Statistics say that Russians love hard cheeses and most often buy old Soviet cheeses - "Rossiyskiy", "Poshekhonsky", "Gollandsky".

From the "foreigners" we like Edam, Maasdam and Gouda. " AiF " figured out how to choose the healthiest cheese in the store.

Real cheese is a product made only from milk using bacterial sourdough and natural enzymes. In fact, this is improved milk: it contains almost no unhealthy milk sugar (lactose), little water, but a lot of valuable protein and calcium.

Ripe or Raw?

According to GOST 52686-2006, cheeses are mature and unripe. Technology eliminates the critical ripening process, during which flavoring substances accumulate. Therefore, the most aromatic and delicious cheeses are dry and hard, ripening for a long time. The ripening of even ordinary Soviet cheeses, in contrast to modern ones, was strictly controlled by the old GOST: "Kostromskoy" was kept for 45 days, "Gollandsky" (bar), "Yaroslavsky", "Uglichsky", "Latvian" - 60, "Gollandsky" (round), " Stepnoy "- 75," Soviet "- 90," Altai "- 120," Swiss "- 180. Today cheeses are made with or without shorter aging. Naturally, their taste is worse. But the most offensive thing is that we cannot know for sure the aging period of the cheese (it is not required to indicate this most important indicator on the packaging).

But today food technologists are turning this useful product into a caricature of themselves. They came up with a cheap substitute not only for expensive milk fat (for example, palm fat), but also for the protein, which is very necessary for the human body.

So, the other day the largest English manufacturer of food additives began producing special starches from the tropical tapioca plant. "They will help cheesemakers reduce formulation costs by reducing their dependence on expensive proteins such as casein," the company advertises.

By destroying one of the last natural products left on supermarket shelves, technologists are planting a time bomb on our health. After all, humanity already lacks high-quality protein, but the unhealthy starch in all food is the sea. In order for us to survive, bans on such innovations in the food industry are needed at the government level. After all, there is no doubt that in Russia the use of such starch will take on threatening forms, as happened with palm oil. It was invented in the West to add it to dairy products, but only here we began to put it in cheeses in such large quantities.

Another snag product has already flooded the stores in the capital. These are seemingly hard cheeses, which, paradoxically, are processed.

On the shelves are seemingly classic packages of "Kostroma", "Poshekhonskiy", "Gollandskiy" and other dense cheeses, but made using processed cheese technology. As a rule, they are like hard cheeses, but from cheese and cottage cheese of poor quality, from cheese spoilage and illiquid goods - the usual raw materials for processed cheeses.

Important! In the composition of such pseudo-cheeses, not milk, sourdough and enzymes are indicated, but the hard cheeses themselves with a lot of additives - melting salts, structuring agents, emulsifiers, etc. The label must necessarily indicate that they are processed. But this has not been done very noticeably. And when selling in bulk, this word is often reduced to two subtle letters "pl". There are no holes on such cheeses. And the consistency is resilient and elastic, more “rubbery” than that of hard cheeses. Be careful not to get discouraged.

Cheese is a highly nutritious food product with rich flavors. It can be safely called the most popular dairy product. In order for it to be also useful, it must be benign and natural.

The production of 1 kg of cheese requires an average of 11 liters of milk. Therefore, when buying and choosing cheese in a store, it is better not to get hung up on savings, because milk is not a cheap product. As the saying goes, free cheese is only in a mousetrap.

What's the perfect cheese like?

Ideal - "pure" cheese should be made only from milk, sourdough and salt. Such a composition is very rare. It is already difficult to find a product without food additives, but you need to strive for the ideal. Try to avoid additives such as carrageenan (E-407), arboxymethyl cellulose (E-466), carotenes (E-160a, b), sunset dye (E-110).

Marking is an important element that must be considered when buying. The inscriptions "cheese product" and others, consonant with the word "cheese", mislead many buyers. Advice not to choose this kind of product, as it is no longer a natural product and contains vegetable fats and other substitutes. Always review the lineup to know what you are actually buying. Give preference to food products made according to GOST, and not according to TU.

