King Island Dairy Style & Making

Cheese history, characteristics, tips for selection & storage

Cheese is as individual as wine and varies greatly according to its history and style as well as its origin, make and maturation. The characteristics of washed rind cheese, for example, varies significantly to blue vein, and the best accompaniments to serve with brie cheese differs to that of cheddar.

Like fruit, selected cheeses ripen with age and when served in prime condition provide a very rewarding experience. Always serve cheese at room temperature and when it is ripe so that it offers a full flavour. As a general guide to selecting ripe cheese, eat it as close to its 'best before' date as possible. This is particularly important for soft white and washed rind cheese as they have an optimum eating time when they are ripe and are often consumed when is too young or unripe.

In this section you'll find details on the history and characteristics of cheese as well as serving suggestions and tips for storage and selection of the various cheese styles including:

• Soft white cheese
• Washed rind cheese
• Blue vein cheese
• Cheddar cheese

General Cheese selection and storage

While all cheese styles are individual, some general selection and storage tips will ensure you consume cheese at its finest.

• Allow cheese to come to room temperature before serving to ensure a premium flavour and cheese experience.
• Always serve cheese when it is most ripe (ie. as close to its best before date as possible) to ensure a full flavour and optimum taste. If the cheese is unripe, it should be left in the refrigerator to ripen.
• Only remove from the fridge the amount of cheese you wish to serve.
• Some cheese will release a smell of ammonia when first unwrapped, however if the smell persists and there is a distinct aftertaste of ammonia, the cheese is considered overripe and should not be eaten.
• Store the cheese in the fridge in its original wrapper. Alternatively use waxed greaseproof paper.
• Don't stack the cheese on top of each other as this could damage the rind.
• Store cheese away from other strong smelling foods so that the flavour is not affected.