similar, the source of the milk can vary greatly. In the United States, most cheese is made from cow’s or goat’s milk, but this is different around the world. Italy, for example, is famous for their traditional mozzarella, made from buffalo milk. Other areas, including Bedouin communities, the Sudan, Mauritania, and Ethiopia commonly make cheese from camel’s milk. Tibetan communities frequently use yak cheese, while Central Asia is home to a good amount of Airag (or horse milk) cheese.
Cooked Cheese Varieties
For the biggest variation in terms of how cheese is served around the world, you only need to take a look at traditional dishes involving cooked cheese. In Greece, for example, saganaki is a specialty and this is essentially fried cheese made from sheep’s milk. After being fried until it becomes bubbly, this cheese is served with lemon juice. In Northern Mexico, queso fundido is a party dish that involves melted cheese with chiles, onion, spices, tomato, and chorizo cooked right into it. Italy is famous for their own version of fried cheese, a crisp known as frico. This cheese is made by frying or baking shredded mozzarella, Parmesan, or Montasio until it is crispy. In Israel, they typically top their fried cheese (halloumi) with pine nuts. India is another country that fries some of their cheeses, and deep fried paneer (a non-melting farmer’s cheese) is usually served with peas or spinach. Switzerland is famous for their classic method of serving cheese: in fondue.
Noteworthy Flavors And Types
In addition to the various methods of serving cooked cheese around the world, you will also find some unusual tastes and flavors. In fact, some of these would seem odd to serve to American palates, but are completely normal internationally. Italy, for example, is home to Casu Marzu, which only a few people enjoy due to it being served complete with the live maggots that are part of the aging process. Germany is home to Milbenkase, which is flavored by mite excrement. No matter where you travel, however, you will find both familiar and exotic cheeses and they are eaten plain or with bread or crackers, as in the states, in many countries across the world.

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