Cheese is most often associated with hard cheese, the most popular type. But besides it, there are soft, pickled, fermented milk and melted varieties. How to choose them correctly - first things first.

How to choose hard cheeses

To choose the right hard cheese, it is necessary to develop an algorithm for checking the quality of the cheese. It is advisable not only to look and smell, but also be sure to probe it. Eliminate the following negative signs that indicate poor quality:

- The presence of wrinkles, irregularities, cracks and other defects;

- Loose, crumbly and cracked consistency (poor quality or freezing). Look carefully at the edges - they should not be torn;

- Rancidity, moldiness and rottenness (a sign of spoilage) and greasy (a sign of palm oil content). The presence of mold is permissible only in special varieties, in ordinary cheese - this will be a sign of spoilage;

- Swelling of the crust (formation of bacteria);

- The presence of a whitish coating or other microflora is a clear sign of spoilage;

- Thick subcortical layer;

- Cheese slice with an uneven dull color or too light. The correct cheese should be yellow, but we must not forget that with the help of dyes, manufacturers solve this problem. Tip: beware of the pronounced yellow color, study the composition;

- unevenly distributed eyes (holes): in one place they are small, in another - large;

- moisture or the presence of drops on the surface of the cheese indicates its unnaturalness - it contains vegetable fat (especially manifested at room temperature or when pressed). In some varieties, a small amount of moisture is allowed when cutting the cheese.

When tasting hard cheese, make sure there are no squeaks on the teeth (unbroken milk proteins). Also, the cheese should not be salty or sweet. Of course, a lot depends on the particular variety.

A useful quality test can be done at home. Cut a flat piece and bend it - it shouldn't break. High-quality cheese should have plasticity, but it shouldn't be rubber either.

Soft cheeses

The choice of soft cheeses should be carried out in approximately the same way as when choosing hard ones. The difference lies in the consistency - they are much wetter. The moisture content depends on the variety. With its softness, the cheese must retain its firmness and springiness.

Now some tips for choosing soft blue cheese. It should be soft and slightly loose. The aroma can be specific (smell of penicillin), but not ammonia (a sign of spoilage). These varieties are often imported, so check the expiration date. It is not recommended to buy large quantities of blue cheese, as it spoils rather quickly.

Pickled cheeses

Brine cheeses are made using special brines. They do not have a crust, they themselves are brittle. The most famous of the pickled cheeses is feta cheese. Suluguni is also very popular. Other varieties can be found on sale: Adyghe, Georgian, Yerevan, Tushinsky, Ossetian, Chechil, Limansky, Chanakh, Lori.

Unlike hard cheese, bacteria develop faster in brine. Therefore, it is sometimes salted to extend the shelf life. When buying, it is advisable to taste it.

Choosing the right processed cheese is the hardest

You need to choose processed cheeses very carefully, because anything can be put into this product. Ideally, it should consist of rennet cheeses (hard varieties), butter, cream and milk. But very often the raw materials are second-rate or even spoiled defective cheese, butter is not butter, but vegetable, and milk is dry, of unknown quality. Make sure that there are no preservatives in the product, or at least not in a large amount (if the quantitative composition allows you to determine the labeling).

Smoked cheese is a type of processed cheese. The first thing you need to pay attention to is that it should not be dry and tiny. The shell is shiny, without mechanical defects. When cutting, it must not stick to the knife. Everything inside should be uniform and without voids. Remember that liquid smoke or liquid smoke can be used instead of natural smoking (hot and cold). However, unnatural smoking for cheese is not as dangerous to health as for meat and fish.

Fermented cheese

And the last type of cheese is fermented milk, which is made using lactic acid (sourdough). Cottage cheese is the most classic representative of fermented milk cheeses. Therefore, by the way, it is often called simply cheese.

In addition to cottage cheese, varieties are also well known: green (from skim milk), blade and amateur. Such products as fermented milk (cottage cheese) curds are very popular.

