Cheese is a great add-on in a food item and makes the food delightful to look at as well as yummier to taste. As add-ons, they are a favorite of almost all the people. While some might shy away from having cheese, due to the amount of fat it contains, they secretly long to have it. There are different varieties of cheese available in the market. One of these types comprises of smoked cheese. It is a specially-made variety of cheese, treated by smoke curing. Smoked cheese is generally yellowish brown in color, which it gets because of the curing process.
Making Smoked Cheese
Smoked cheese is prepared in the same way as any other cheese, the only difference being that in this case, smoke is used in the ripening stage. After the cheese has ripened to a certain extent, it is smoke-cured as per the result desired. There are basically two ways that can be used to produce smoked cheese - cold smoking method and hot smoking method. In cold smoking method, the cheese is generally preserved for a month, after which it is smoked at a temperature which ranges from 70° to 90°F.
In case of hot smoking method, the cheese is partially cooked, at the temperatures ranging between 100° and 190°F. The method is primarily adopted to get a golden brown color for the cheese, along with a smoky flavor. Smoked cheese is generally found to have a distinct rich sweet taste when compared to other cheeses. Another method which can be employed to attain smoked cheese flavor is by giving it an artificial smoking flavoring. Food coloring is also done to get the golden brownish tinge on the cheese.
Types of Smoked Cheese
There are numerous varieties of smoked cheese found in the market. Some of the commonly sold ones are:
- Smoked Applewood
- Gruyère
- Smoked Gouda
- Rauchkase
- Scamorza
- Smoked Cheddar.
