A Cheese off the Old Block Quiz | Cheeses and Dairy Products

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. An unpasteurized sheep's milk blue cheese produced in Combalaou Caves. Once used as a "cure" for gangrene.

Answer: Roquefort

Roquefort is a blue cheese made from sheep's milk, though sometimes sheep's milk is mixed with other milk. Roquefort is nicknamed the King of Cheeses in Europe. The production of Roquefort is regulated by the EU, which will only certify Roquefort created in the Combalaou Caves near Roquefort-sur-Soulzon, France as being authentic. All other cheeses that claim to be roquefort are illegitimate.

Traditionaly, Roquefort would not be pasteurized except in the United States, a country where many people reject unpasteurized food. Before penicillin, Roquefort cheese was used to prevent gangrene from spreading. In 2012, scientists discovered that people who ate Roquefort cheese were less susceptible to diseases than those who did not. This was particularly notable for STIs. People who ate Roquefort and had an STI had much milder infections than those who did not eat Roquefort.

2. A cheese from France with a nutty flavor. The region the cheese comes from and the dairy cattle used share name of the cheese.

Answer: Abondance

Abondance has a nutty flavor similar to hazelnuts. It is not pasteurized. Technically, only Abondance made from the milk of Abondance cattle in the town of Abondance, Haute-Savoie can legitimately be called Abondance. The cheese is aged for three months on spruce wood, which gives it its distinct flavor and smell. Abondance was once made by monks and priests who supplied the cheese to the Avignon Popes.

3. A wet, Greek cheese made from sheep or goat milk. The cheese's name means slice when translated to English.

Answer: Feta

Feta is one of the many cheeses protected by EU statute. Only cheese made in certain regions of Greece and using brining methods can be called Feta. The cheese must also be made from only sheep's milk or a mixture of sheep and goat's milk. Feta is the cheese traditionally used to make spanakopita, Greek spinach pie.

Feta comes from the Greek word feta which means slice. The Greek word itself comes from the Italian word fetta and Latin word offa, both of which mean piece. The protected status of feta cheese is somewhat controversial. Denmark had also produced a cheese called feta, which the nation was forced to change the name of in 2002. Similar styles of cheese like feta but not produced properly are usually referred to as "feta style" cheese.

4. A creamy, white Latin American cheese made from cow's milk. Softens but does not melt when heated.

Answer: Queso blanco

Queso blanco is sometimes incorrectly referred to as queso fresco, which is a very similar type of cheese. Queso blanco is popular in Spanish-speaking regions of the world, including Spain, Latin America and the American Southwest. The cheese's name literally translates to white cheese, referring to its creamy color. Traditionally speaking, queso blanco should not melt when heated or warmed but should soften.

However, a few varieties of queso blanco will melt when heated.

5. An Indian and Pakistani cheese made with hot milk and vinegar or other acids. Also called Chhana

Answer: Paneer

Paneer is an acidic and sour cheese from the Indian subcontinent. Its origins stem from the India-Pakistan region, specifically. Paneer is used in a variety of Indian and Pakistani dishes where it adds a creamy texture. It is the most popular cheese in India. Sometimes people in the region use the word paneer to mean any kind of cheese.

Paneer is prepared by mixing hot milk and an acid (vinegar and lemon juice are the most popular acids) and wrapping the mixture in a cheese cloth. The cloth is then weighed down for a few hours while the milk curdles.

6. A hard, well-aged cow's milk cheese named after a town in Somerset, England. Can be yellow, white or "red"

Answer: Cheddar

Cheddar is one of the most popular cheeses in the world. It is the most popular in the United Kingdom and second most popular in the United States. Cheddar is traditionally produced in Somerset and matured in the caves near Cheddar Gorge. There are many varieties of cheddar and the cheese comes in many different colors. The cheese popularly called Red Cheddar refers to the red rind of the cheese and not the cheese itself. Red Cheddar is also technically not cheddar but Red Leicester.