Storage rules

Store hard cheeses in the refrigerator. The storage temperature can be from -4 to +8 degrees Celsius. It is important to keep the humidity at the level of 85-90%, otherwise the cheese will dry out or begin to mold. Shelf life - up to 4 months - depends on many factors: moisture content, preservatives, salt, crust thickness, packaging and the presence of spoilage microorganisms.

Soft cheeses should be stored at 0 - +8 degrees Celsius. Their shelf life is much shorter than that of solid ones. At home, they are stored for only a few days, so you need to eat them quickly. Of course, manufacturers can increase shelf life through preservatives and non-ripening.

Processed cheeses (including smoked ones) last longer than other types of cheeses due to the fact that they are heat-treated (melted). The storage temperature can be negative - from -4 to +4 degrees Celsius. Shelf life - up to 2 months. Specific conditions and expiration date are indicated on the packaging.

Brine cheese is best stored at around 5 degrees Celsius and in a brine solution. The shelf life depends on the salt concentration. On average, for feta cheese it is 2 months, for suluguni - 1 month. And without brine - no more than one week.

Sour-milk cheeses must be stored with great care. It is important to maintain correct and stable temperature conditions. If you store cheese in the refrigerator, then the temperature should be between 0 - +6 degrees Celsius. (shelf life - maximum 2 weeks), and in the freezer - minus 18 degrees Celsius (shelf life - up to 45 days).

In supermarkets, cheeses are often wrapped in plastic, but this is not the best way to preserve, but simply economical. If the film is used, the shelf life is no more than 10 days. It is most efficient to store in foil - in this way you will well protect the product from environmental influences. Waxed paper and wooden crates are also used. Try to cover the cut first.

Many manufacturers cover with a paraffin coating (especially for smoked cheese), which is an advantage - this allows you to slightly increase the shelf life.

There are other tips for storing cheese that can be helpful at home. For example: put it in a closed container with a couple of sugar cubes, or wrap it in a salted napkin.

It is undesirable to store cheeses next to such products as meat, bacon, fish. It is best to store next to other dairy products.

P.S. Note to the buyer - numbers on the cheese

If you find plastic numbers in cheese, don't be alarmed. They are made of food grade plastic and indicate the date, production number and cheese tub. These figures are needed primarily by the manufacturer. They can also be found on supermarket shelves - everything is curled by how the cheese is cut.

So, in this article we learned what types of cheese there are and how to choose them when buying. Now we can safely go to the store to buy real cheese. Do not forget to comply with the storage conditions. Good luck finding natural and fresh produce.

Dec 7, 2015 tigress ... s

Rumors of numerous fakes were greatly exaggerated

The cheese epic in Russia has been going on for several months. We did not have time to mourn the Italian Parmesan, which had died untimely in the stormy sea of ​​sanctions, when a new disaster struck. Not so long ago, the Rosselkhoznadzor said that most of the domestic cheese that has recently appeared on store shelves is.

What is it, is it better to forget about cheese at all? Or are officials cheating? Do domestic cheeses differ from imported ones, and if so, how? And don't the control authorities, and along with them the media, exaggerate the scale of the tragedy? To find out, "MK" decided to hand over several types of cheese to the laboratory.

Don't expect anything good for 300 rubles

For research, I bought two samples of cheese from a domestic and an import manufacturer. The first popular Lambert variety, semi-hard cheese, was vacuum packed in a plastic film. On the pack are indicated TU, the manufacturer located at the state farm named after Lenin of the Moscow region. The production date is July 15 this year, the packaging date is October 21 and the expiration date is January 13, 2016. Mass fraction of fat in dry matter of cheese was 50%. The price per kilogram is about 700 rubles. The second type of cheese - hard, Parmesan - I bought by weight. The cost is almost twice as high - 1300 rubles per 1 kg. According to the label that the store itself attached to the prepackaged products, my cheese was imported from Argentina. In addition, the date of packaging of the product was indicated - October 28 and the expiration date - 12 hours. But, as we understand it, the date of manufacture and packaging are different things. Therefore, the exact date of production of the cheese remained unknown. Mass fraction of fat in Parmesan was 43%.

