Smoked cheese

Smoked cheese is any cheese that has been specially treated by smoke-curing.^[1] It typically has a yellowish-brown outer pellicle which is a result of this curing process.^[2]

Smoked ricotta cheese from La Sila, Calabria, Italy

Process

Smoke-curing is typically done in one of two ways: cold-smoking and hot-smoking.^[1] The cold-smoking method (which can take up to a month, depending on the food) smokes the food at between 20° and 30° C (68° and 86° F). Hot-smoking partially or completely cooks the food by treating it at temperatures ranging from 40° to 90 °C (104° to 194° F).

Another method, typically used in less expensive cheeses, is to use artificial smoke flavoring to give the cheese a smoky flavoring and food coloring to give the outside the appearance of having been smoked in the more traditional manner.

Common smoked cheeses

Some smoked cheeses commonly produced and sold include smoked Gruyère, smoked Gouda (rookkaas), Provolone, Rauchkäse, Scamorza, Sulguni, Oscypek, Fynsk rygeost, and smoked Cheddar.^[1][3][4][5]

Gallery

• 
  Smoked Austrian cheese
• 
  Smoked Lincolnshire Poacher Cheese
• 
  Smoked Gruyère cheese
• 
  Smoked cheese in the Netherlands
• 
  Smoked Polish oscypek

See also

• Food portal

• List of smoked foods

References

1. Strawbridge, D.; Strawbridge, J. (2012). Made At Home: Curing & Smoking: From Dry Curing to Air Curing and Hot Smoking, to Cold Smoking. Made At Home. Octopus Books. p. pt317. ISBN 978-1-84533-726-1. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
2. Riha, W.E. (1992). Control of Color Formation in Smoked Cheese. University of Wisconsin--Madison. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
3. Magazine, C.; Miller, L.; Skinner, T.; Tsai, M. (2012). Cheese For Dummies. Wiley. p. 84. ISBN 978-1-118-14552-4. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
4. Fleischman, W. (2016). Smoking Meat: Tools - Techniques - Cuts - Recipes; Perfect the Art of Cooking with Smoke. DK Publishing. p. pt22. ISBN 978-1-4654-5050-0. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
5. Hastings, C.; De Leo, J.; Wright, C.A. (2014). The Cheesemonger's Seasons: Recipes for Enjoying Cheeses with Ripe Fruits and Vegetables. Chronicle Books LLC. p. 37. ISBN 978-1-4521-3554-0. Retrieved November 6, 2018.

Further reading

• Juliet Harbutt. World Cheese Book. Penguin, Oct 5, 2009 pg .23