Cheddar is another cheese protected by the EU. As such only cheese produced in Somerset, Devon, Dorset and Cornwall counties in England can legitimately be called Cheddar.

7. Despite its name, this cheese has an American origin; it is a soft, cow's milk cheese whose flavor can vary greatly.

Answer: Muenster

Muenster cheese is actually an American cheese introduced by German immigrants. It is a soft cheese with a similar flavor to Cheddar or Colby Jack. Some Muenster cheeses are mild while others can be sharp.

Muenster is different from the French cheese Munster, which is protected by the EU. The French Munster is prepared in a similar manner but uses unpasteurized cow's milk and is brined.

8. A semi-hard cheese from a town in the South Holland province of the Netherlands. Locally, it is a style of cheese and not a specific one.

Answer: Gouda

Gouda gets its name from the town of Gouda, South Holland, though the cheese actually made in the area around the town and not within its borders. Gouda is often sold in blocks in marketplaces throughout the Netherlands. Traditionally, these blocks weighed over 30 pounds but in modern times have shrunk to accommodate tourists. Gouda was traditionally made on family farms by women, however today most of the gouda production is factory made. Unlike most cheeses associated with a locale in Europe, Gouda is not protected by the EU. However, some local varieties are.

The Gouda style of cheese making refers to how the lactic acid is produced and how the cheese is brined afterward. Goudas are aged for varying lengths of time. The longer the Gouda ages, the nuttier the flavor.

9. A crumbly and salty blue cheese from a town in Lombardy, Italy. It is about 30% fat.

Answer: Gorgonzola

Gorgonzola is a blue cow's milk cheese from Italy. It has somewhat of a reputation for being a stinky or smelly cheese. The town of Gorgonzola, which is a suburb of Milan, claims the cheese was invented there in the 9th century, though that claim is disputed by several nearby towns.

Originally, the cheese was not a blue cheese and did not have the blue marbling. That was added centuries later. The marbling is produced by inserting metal rods into the cheese during the curdling process. The rods are removed, air holes are left in the cheese which allows the mold spores to grow.

10. A semi-soft cheese from the Aosta Valley. It is said this cheese tastes best in the summer when the dairy cows are fed only grass.

Answer: Fontina

Fontina is produced in Italy's Aosta Valley in the Alpine region. Experts and dairy farmers claim that Fontina tastes better when it is made from milk milked during the summer. During the summer, the dairy cows are moved uphill and fed grass only. However, during the other seasons, the cows are moved to lower ground because of the snow on the hilltops.

The cows fed only grass are said to produce Fontina that is earthier in flavor.

Source: Author Joepetz

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A Cheese off the Old Block Trivia Quiz

Match the cheeses to their description. Try not to get hungry in the process!

Questions		Choices
1. An unpasteurized sheep's milk blue cheese produced in Combalaou Caves. Once used as a "cure" for gangrene.		Fontina
2. A cheese from France with a nutty flavor. The region the cheese comes from and the dairy cattle used share name of the cheese.		Feta
3. A wet, Greek cheese made from sheep or goat milk. The cheese's name means slice when translated to English.		Gorgonzola
4. A creamy, white Latin American cheese made from cow's milk. Softens but does not melt when heated.		Roquefort
5. An Indian and Pakistani cheese made with hot milk and vinegar or other acids. Also called Chhana		Muenster
6. A hard, well-aged cow's milk cheese named after a town in Somerset, England. Can be yellow, white or "red"		Cheddar
7. Despite its name, this cheese has an American origin; it is a soft, cow's milk cheese whose flavor can vary greatly.		Gouda
8. A semi-hard cheese from a town in the South Holland province of the Netherlands. Locally, it is a style of cheese and not a specific one.		Queso blanco
9. A crumbly and salty blue cheese from a town in Lombardy, Italy. It is about 30% fat.		Abondance
10. A semi-soft cheese from the Aosta Valley. It is said this cheese tastes best in the summer when the dairy cows are fed only grass.		Paneer