I handed over the cheeses to the laboratory for research, where their fatty acid composition was checked. According to the test reports, in both samples the content of saturated and unsaturated acids does not exceed the norm. In particular, the content of palmitic acid in Lambert is 28.7%. The norm for this type of cheese is from 22 to 33%. In the Argentinean "Parmesan" the content of this acid is slightly lower - 28% at the same standards. “How is it,” the reader will be surprised, “after all, there shouldn't be any plant traces in the cheese?” In fact of the matter! Palmitic, like other types of acids, can and should be present in cheese. And this does not mean at all that our favorite delicacy is "contaminated" with palm oil. Now, if the content of palmitic acid exceeds the norm, this is a reason to sound the alarm. But this is not the case with our expertise.

How to distinguish cheese that contains vegetable fats from the one in which they are absent? It is almost impossible to do this visually. The only advice given by experts is to carefully read the information on the packaging and choose a more expensive product.

- First of all, the name "cheese" must be written on the package. If there is an inscription “cheese product”, then it may contain vegetable fats, ”says Olga Andreeva, an expert on certification of milk and dairy products. - You should also study the composition. Usually, cheese contains standardized milk, sourdough, salt and milk-clotting preparations. If vegetable fats were used in the production, then the manufacturer should indicate this in an amicable way.

Alas, it is not worth focusing on the expiration date. As a reminder, in April we took three samples of cottage cheese for research, and vegetable fats were found in one of them. So the shelf life of cheese is, in principle, quite long, especially for hard cheeses with a high heating temperature. Therefore, this indicator in this case is not a primary indicator of quality. At the same time, according to Olga Georgievna, buyers should pay attention to where the dairy product is in stores.

- Sometimes during promotions in supermarkets they like to put cheese heads right in the middle of the hall. This is wrong, it is better not to take such cheese, - she explained. - Cheese should be stored at a temperature of +2 to +8 degrees, which ensures its safety and excludes the formation of mold.

But what is really worth paying attention to is the price. The cost of good cheese, according to experts, cannot be less than 600-700 rubles per kilogram.

- To get 1 kilogram of cheese, I need to use 10 liters of milk. One liter of whole milk from a cow costs at least 30 rubles. It already turns out 300 rubles, - says a farmer from the Moscow region Ilya Kutarin. - Plus you need to buy a sourdough, rennet, there will be labor costs. So if in a store you see cheese for 300 rubles per 1 kg, most likely it contains palm oil or some kind of vegetable fats.

Now, because of the sanctions, rare cheese from the West will reach. Most often, you can see huge heads from Argentina and Switzerland on the shelves of stores in the capital. Cheese from.

According to Andreeva, earlier, cheeses from different countries were brought to their laboratory for research -,. And they all proved themselves very well - not a single sample was rejected for fatty acid composition. Also quite good quality and Belarusian cheese. In the same cheese as such is not produced. Metropolitan enterprises only buy raw materials and pack them up. The reason for this is simple: it is in Moscow that there are no farms, so there is simply nowhere to produce milk.

Another question that now torments many: what kind of cheese to take - large companies or, conversely, smaller ones, positioning their products as farm products?

According to Andreeva, it is still better to take products from large manufacturers. This applies not only to cheese, but also to all milk: cottage cheese, milk and so on. Thus, you insure yourself against unexpected consequences.

The other day, for example, in the Office for the Moscow Region, there was a message that cases of brucellosis of goats and sheep in subsidiary farms were registered in the Ramensky, Stupinsky, Lyubertsy and Noginsky districts. Three cases of human infection have been identified. Therefore, the population was advised not to buy goat milk and cottage cheese from farmers near Moscow.

To buy or not to buy is a private matter, of course, for everyone. As, for example, Ilya Kutarin assures, their animals are absolutely healthy. And he himself, his wife and little child eat only their own products. Therefore, in this case, one can only advise: take these products from trusted farmers whom you know personally. Do not be too lazy to go to their farm, see live where their goats, sheep and cows grow and what they eat.

