You’ve been eating cheese all wrong.
But here to set your mind at cheese are experts who explain exactly how to enjoy it.
They’re the Masters of Cheese at the UK-based Academy of Cheese, and reveal the rookie storage mistake that will ‘suffocate your cheese’, whether you can eat it if you’re lactose intolerant and whether it’s dangerous to eat the mould.
The gurus also reveal what happens to cheese if you freeze it, whether it gives you nightmares, and lots more…
What are the worst cheese faux pas?
MailOnline speaks to the Masters of Cheese at the Academy of Cheese to find out everything you need to know about eating, storing and serving cheese
Wrapping it in clingfilm
The Masters say: ‘Cheese is a living thing, which will essentially suffocate in plastic wrap. If you bring home cheese from a farmer’s market, rewrap it in wax paper or store in a plastic tub with ventilation.’
Keeping it in the wrong part of the fridge
Never leave cheese in the main fridge compartment, as ‘cold circulating air is not a friend of cheese’ and ‘will dry it out’, say the Academy team. The experts recommend ‘storing it in the salad draw instead, where it is more humid’.
Freezing cheese
The dairy connoisseurs say: ‘Whilst all cheeses can technically be frozen, they won’t like you for it.’
According to the team, freezing cheese ‘alters its delicate mix of fats, proteins and water in an irreversible way’ leaving a ‘grainy, unpleasant texture’ once thawed and a cheese without the ‘flavours it had in its prime’.
Serving it too cold
‘Nosing the brie’, aka ‘removing the tip of a brie wedge’, as pictured above, could see you miss out on many of the best flavours
When it comes to serving cheese, the specialists warn that many people ‘serve their cheese too cold’ and it ‘needs to be brought up to room temperature’. They recommend taking it out of the fridge at least an hour before serving.
Why? ‘The fat molecules contract’ when cheese is cold making it much harder to ‘determine flavour’. The temperature also affects the texture of the cheese.
But there is an exception to the one hour rule. ‘Mozzarella, ricotta and young goat’s cheese’ only require 30 minutes outside the fridge.
When it comes to serving cheese, the specialists warn that many people ‘serve their cheese too cold’ and it ‘needs to be brought up to room temperature’
Leaving it until the end of the meal
Saving your cheese for after dessert? You’re making a big mistake, say the Masters, who urge people to ‘make your cheese the star of the show!’
They say: ‘Don’t serve as the after-dinner course, when everyone has eaten too much to really savour the cheese – incorporate it into breakfast, lunch, dinner and anything in between!’
Cutting the rind off the cheese
Cutting the rind off your cheese, or ‘nosing the brie’ (removing the tip off a brie wedge) is a definite no-no.
The experts say: ‘In most artisanal cheeses, the rind is edible, and as many cheeses ripen from the outside in, the flavours will evolve from the centre outwards. Towards the rind will offer completely different flavours to the middle.’
Scoffing your cheese
The cheese savants say: ‘Snaffling a good piece of cheese is like only watching half a movie. Tasting is a multi-sensory action, and good cheese will deliver myriad complex flavours.
‘Use all your senses to help with the experience, take your time and breathe as you chew to release all the flavours.’
Avoiding mouldy cheese
‘The moulds in blue cheese are perfectly safe and have been purposely added to help the cheese ripen and give it flavour,’ say the experts at the Academy of Cheese
The experts say: ‘Any surface moulds on hard cheeses can be safely scraped off, leaving you to enjoy the rest, without throwing it away.
‘The moulds in blue cheese come from the addition of Penicillium Roqueforti – they are perfectly safe and have been purposely added to help the cheese ripen and give it flavour.
‘For mould-ripened, or bloomy rind cheeses that are usually white in colour, an unhealthy rind will look yellow, brown or grey, whilst in firmer cheeses the rind might start to break down and become slimy to touch.’
Can cheese give you nightmares?
Probably not. The professionals say that this is an ‘unfounded’ myth.
They add: ‘Cheese is a complex food, which takes time for the gut to fully digest. It is most likely that this is the cause of restless sleep.’
Can you eat cheese if you’re lactose intolerant?
The experts say ‘cheese is a good source of calcium’
Probably. The Academy team say: ‘Most cheeses contain hardly any, or only trace amounts of lactose. During the cheese process, lactic acid bacteria, which is naturally occurring in milk, or has been added by the cheesemaker, converts the lactose to lactic acid.
‘In hard, aged cheeses, such as cheddars, Alpine cheeses and Parmigianos, there is virtually zero lactose left. Cheeses to avoid are the high moisture, fresh cheeses such as mozzarella, ricotta and soft, creamy cheeses.’
Can you eat cheese if you’re pregnant?
Yes, but be careful which kind, say the experts.
They explain: ‘Current medical advice states that hard cheeses, such as cheddar or Parmesan, are your safest choice during pregnancy.’
They warn to ‘avoid’ blue cheese and ‘soft, high-moisture cheeses’ such as Brie or Camembert, and those with ‘sticky washed rinds’, such as Epoisses.
The experts add: ‘The higher moisture and lower acidity in these cheeses make them more hospitable to the bacteria Listeria, which can cause listeriosis.’
Is eating cheese healthy?
It can be. The experts say ‘cheese is a good source of calcium’ and ‘one ounce of cheddar cheese provides 20 per cent of your daily requirement’.
They add: ‘Calcium is a key nutrient for healthy bones and teeth, blood clotting, wound healing and maintaining normal blood pressure.’
Is eating cheese bad for the planet?
No, claim the Academy specialists, who say: ‘Cows don’t deserve the negative press they often get in relation to climate change. Rather, cows raised on a diet of well-managed pasture on farms that practice regenerative agriculture, do more for the environment by sequestering carbon.’
What makes the perfect cheeseboard?
The Masters say: ‘Choose cheeses that offer a complementary, yet diverse assortment, with three or five being a popular number of varieties.
‘Go for fresh and aged/mild and strong or a mix of cow’s, goat’s and sheep’s milk, or a variety of styles such as fresh, bloomy rind, washed rind, hard and blue.’
You’ll need around 50-75g of cheese per person and don’t forget to ’embellish your board with simple pairings and accompaniments’, such as ‘good crackers’, ‘honey and preserves’, ‘fresh and dried fruit’ or ‘nuts and pickles’.
What should you drink with cheese?
‘White wines are more versatile than red as the tannins in red wine will fight and win against the cheese,’ say the experts
Although ‘the complexity of cheese and its myriad flavours make it an impossible task to elevate one drink as the best’, the experts have shared some ‘basic rules’.
They say: ‘What grows together, goes together. An oldie but most definitely a goodie. Think West Country cheddar and a Somerset cider, or Brie de Meaux and Champagne.
‘White wines are more versatile than red. Generally the tannins in red wine will fight and win against the cheese. Rieslings, Gruner Veltliner and Chenin are good all-rounders.
‘Sparkling wines are a safe bet, especially with rich, creamy cheeses – the bubbles bringing a refreshing acidity [while] sweet wines work with most cheeses.’
And for non-drinkers? They said: ‘A sparkling elderflower is a great option for creamy cheeses, whilst a ginger presse or kombucha go particularly well with blues.’
And the experts’ favourite cheeses?
The Academy of Cheese has created a ‘Cheese Library‘ that includes cheese from 48 countries around the world. They say: ‘We always love the classics but as a British company Cheddars and Stilton are always top of our list.’
They also love ‘The Triple Rose’ from Northern Ireland, an extra-creamy white rind cheese.