WIN a one of a kind mahogany cheese board by answering all five questions correctly in our first ever, Big Cheese Quiz. The cheese board was handmade with love by Chef Robin and is finished with beeswax. Let’s have a little food fun today and learn about this ancient food in history and science. I went down a cheese rabbit hole this week and thought I’d share. For example, did you know that cheese was first made as early as 8000 years ago, before pottery, writing and metal tools even. There are a wealth of cheese stories around the world which are fascinating. Most cultures have made different styles from cheese made with acid (lemon, vinegar or yogurt) like paneer in India to the first cheese curds of Mesopotamia. Okay, let’s get down to the quiz, have fun!
- What is a complex set of enzymes produced in the stomachs of ruminant mammals used in cheese making?
- Why does mozzarella stretch?
- What causes a cheese sauce to break/separate/curdle?
- What is byaslag?
- What do Parmesan, Roquefort and Munster cheese have in common?
The first person to answer all 5 questions correctly in the comments below, wins. Note, platter doesn’t come with cheese:) I’ll announce the winner and answer give you the answers on Feb 6/2020 in this thread. Good luck food nerds…
ANSWERS:
2. MOTZA: It’s all about the chemistry. Multiple factors: Milk contains proteins consisting of coiled-up chains of molecules. When you make cheese, these proteins are separated out during the curdling of the milk, creating the curds. In the manufacture of mozzarella, the curds are then put into hot, salty water. This uncoils the proteins and turns them into long strands, which are then repeatedly compressed and stretched forcing the strands to line up which increases the stretch factor.
Additionally, low acidity, i.e. higher pH, will result in a cheese that stretches and melts well.
3. CURDLING: Dairy has three main components: fat, proteins, and water. Curdling occurs when the proteins in a sauce denature and bind together, separating from the water and tightening up into curds. I’ll also accept these answers: Not enough fat in the sauce (ie. using milk instead of cream in a sauce), salt can sometimes make a sauce curdle (add it last), overheating the sauce (Tip: never let it full boil).
4. BYASLAG: Is unripened Mongolian cheese prepared from the milk of yak or cows
5. PARMESAN, ROQUEFORT, MUNSTER All these cheeses are good choices for lactose intolerant folk. Note: all were all traditionally made with unpasteurized milk traditionally in Europe, but Munster is also made in the USA sometimes from pasteurized milk.

1. Rennet
2. It forces the strands to line up, creating the famous stringy consistency
3. High heat
4. is a mild, unripened Mongolian cheese prepared from the milk of yak or cows.
5. They have a relatively small amount of lactates
1. Rennet
2. As part of the production process, the cheese curds are put in hot salty water to uncurl the proteins that make up the curds, turning them into long strands. The curds are then repeatedly stretched and compressed to line up the strands so that the entire cheese stretches together.
3. The proteins in the cheese denature, causing them to bind together (usually due to excessive heat).
4. It’s a traditional Mongolian cheese
5. They were all developed by Benedictine monks
1. Rennet
2. kneading and stretching curds elongates the protein chain
3. high heat or not enough fat
4. mild unripened Mongolian cheese from Yak or cows milk
5.lactose free or low lactose
This one takes a bit of research, these are not things we were taught in school!
1. Animal rennet used for cheese making contains the enzymes chymosin, pepsin and a lipase.
2. During making of mozza, the curds are put into hot, salty water, which uncoils the proteins and turns them into long strands, which creates the stringy and stretchy consistency.
3. Overheating cheese can result in curdling.
4. Byaslag is a mild Mogolian cheese prepared from yak or cow’s milk.
5. I believe they are all French cheeses, but mostly known for being a bit smelly.
1. Rennet
2. High pH levels of milk proteins
3. Not enough fat, too much fat, or overcooking
4. Unripened yak or cow cheese (Mongolian)
5. They are all French cheeses
1. Rennet
2. Curds are used to make mozzarella. The process involves putting curds are put into hot, salty water which uncoils the protein and makes them stretch.
3. Cheese sauce can curdle if you add fat too quickly which causes the emulsifier to break the link between the fat and liquid.
4. Byslag is an unripened Mongolian cheese made from cow or yak milk.
5. Parmesan, Roquefort and Munster can be eaten by people who are lactose intolerant.
Congrats, Rowenna you win! All your answers are correct and you were first to respond. Email me at info@swallowtail.ca to claim your one of a kind mahogany cheese board.
1.rennet, 2 protein web, 3. Polar/ non polar molecule parts separate ; Can be fixed with emulsifier like xantham gum,? 4.Mongolian yak or goat cheese ? 5.grated cheese names argued over by the EU trade talks
1. Rennet
2.
mozzarella, the curds are then put into hot, salty water. This uncoils the proteins and turns them into long strands, which are then repeatedly compressed and stretched
3. Dairy sauces can curdle for several reasons: There might not be enough fat in the sauce; skim milk will curdle much more easily than other, fattier dairy products.
4. Cheese made from Yak milk
5. You can have these cheeses if you are lactose intolerant
1. Rennet
2 hot salty water uncoils the proteins, repeated compression and stretching forces strands to line up creating stringy consistency
3. Cheese aauce breaks when cheese overcooks
4. Unripened Mongolian cheese made w kefir rather than rennet
5. They are all aged and all traditionally made with unpasteurized milk.
1) Rennet
2) When the curds are put in hot, salty water, it uncurls the proteins which the get stretched and pressed enough that they develop an elasticity.
3)Generally it is some combination of heat – too much – and acidity – again too much or possibly not enough (too base = too saline).
4)Though it sounds like a waste product of steel making, it is actually a soft unripened Mongolian – traditionally Yak, though also made from cows milk.