The salty is "Parmesan"

The cheese itself is a useful product only in moderation. It has a high cholesterol content - about 100 milligrams per 100 grams, so nutritionists recommend eating no more than 30 grams of cheese per day and no more than 3-4 times a week. Some cheeses contain a daily amount of salt, so if you eat them often, you can easily get an excess of cholesterol and sodium in the body.

Nevertheless, cheese is not as fatty product as it might seem.

- When sold on the packaging, the percentage of fat in dry matter is indicated - 45-50%, but in fact in the cheese itself, taking into account water, 25-30%, which is much less. But, nevertheless, patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome, obesity and overweight are advised to eat diet types of cheese, where the fat content is less than 17%. 25-30% fat with weight loss is a lot, - nutritionist Natalya Pavlyuk explained.

In addition, cheese contains a lot of protein, which is easily digestible, as well as amino acids. For example, some varieties contain histidine, an acid that helps to strengthen the immune system, grow and repair tissues. At the same time, according to the nutritionist, histidine is involved in allergic reactions. Therefore, doctors do not recommend allergy sufferers to eat a lot of cheese.

But experts generally advise against buying processed cheese and curd cheeses. According to them, such cheese is made, in fact, from low-quality raw materials - in particular, cheese, which has come to the end of its shelf life. It is very low in protein and high in cholesterol. Among processed cheeses, the percentage of fakes is also high.

So, the MK experiment is over. What are the conclusions? The hysteria around palm oil in cheese is slightly exaggerated. In fact, it's all about the price. The cheaper the product, the less quality it is. And this story is not only about cheese. Well, it is impossible to buy good natural cheese for 300-400 rubles per kilogram. Therefore, if you want to eat well, save money. No - take what you can afford. The only thing, it is nevertheless necessary that the manufacturer honestly indicates the ingredients in the composition of his product on the packaging.

How to distinguish high-quality cheese from low-quality cheese?

Pay attention to the flavor and color of the cheese. The taste should not be bitter. Cheese should not smell like ammonia - this smell arises in the process of decay. It is clear that each type of cheese has its own flavor. For example, in "Lambert" it is slightly sour, in "Maasdam" it is spicy and slightly sweetish. But most importantly, it must be clean and pleasant. The color of the cheese should be uniform and free from spots. Nutritionists do not advise taking cheese that is too bright orange, because in addition to beta-carotene, there may also be a dye.

The holes in the cheese should be even. Closer to the crust, their number decreases, but the size must be maintained. If they become smaller at the edges, this is not good. If the holes merge into paths, it is also better not to take such cheese.

The cheese should not crumble when cut. If you try to bend a cheese block, it shouldn't break. In addition, the cheese should be elastic, no dents should be left on it when pressed, there should be no liquid release.

Unscrupulous manufacturers sometimes add starch to cheese - to increase the volume of the product. It is easy to check it - it is worth dropping iodine on a piece. If it turns blue, then starch is present in the cheese. Also, good quality hard cheese, according to the nutritionist, cannot be rolled into a ball - it will crumble anyway.

How to make cheese at home

Recipe from cheese maker Ilya Kutarin

To make cheese at home, you need the following ingredients: 5 liters of milk (natural cow) and 1/4 tsp. liquid rennet (dissolve in 50 ml of cold water).

Pour milk into a saucepan, bring to 35 ° C. Add rennet previously dissolved in water and mix well for 30 seconds. Cover the pot with a lid or towel and let sit for 30-40 minutes. Check for clot formation. A clean separation of the curd from the whey should be achieved. If it hasn't already, leave it on for a few more minutes. Cut the curd into 3 cm cubes. Leave for 10 minutes to let the curd settle. Transfer the entire curd to a colander. After 3 hours, gently turn the cheese over and leave overnight.

Rub the cheese with salt (not iodized). The cheese is ready!

