The act of breaking cheese goes far beyond just cutting a food, it is necessary to take into account some important factors.
A good cheese lover knows very well that this food deserves total dedication and care. After all, regardless of the type of cheese, this much-loved delicacy needs special care to keep its unparalleled flavor intact. To achieve this, the right way to break cheese is very important, as depending on the shape or utensil used, it could end up ruining the experience for the taster.
For many, the act of making and enjoying good cheese is a kind of art. The French say so. Therefore, for them, knowing and respecting the rules for preparing a cheese table is essential. And that goes for any cheese lover.
But, for the flavor of the food to be prioritized, you need to know how to break cheese properly, respecting its shape, thickness, and texture. Therefore, preserving and cutting the cheese make all the difference in its flavor.
Therefore, today we will learn everything about breaking cheese, getting to know the types and the ideal utensils to do so. Let’s go!
The act of breaking cheese
So, as seen above, the way you break cheese is very important, especially because there are a huge variety of types of cheese on the market. Therefore, you must respect its particularities when cutting a cheese to serve it.
While some types of cheese need to have their crust and paste equalized, others do not. Understand, we refer to as paste, the part of the cheese that lies below the thin outer layer, popularly known as the cheese rind.
First of all, it is essential to remove the cheese from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before serving it. Therefore, it is best not to cut it or remove its skin until you are ready to consume it. This prevents the cheese from drying out, altering its flavor.
Therefore, the act of breaking cheese must take into account some factors, such as the type of paste and its format. And this is all linked to the type of knife that should be used, always respecting these details.
The ideal is not to use the same knife to break different cheeses. This is because, when using the same utensil on several cheeses, you can end up altering the original flavor of one cheese with that of another.
Types of knife for cutting cheese
A crucial point when splitting cheese is choosing the correct knife to do so. Therefore, there are several options for cutting each type of cheese.
You even have the option of purchasing a complete set of knives for different types of cheese. But, if you don’t have one, you can adapt the use of the knives according to the type of cheese, be it harder, softer or creamier.
Multipurpose knife
The multipurpose knife is found in every home, so if you don’t have a kit of special cheese knives, you can use it without any problem. This type of knife is a great option, as it can be used on any cheese.
Serrated knife and skewer tip
This type of knife is best suited for cutting cheeses with harder rinds. In addition to providing a fine cut, without ruining the cheese, its skewered tip can even be used to pierce and pick up the pieces.
Sharp-edged knife
The sharp-edged knife is ideal for cutting Parmesan-type cheeses, which are harder. This way, the tip makes it possible to pierce the outside of the cheese and slice it into chips. In fact, this is the correct way to consume this specific type of cheese.
Larger surface knife
A knife with a larger surface is the best option for cutting creamier cheeses. This is because it serves as a spatula, which makes it easier to pick up the cheese. Great option for cutting brie and camembert cheeses.
Wire
In this case, this is not exactly a type of knife, but the wire slicer is the best option for cutting cheeses with a marbled texture, such as gorgonzola cheese, for example. Its difference is precisely maintaining the original texture of the cheese.
How to cut types of cheese
So, now that you know the types of knives used to split cheese, let’s learn the correct way to cut them. This part of cutting and serving the cheese must take into account a crucial rule of etiquette: cutting into equal pieces, so that everyone receives the same size of cheese.
- Tall or short cylindrical cheeses: Cheeses such as Gruyère, Itálico and Gouda must be cut into triangles, starting from the center of the cheese. This way, you can slice each piece into four smaller parts. This also applies to smaller cylindrical cheeses, such as Brie.
- Horizontal cylindrical cheeses: Provolone-type cheeses should also be cut into slices, and then into wedges. Always start cutting the cheese from the center of each slice.
- Small cheeses: Small cheeses, such as Minas and Camembert, must be cut into up to eight triangular slices. And in the case of smaller cheeses, weighing 100 grams, they must be broken into halves.
- Round cheeses: Edam type cheeses should preferably be broken into quarters. With this type of cheese, the ideal is to use a special knife to make the action easier.
- Pyramid-shaped cheeses: This type of cheese must always be cut from the highest point to its base, creating triangular slices.
Tip on how to store cheese
In addition to taking care when cutting the cheese, its storage is also essential to maintain the quality and flavor of the food. Therefore, the ideal when buying cheese is to choose whole forms or larger pieces. So, cut a piece to consume quickly, within three days at most, and store it in a container with a lid.
The remaining piece should be stored in the refrigerator to be consumed later. Therefore, when you are going to consume this piece, remove it from the refrigerator a little before serving, as mentioned before. After all, nobody likes cold cheese, right?
Anyway, what did you think of this article? Take the opportunity to learn how to set up a cold cuts table.
Sources: Regina Portal do Queijo Tirolez Quatá
Featured image: Lactimonte
Images: Portal do Queijo Agro Mogiana Madalena Lifestyle ao Minuto