5)I will go out on an limb and say that they all use Thermophilic Culture.
1) Rennet
2) Due to its microstructure, the protein strands line up
3) High heat
4) Mild Mongolian unripened yak or cow milk cheese
5) They are all unpasteurized
1. Rennet
2. Casein molecules
3. With heat, proteins in the cheese bind together, separating from water
4. a Mongolian cheese made from yak/cow/sheep/goat milk
5. They are all French cheeses!
1.Rennet
2. Put in hot water which uncoils proteins
3. Not enough fat…proteins will form back into curds
4. Mongolian cheese make using kefir, not rennet
5. Names tied to specific regions…cannot use cheese name unless made in specific location from cows raised in that region
1. Rennet
2. Variables that can affect the stretchability of mozzarella include the type of milk, temperature, pH conditions for the lactic acid, bacteria (e.g. if the pH is too low, the whey becomes fattier); mechanical forces, e.g. machines stretching cheese, the saltiness of the brine.
3. High heat may be the culprit, especially in a sauce that has a dairy base (as cheese sauce generally does). High heat causes the protein and water in the dairy to separate, with the protein forming curds. The cheese itself may be the cause, assuming it’s also made from dairy. The proteins and water in the cheese will separate if exposed to high temperatures. The oil in cheese may also separate when it’s melted, causing the sauce to appear broken instead of smooth. Adding acid to a dairy-based sauce can also cause curdling.
4. Byaslag is a mild Mongolian cheese made with yak or cow milk.
5. They were all perfected by Benedictine monks
Arg, I double checked my own facts and Roquefort wasn’t perfected by Benedictine monks as I had thought, just Parmesan and Munster.
1. Rennet
2. Protein strands become lined up in the making process which makes it stretchy
3. Overcooking
4. Yak cheese from Mongolia
5. They all have low lactose
1. Rennet 2. Mozzarella is made by dunking the curds in hot salty water. This uncoils the proteins and turns them into long strands, which are then repeatedly compressed and stretched. This forces the strands to line up, creating the famous stringy consistency. 3. High heat or overcooking. 4. a mild, unripened Mongolian cheese prepared from yak milk. 5. Best cheeses to eat if you’re lactose intolerant
1. Rennet
2. Elongated protein chains
3. Curdling occurs when the proteins in a sauce denature and bind together, separating from the water and tightening up into curds. If you use low-fat dairy products it may have too much water content. Also important to remove sauce from the heat source when adding the cheese.
4.Byaslag is a mild, unripened Mongolian cheese prepared from the milk of yak or cows. Kefir (in place of rennet) is used to separate the milk and form the cheese curds.
5. They are low in lactose content and can often be eaten by people (like me) who are lactose intolerant.
1.Rennet
2.The interactions between casein micelles?
3.Excess heat
4. A mild, unripened Mongolian cheese prepared from the milk of yak or cows
5.Low levels of lactose?
What is a complex set of enzymes produced in the stomachs of ruminant mammals used in cheese making? Rennet
Why does mozzarella stretch? Acid is added changing the structure of the cheese
What causes a cheese sauce to break/separate/curdle? Possibly not enough fat in the sauce?
What is byaslag? Unripen yak cheese
What do Parmesan, Roquefort and Munster cheese have in common? All are strong tasting cheeses
1: Rennin.
2: Curds processed in hot salty water changes the proteins into strands.
3: Too high heat, not enough fat, acid.
4: Mongolian cheese.
5: Low lactose ranges.
Rennet
Proteins are uncoiled because of the hot water and turned into strands
High heat
Unripened Mongolian cheese made from yaks milk
They are all aged, strong smelling and have been made for centuries
What is a complex set of enzymes produced in the stomachs of ruminant mammals used in cheese making?
Rennet
Why does mozzarella stretch?
They bind together, condense the fat cells and drain the whey, making a protein chain. Kneading and stretching the curds help to elongate this protein chain, which causes the stringiness of mozzarella. The stretch properties of mozzarella depend on the interactions between casein micelles.
What causes a cheese sauce to break/separate/curdle?
The cheese itself may be the cause, assuming it’s also made from dairy. The proteins and water in the cheese will separate if exposed to high temperatures. The oil in cheese may also separate when it’s melted, causing the sauce to appear broken instead of smooth. Adding acid to a dairy-based sauce can also cause curdling.
What is byaslag?
Byaslag is a mild, unripened Mongolian cheese prepared from the milk of yak or cows.
What do Parmesan, Roquefort and Munster cheese have in common?
They were first made in the middle ages
1. Rennet
2. the curds are then put into hot, salty water. This uncoils the proteins and turns them into long strands, which are then repeatedly compressed and stretched.
3. There might not be enough fat in the sauce
4. Byaslag is a mild, unripened Mongolian cheese prepared from the milk of yak or cows.
5.Parmesan, Muenster and Roquefort are semi-soft cheeses
1. rennet
2. casein network (+ acidity)
3. too hot
4. mild, unripened Mongolian yak milk cheese
5. low lactose
What is a complex set of enzymes produced in the stomachs of ruminant mammals used in cheese making? -Rennet
Why does mozzarella stretch? -In the manufacture of mozzarella, the curds are put into hot, salty water. This uncoils the proteins and turns them into long strands, which are then repeatedly compressed and stretched. This forces the strands to line up, creating the famous stringy consistency.
What causes a cheese sauce to break/separate/curdle? -High heat
What is byaslag? -Unripened Mongolian cheese prepared from the milk of yak or cows
What do Parmesan, Roquefort and Munster cheese have in common? -All French