For reference

Emmental cheese, 100 g

Contains 28 g of fat, 28 g of protein.

Contains an amino acid - tryptophan, which in the process of synthesis is converted into serotonin - the hormone of happiness, as well as vitamin A, calcium, phosphorus, 50% of the daily value of sodium (salt) - 700 mg.

Cheese "Cheddar", 100 g

Contains 23.5 g of protein, 31 g of fat.

Rich in tryptophan and histidine, a lot of vitamin A, group B, calcium, sodium.

Cream cheese, 100 g

Rich in fat, but very little protein. Also low in amino acids, calcium and vitamins.

Cheese "Russian", 100 g

Contains 23 g of protein, 30 g of fat.

Rich in vitamins A, B12, calcium, sodium, phosphorus, zinc.

Contains 88 mg of cholesterol.

Cheese "Adyghe", 100 g

Contains 20 g of fat, 20 g of protein.

A lot of vitamins A, PP (neocin), calcium 52% of the daily value, a lot of sodium (1/5 of a teaspoon of salt), phosphorus. 54 mg of cholesterol.

Mozzarella cheese, 100 g

Contains 22 g of fat, 22 g of protein.

It contains a lot of tryptophan, vitamin A, group B, calcium, selenium.

79 mg of cholesterol.

Gouda cheese, 100 g

Contains 27 g of fat, 25 g of protein.

The amino acid composition is balanced, there is little vitamin A, but a lot of B12, calcium. Sodium is twice as much as in the Adyghe cheese.

114 mg of cholesterol.

Parmesan cheese, 100 g

Contains 26 g of fat, 36 g of protein.

The amino acid composition is balanced. There is vitamin A, group B, PP, a lot of selenium and zinc. The leader in the amount of calcium - 1184 mg, and sodium - 1602 mg - this is four times more than in the Adyghe cheese (a teaspoon of salt).

68 mg of cholesterol.

About food

When shopping in a store, many are accustomed to paying attention only to the expiration date of the products. On the one hand, this is true, but on the other hand, it is no longer enough. Although the timing may be optimal, the low quality of a particular product is determined by completely different criteria. Today we will tell you how to choose the right natural cheese.

Price... There is a common misconception that the better the product, the more expensive it is. This is not always the case, however, price plays an important role in the cheese issue. In general, a kg of natural cheese cannot cost less than 700 rubles. Why is that? Let's count together: the production of 1 kg of cheese requires about 10 liters of milk. The cost of good quality milk is about 50-60 rubles / liter. It turns out that 1 kg of cheese already costs 500-600 rubles. And this is without taking into account other manufacturing costs of the manufacturer. Therefore, in this matter, we can say that, yes, the price is one of the determining factors in choosing a natural product.

Label. Everything you need to know about cheese is found on its packaging. The good quality of the product is evidenced by such words and phrases as "natural milk", "whole milk pasteurized", "table salt", "rennet". If you see “thickener” or “reconstituted milk” on the ingredient list, it is best to put those foods aside. They are not natural.

Pay attention to the title too. In front of you may not be cheese, but, say, a cheese product or light cheese. These products cannot be classified as natural. The "light" cheese contains a large amount of vegetable fats, and the cheese product is made from palm oil. However, today it is quite difficult to determine the presence of palm oil in the composition of a cheese head without laboratory or express tests. Therefore, it is better to play it safe and adopt the advice described above.

Smell. When choosing cheeses, smell is very important. If a product has no aroma at all, then this is a reason to think about whether it is worth buying it at all. An ammonia or mushroom smell for most cheeses is a sign of rotting. However, for the same Camembert of Lefkadia, the aroma of forest, mushrooms and nuts is a must-have companion. And if you get the impression that Camembert has metallic notes, it is better not to buy it. In this situation, the storage technology of the cheese head may have been violated, which begins to deteriorate and acquire foreign microorganisms.

