Everyday Life • Food & Drink

Cheese

Cheese is a dairy food made by coagulating milk proteins into curds and then draining, pressing, ripening, or otherwise processing them.

Updated July 27, 20261 min readCited sources

Cheese is a dairy food made by coagulating milk proteins into curds, then draining, pressing, and sometimes aging them. It comes in many styles and flavours, from fresh and soft to hard, aged, and blue.

What it is

Cheese is produced by separating milk into curds and whey, then treating the curds in different ways. Texture and flavour depend largely on moisture content, aging, and the type of milk used. Common milk sources include cow, goat, sheep, and buffalo milk.

Key details

Cheese is classified by texture and ripening into categories such as fresh, soft-ripened, semi-soft, semi-hard, hard, blue, pasta filata, and processed cheeses. Mozzarella is widely used on pizza because it melts well and stretches when heated. Some aged cheeses are naturally very low in lactose, while lactose-free products are specially treated.

Why it matters

Cheese is a major part of Canadian cuisine and agriculture, with significant production in provinces such as Quebec and Ontario. It is used in sandwiches, sauces, baking, snacks, and cooked dishes like pizza and gratins, and is often paired with wine based on texture, saltiness, and intensity.

In short

Cheese is made by coagulating milk, draining curds, and sometimes aging.
Texture and flavour vary by moisture, aging, and milk type.
Common categories include fresh, soft, hard, blue, and processed cheeses.
Many hard aged cheeses have little lactose; lactose-free options are available.

Canadian angle

Cheese is a major part of Canadian cuisine and agriculture, with significant production in provinces such as Quebec and Ontario. Canadian readers often encounter both local cheeses and international styles in cooking, retail, and restaurant use.

Quick questions

What are the different types of cheese?

Cheese is commonly grouped into fresh, soft-ripened, soft, semi-soft, semi-hard, hard, blue, pasta filata, and processed styles. Many guides also classify cheeses by milk type, aging, and rind or ripening method.

Which cheese is best for pizza?

Mozzarella is the standard pizza cheese because it melts smoothly and stretches well. Many pizzas also use blends with provolone, Parmesan, or other cheeses for stronger flavour.

What cheese goes with wine?

Many cheeses pair well with wine, including Brie with sparkling wine, cheddar with Cabernet Sauvignon, goat cheese with Sauvignon Blanc, and blue cheese with sweet wines. Match the cheese’s intensity, saltiness, and creaminess to the wine’s body and sweetness.

Sources

U.S. Dairy — https://www.usdairy.com/news-articles/cheese-types-what-you-need-to-know-about-cheese
Supports: Broad cheese style categories and consumer-facing classification of cheeses.
Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts — https://www.escoffier.edu/blog/culinary-arts/a-complete-guide-to-cheese/
Supports: Basic cheesemaking process, curds and whey, and common ingredients.
Wisconsin Cheese — https://www.wisconsincheese.com/about-cheese/different-types-of-cheese
Supports: Common ways cheese is classified and examples of cheese types; notes on milk sources and fresh cheese.
Harry & David — https://www.harryanddavid.com/articles/food-drink/types-of-cheese
Supports: Common cheese styles and examples, including pasta filata, soft, hard, and processed categories.
KitchenAid — https://www.kitchenaid.com/pinch-of-help/major-appliances/types-of-cheese.html
Supports: Mozzarella as a widely used pizza cheese and common U.S. cheese popularity context.
Encyclopaedia Britannica — https://www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-cheeses-2227639
Supports: Examples of cheeses by hardness and ripening method, including common aged and blue cheeses.