CHEDDAR CHEESE RIPENING 273 



then noting the odor. Mixing and thoroughly warming 

 causes the odor to be much more pronounced. The 

 cheese should seldom be tasted to determine the flavor, 

 for when many are to be judged, they all taste alike 

 after the first five or six. This is probably due to the 

 cheese adhering to the teeth, tongue and other parts of 

 the mouth, making it difficult to cleanse the mouth 

 sufficiently. The body and texture can be determined 

 by the appearance and the feeling of the cheese when 

 rubbed between the thumb and fingers. The body 

 and texture are distinct, yet they are more or less inter- 

 changed. The body refers to the cheese as a whole and 

 the texture to the arrangement of the parts of the whole. 

 The openness of texture or the holes can be noted when 

 the plug is first removed. The firmness of body and 

 smoothness of texture can be determined when the 

 cheese is rubbed between the thumb and fingers. The 

 color can be judged when the plug is first removed. 

 The finish or appearance may be noted either before 

 or after the other qualities by carefully examining the 

 cheese. 



Cheddar cheese should have a neat, clean, attractive 

 appearance; when cut it should show a close, solid, uni- 

 formly colored interior. It should have ,a clear, pleasant, 

 mild aroma and a nutty flavor. It should possess a 

 mellow, silky, meaty texture and when rubbed between 

 the thumb and fore-finger should be smooth and free from 

 hard particles. 



264. Causes of variations in score. It is very seldom, 

 if ever, that a cheese is given a perfect score, for it usually 

 has one or more defects which may be hardly noticeable 

 or very pronounced. The seriousness of the defect is de- 

 termined by the individual tastes of the judges and the 



