Whether it’s sweet, savory, or smacking of umami, it’s no secret that cheese is a favorite of consumers all over the world. However, there are different types of flavor expectations that must be met with every type of cheese and each different type of cheese product. Not only that but also these expectations are constantly shifting – especially as an increasing number of the population is exposed to a larger variety of cheeses and types of cheese flavors.
Cheese flavors, in general, can be classified into a few different categories. They are by turns sweet, pungent, or even slightly rancid – rancid is, of course, not a bad thing in the world of fine cheese. In many cases, it is up to a flavorist to accurately recreate certain types of cheese flavors, whether they are preparing a prepackaged food item such as pasta or they are recreating the flavor of cheese for a snack food product, such as a cracker. In other cases, it is important for a flavorist to know what the existing notes of certain types of cheese are so that they are better able to work with other flavor ingredients in a food product.
Sweet Cheeses
Calling a cheese “sweet” may seem like a bit of a misnomer. After all, most cheese is not by nature sweet, but rather used in sweet food applications. This includes the production of cheesecake, flavored cheese spreads, and classic desserts such as tiramisu, which utilizes mascarpone cheese for its distinctive creamy filling.
Regardless of how it is produced, sweet cheeses are becoming increasingly more common on the food marketplace. One of the more common ways of producing sweet cheeses is by starting with a strong tart or tangy base such as Chevre, or goat cheese and by combining the cheese itself with fruits such as cranberry or even citrus. Sweet cheeses are still mostly confined either to the desserts marketplace, to the frozen desserts aisle, or for use as spreads. However, the growing popularity of these types of food items means that there is a lot of room for flavorists to explore the many options available to them.
Mild Cheeses
The mildest cheeses, such as mozzarella, Gouda, and cheddar, are among the most popular on the market. These types of cheese have long seen use in many areas of the food industry, from the prepackaged foods industry to the snack foods industry. One of the biggest changes when it comes to the milder cheeses is that more consumers than ever are looking for variations on these classics, whether that means an apple-smoked mozzarella or Gouda or stronger, sharper cheddar.
More consumers are also looking to branch out with other types of mild cheeses, such as Italian fontina, that they might not have had opportunity to experience before. This is just one example of a great cheese that can be used to great effect in the creation of basic dishes that can have a big impact when it comes to flavor.
These same changes have carried through to the other areas of the industry where these types of cheeses are prominent. There is a lot of room for flavorists to experiment when it comes to the creation of food products utilizing these types of cheese. One rising trend is the flavoring of these types of cheese with ethnic spices and flavor ingredients in order to replicate the flavors native to other cultures and locales. For example, using Latin American spices in a traditional mozzarella has consistently proven to be a great way to create delicious Mexican dishes using this classic and easy-to-work-with type of cheese.
Pungent Cheeses
Pungent cheeses such as Gorgonzola, Brie, and blue cheese have had a long-standing reputation thanks to their notably strong qualities. However, it is for these qualities that these types of cheese are starting to see growing popularity, especially in the creation of snack food products such as potato chips and crackers. Buyers love cheese flavored snack food products, and utilizing these unique flavors has allowed flavorists to provide their customers with a unique, gourmet dining experience in a convenient and easy to access form.
The pungency of these cheeses means that they are best used in fairly simple flavor applications. Not only are buyers curious about these unique cheeses that they might not have been able to experience before, but also they want the full experience of these products – not to be overwhelmed by extraneous details. When other flavors are used, however, it is a great idea to keep it simple. Brie and pear are an excellent pairing, as are blue cheese and the hot spice of Buffalo sauce – an exceptionally great pairing as blue cheese dressing is traditionally used with hot wings.
Ethnic Cheeses
In general, one of the biggest growing trends is the use of ethnic cheeses in their appropriate food preparations. Western chefs have traditionally substituted in appropriately Western cheeses for food production – such as the aforementioned mozzarella. However, a growing consumer base with real experience with these ethnic cheeses, as well as consumer curiosity, has led to a real demand for these cheeses in the marketplace.
As an increasing number of buyers demand these cheeses, it is up to flavorists to determine how and where they want these cheeses to be used. One thing that is important to note is that these ethnic cheeses offer flavorists a great avenue for exploring unique flavors in the production of a wide range of different food products. Even when the cheeses themselves cannot be accessed for easy food preparation, they can easily be recreated for prepackaged food products and speed-scratch items.
Cheeses are bigger than they have been in a long while, and that means that there is a lot of room for experimentation and for playfulness where these particular ingredients are concerned. Whether a flavorist chooses to opt for a more unique, gourmet cheese option when creating a flavor or they simply choose to spice up a cheese that they are using in a food product, there are many ways to use this trend to their advantage.