Talking Cheese: Cannot Sound Like an Expert Here!

To Cheese or Not to Cheese?

I am talking about choosing between homemade cottage cheese, the off-the-shelf cheese slices variety and legacy cheeses. There is an abundance of choices and very little clarity about what we are eating and for what reason. Yes, legacy cheeses are made by brands that have existed for decades and are known to prepare cheese with a distinguished flavour and unique aura that is often endemic to a region or a small community. On the other hand, homemade cheese is more of a comfort food that promises to provide some precious proteins too. Homemade cheeses don’t agree with a lot with my digestive system. They can make me bloated and gassy. The retail, sliced variety is easier to handle and can be easily added to any preparation.

I am not counting pizza cheeses since their ingredients can be greatly manipulated towards creating a particular texture or hardening to create a layer of the bread base. My best guess is that authentic legacy cheesemakers should be your choice if you understand the nuances of cheese flavours. If you only have consumption on your mind, the homemade variety should get the job done. Try to stay away from the sliced packaged variety that is loaded with preservatives and additives that we know little about.

Some Quick Cheesy Notes:

- The pure form of cheese is inherently bland. I am really not a big fan of it

- Mother Dairy cheese slices are a bit too salty. Not a big fan of this either

- Amul pizza cheese is perhaps the best compromise, not too salty or grainy

- Some cheeses have a tendency not layer well and don't allow the ingredients to stick, making them not a good choice for sandwiches

- Unlike some people, I don't agree with cheese being a better option that mayonnaise...these are two totally different options and are not meant to be replacements for each other

- Pizza cheese is rather imperfect, it can be too sticky or it borders on being too chewy, yet to come across the perfect pizza cheese across Dominos, Pizza Hut, Slice of Italy or Chicago Pizza cheeses

- While cheese slices are a good option for making sandwiches, their taste can be very different from fresher, lesser processed variety. Most cheese slices have an over-aged or under-aged aftertaste, either of them can make your expectations seems totally off

- Cottage cheese with eggs scrambled, hashed & mashed, makes a great mix. Add some nutty ingredients to it, use less of the greasing ingredients and overcook the combination...the results are exotic

- None of the cheese slices retains its original taste if you eat it after a few hours of being deployed to create something in the kitchen. Immediate consumption is the unsaid rule, perhaps!

- I have seen people eat a parantha with cheese spreads. Really cannot understand this. Even as an emergency snacking option, this is bad, there is nothing complementing the taste, the flavours are lost

- I recall eating a cheese dip with a parantha and if you can restrict yourself to the slightest, most inconspicuous dot of cheese, the combination might work...this is not about more being better

- Cheese is not something that should linger on to your tongue or be felt down the throat for far too long. You want the coating to be comprehensive but quick to go away. Longer occupation of the oral cavity or the taste gland-rich areas can induce a somewhat pukey feeling!