Domain 3: Cheese History, Definitions and Categories – Bullet Points, Terms to Know and Useful Links
Updated May 10, 2018 to Comply with new ACS Body of Knowledge. This includes many points covered in the Expanded Body of Knowledge as well. When preparing for the ACS CCP Exam®, use the Exam Blueprint, above, as your guide to what the exam will cover. (This presentation is created for basic knowledge and continued education of the cheese industry.)
2018 Bullet Points:
- The ACS Body of Knowledge is always your “first stop” in determining your course of study.
- Categorizing cheese. There are many ways to categorize cheese; there is no one way to categorize cheese and many cheeses can fall into more than one category. Also, there is no right or wrong way to categorize cheese. In a retail setting, ease of shopping for your customer should guide your choice:
- Style
- Fresh
- Bloomy Rind
- Washed Rind
- Washed Curd
- Cheddar
- Semi-soft
- Semi-hard
- Natural rind
- Blue
- Country or Geographical area of origin and manufacturing
- Style
-
- Milk type
- Cow
- Sheep
- Goat
- Buffalo
- Use
- Cooking
- Snacking
- Productiton
- Pressed
- Unpressed
- Washed Rind
- Washed Curd
- Pasta Filata
- Blue
- Milk type
- Know and understand why EU/UK/Canadian Protection Schemes exist:
- PDO
- AOC
- DO
- DOP
- DPO
- DOC
- CNAOL
- Within the PDO cheeses, know the basic info for the most popular of these cheeses: Roquefort, Stilton, Comte, Gruyere, Manchego, Taleggio, Banon, Beaufort, Brie de Meaux, Brei de Melun, Camembert, Chabichou du Poitou, Emmenthal, Epoisses, Feta, Fontina Val d’Aosta, Gorgonzola, Langres, Livarot, Mont d’Or, Morbier, Munster-Gerome, Ossau-Iraty, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Pecorino Romano, Queso de la Serena, Raclette, Reblochon, Saint Nectaire, Torta del Cesar, Valdeon, etc. (By no means are these the only ones, but more likely to show up in some form of a question):
- Know your American Artisan Cheeses: Rogue River Blue, Grayson, Flagship, Wabash Cannonball, Harbison, Winnimere, Bear Hill, Appalachian, Thomasville Tomme, Humboldt Fog, Cremont, Little Mountain, BellaVitano, Pleasant Ridge Reserve, etc. (This is just the tip of the cheese iceberg – it was easier to list the EU cheeses because… well… there is a list – but know your American Artisan Cheeses)
- Aging Specifics. Examples:
- When is Parmigiano Reggiano tested to determine quality and grading
- How long must Comte be aged and how many points to be awarded Green Belt and/or Brown Belt.
- Where can Parmigiano Reggiano be aged per PDO specifications?
Useful Links:
Increase Your Cheese IQ: Culture Magazine Cheese Library Top Cheese Links
EU List of PDO protected Status Cheeses.
The Protected Cheeses of Spain
Explanation of EU Protected Status Medallions
In addition to being an American Cheese Society Certified Cheese Professional, I am a Certified ServSafe Food Production Manager with certifications that also include ServSafe Certified Instructor and Proctor. I am available for cheese events, cheese program development, cheese training, food safety training and 3rd party food safety auditing. See my About Me and Resume pages for more details or call me at 360 921 9908 to discuss availability.
Follow me on:
You must be logged in to post a comment.