Appearance. Each cheese must match its variety in appearance. If it is "Scamorza Lefkadia", then it should be light yellow in color, and its pulp will seem elastic to the touch. Maasdam is characterized by large even holes, or, as they are called in the professional language of cheese-makers, eyes. As part of natural gorgonzola, you will surely see a blue-green noble mold, "penetrating" the white tender pulp. By the way, only cheeses with blue mold can have an uneven color. Other varieties tend to be monochrome.

Another important tip- carefully look at the integrity of the cheese head. It should not be dry, cracked, chipped, or otherwise damaged. This is not only unaesthetic, but also hazardous to health. In such holes, a variety of fungi can easily settle, which have very little in common with the beneficial fungi that are part of the famous cheeses with mold.

And finally. Choose from a trusted manufacturer with a good reputation that specializes in the production of natural cheeses. So you can already be sure that you are buying a good quality product.

As you know, there are no good and bad cheeses - they are only of high quality and low quality. Rennet, fermented milk and melted, from goat, sheep or cow milk, hard and semi-hard, pickled and soft - the richness of choice is amazing.

They say that not so long ago in the United States came into force a law defining the requirements for ... holes in cheese! Switzerland, which is rightly read by an expert in this matter, is seriously outraged by this turn of events: if the States determined that the size of the holes in the Emmentaler should not exceed 2 cm, then the Swiss believe that they simply must be the size of a large cherry. The former explain their decision by the fact that ... it is inconvenient for cheese cutting machines to cut a product with large holes, the latter urge to understand the technological intricacies of cheese production. Each side has its own truth.

How not to get lost in such an abundance and learn how to choose high-quality, tasty and healthy cheese?

Which cheese is best? 10 tips for those looking to learn how to choose the right cheese:

1. Pay attention to the icons located on the cheese packaging. In international practice, the designations PDO, PGI, AOC, DOC, DOP are accepted - abbreviations mean that this product was produced in a strictly defined territory and meets all the necessary standards. For the Russian Federation, the inscription "Complies with the technical regulations for milk and dairy products No. 88-F3" is relevant.

2. An important point is the expiration date. For pickled cheeses, it is minimal (in Italy there is a type of mozzarella that can only be eaten for one day), for hard, aged cheeses, it tends to infinity (and don't mind: Parmesan can be stored at home for up to six months - and this for cheeses is almost infinite !). Therefore, we carefully read the small letters on the packaging and take the cheese, the expiration date of which does not expire yesterday.

3. Do not buy cheeses in small shops and semi-basement shops: one of the requirements for their storage is a specially allocated place, they should not lie with sausages and side by side with fish. A separate refrigerator is important if you want an Edam sandwich for breakfast, rather than a slice of bread with something remotely resembling smoked bacon.

4. Look carefully at the edges of the cheese head - they should not be dry, cracked, wrinkled or crumbly.

5. The color of the cheese should be uniform in most cases. In some species - a little more yellow, in others - almost white, but always uniformly colored. (We are, of course, not talking about varieties that, by definition, are supposed to be spotty - dor blue, marble, roquefort and others.

6. Do not hesitate to sniff cheese - it should smell subtle ... cheese (there is an exception to the rule, but we will not talk about them now, rarely anyone has constant access to a regular supply of expensive French blue cheese). If you smell ammonia, do not take the product, do not spoil your appetite and mood.

7. Before buying cheeses you can and should try! In many specialized cheese shops, customers are offered free tastings of the goods, but if we are talking about chain supermarkets, do not hesitate to ask for a small piece to try - this is accepted, this is correct.

8. With a few exceptions, the bulk of cheeses can boast evenly spaced "eyes" that should be relatively uniform in shape and size.

9. If you are in doubt about the quality of hard cheese, try rolling it into a ball from a small piece. Happened? Then don't buy it - because this is the most common cheese product that has little to do with quality cheeses.

10. And - the main thing: quality cheese can never be cheap. If a natural dairy product is important to you, and not a substitute made with the addition of special dry mixtures and vegetable fats, you should understand that due to the rather large purchase cost of raw materials (and in the case of imported cheeses - and the cost of delivery and payment of customs duties) the finished product must be expensive.