No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. OM 



pared with another. The terms used in expressing these qualities 

 are the I'ollo\\ing-: (1) Uavor, (I'j body, (3) texture, (4) color and (5) 

 general appearance. 



(1.) Flavor. — ^By flavor, as applied to cheese, we mea«i the odor of 

 the cheese, or really odor and taste combined. The sense of smell 

 is, as a rule, more sensitive in detecting variations of flavor in 

 cheese than the sense of taste. Flavor in cheese is said to be 

 perfect when it resembles that of first-class butter, with an added 

 something of its own that can not be described. The proper cheese 

 flavor should be marked but not strong. The flavor should be free 

 from all other flavors, referring particularly to the more or less 

 offensive products of uodesiuable fermentations. The taste should 

 be mild and somewhat lasting, but not be so sharp as to '"bite" 

 the tongue. 



Tainted flavors are numerous in kind and name. They may re- 

 semble the odor of the cow or the stable; others are characterized 

 as "sweet and sickish;" others suggest the odor of rotten eggs, 

 and others putrefactive smells. There is the "oW flavor of rancid 

 butter, produced by too long keeping under improper conditions. 

 This list is far from exhaustive. 



(2.) Body. — This term, as used in reference to cheese is not easy 

 to define; it means about the same as substance. A cheese is said 

 to have a perfect body when it is solid, firm and smooth in sub- 

 stance. This quality is ascertained by pressing cheese between the 

 fingers. The body is said to be solid and firm, when it shows a cer- 

 tain amount of resistance under pressure, somewhat like that of a 

 piece of fat pork. Vv^hen it does not press down readily aod is 

 tough, the body is said to be "corky." The body is said to be 

 smooth when, under pressure between the thumb and fingers, it 

 feels smooth and velvet-like, as opposed to harsh or gritty or mealy. 

 The firmness of body may be diminished by excessive moisture or by 

 large amounts of fat relative to paracasein compounds, while the 

 smoothness may be increased. The harsh or gritty feeling in cheese 

 may be produced by removal of fat from milk, by excessive acidity 

 in milk, by too much salt, or by any couditioo that retards or 

 prevents the normal ripening of the cheese. 



(3.) Texture. — Texture, as applied to cheese, refers mainly to com- 

 pactness. Uusually the body is considered as a part of texture, but 

 the two qualities are usually quite distinct. The texture may be 

 fine and close or porous. The texture is perfect when a cut surface 

 of the inside of the cheese presents to the eye a solid, compact, 

 continuous appearance, free from breaks, holes and chunks. A 

 porous texture of aoy kind is imperfect. When a plug is drawn 

 from .ne cheese, it should be smooth and not "fuzzy." When the 



