Introduction
Cheese is one of the fermented milk products which is obtained by the microbial activity of lactic acid bacteria resulting in coagulation of casein protein present in it. Let us know about ‘Spicy Cheddar’.
Cheese can be classified into various types based on its flavour, colour, texture and the mode of the ripening process, i.e., bacteria or moulds are used for the ripening of cheese, they are termed ripened cheese. Sometimes cheese is also available in the unripened form, also called “fresh cheese,” which is free of microbial fermentation.
Answer paragraph
Cheddar cheese is a typical ripened cheese that is obtained by growing bacteria on the curds, and this cheese is used extensively throughout the world due to its high nutritive value, flavour, and easy mode of production. Several spicy flavoured cheddars are available by the combination of different varieties of peppers and chillies, e.g., Jalapeno Muenster, Habanero cheddar cheese, Spicy Sriracha cheddar cheese, Horseradish cheddar cheese, etc., among which Habanero cheddar marks a significant level of spice because of the usage of Habanero pepper, which is a hot variety of chilli.
Methodology for Cheddar Cheese Preparation:
Cheese making involves the removal of water content from the coagulated milk and then providing an optimal condition favouring the growth of organisms for the production of lactic acid. The various steps involved are as follows:
- Pasteurization of milk
- Inoculation of starter culture
- Renneting
- Cutting of curd and separation of whey
- Cooking and salting
- Ripening
Pasteurization
Pasteurization is the process of killing microbes with heat treatment. Here the milk is heated at 60 °C for 30 min and cooled. This process ensures the milk is free from other undesired organisms.
Inoculation of starter culture
About 0.5%-0.8% of starter culture is used to initiate the fermentation process where lactose gets fermented and produces lactic acid, and the acidity of the milk increases by about 0.25%. The most commonly used starter cultures are Lactobacillus lactis, Streptococcus cremoris, and S. thermophilus.
Renneting
Rennet is an enzyme that is obtained from the stomach of young 10–15-day old milk-fed calves. This is used to bring about proteolysis in milk and form milk clots.
Cutting of curd and separation of whey
The curd is cut into vertical and horizontal blocks. This provides a characteristic shape and size. This moulding process increases the surface area and enhances the expulsion of whey.
Cooking and salting
The moulded cheese pieces are heated at 37 °C for one hour, then NaCl is applied for the salting process and they are pressed.
Ripening
This process involves making the cheese fit for human consumption, under which the flavour, colour, and texture of the cheese undergo a significant change.
For cheddar cheese, the organisms used for ripening are Lactobacillus lactis, L. Brevis, etc. The duration of the ripening process ranges from 5–to 6 months.
Spicy cheddar comes in a variety of flavours.
These cheddar cheeses do differ from each other based on texture, size, colour, and the nature of the spice used. Some significant types are as follows:
Habanero cheddar cheese.
This cheese is produced by making use of the hot variety of chilli, i.e., habanero, which is used to increase the spicy flavour of the dishes.
Cheddar with spicy sriracha
This is another common type of cheddar that is prepared using sriracha pepper combined with the cheddar cheese.
Cheddar cheese with jalapenos
This is the most commonly used cheese variety, which is formed by using jalapeno peppers with creamy cheddar cheese.
Less commonly used types include
Cheddar cheese with horseradish
Ghost pepper jack cheese
Hot buffalo wings, cheddar cheese, etc.
Some healthy benefits of cheese consumption
Cheese plays a significant role in growth by providing proteins and vitamins.
Wait gain can be easily achieved by the consumption of cheese because of its high-fat content.
Osteoporosis – Cheese consumption helps to prevent this condition by providing the necessary calcium for bone development.
They can also be used in the day-to-day diet to build muscles as they contain rich proteins and vitamins.
Conclusion
Cheese is a popular fermented milk product that is widely consumed around the world, among which cheddar cheese accounts for a significant portion of production due to its high vitamin B12, vitamin A, protein, and calcium content.
The production includes the cheddaring process, to which they add the pepper varieties and the chilli to obtain spicy cheddar.
Frequently asked questions
- How does milk turn to cheese?
The microbes are added to ferment the lactose and release the lactic acid that causes coagulation of protein in milk and forms cheese.
- Which cheeses are spicy?
Jalapeno cheddar cheese, habanero cheddar cheese, pepper jack cheese, horseradish cheddar cheese
- What is ghost pepper cheese?
This pepper variety is grown in the north-eastern part of India and is used to make ghost pepper cheddar cheese, which is 400 times hotter than jalapeno cheddar cheese.
- What in cheese is harmful?
Cheese contains high-fat content, so over-consumption leads to high cholesterol and ultimately leads to cardiovascular disease.
