CHEESE 213 



cheese, but undoubtedly the ripening or digestive changes 

 are influenced by these types of organisms. With the 

 Roquefort type a green-spored mold, quite similar to the 

 ordinary bread mold, is grown on rye bread, which, after 

 drying, is powdered and the powder sprinkled over the 

 curd before it is placed in the press. In order that the 

 mold may have the necessary supply of air for the matur- 

 ing of the spores, the cheese is pierced with many small 

 holes. The green color of the mold imparts to the cheese 

 a marbled appearance, and the peculiar flavor is due, at 

 least in part, to the same factor. In the other varieties 

 mentioned, the mold is not added intentionally, reliance 

 being placed on the contamination in the factory during the 

 process of making. 



Soft cheese. In the making of Camembert, a French 

 cheese, the curd produced by rennet is not cut, but is placed 

 in small molds to allow the whey to drain off. After re- 

 moval from the press the cheeses are placed in a very moist 

 room. The lactic fermentation goes on rapidly in the 

 cheese, changing the curd to an acid mass that is favorable 

 for the growth of molds. The characteristic mold of milk, 

 O'idium lactis, and a white-spored mold, related to the mold 

 that grows in Roquefort cheese, are essential to the ripening 

 and the development of the characteristic flavor. It is es- 

 sential that a certain balance be maintained between the 

 two types of molds, which can be accomplished only by 

 regulation of the temperature and moisture conditions 

 within certain limits. The inability of the maker to control 

 these conditions makes the ripening a difficult problem, and 

 a large portion of the cheese is of low value because of the 

 non-development of the typical flavor. 



Brie, Limburger, and brick cheese are other varieties of 

 soft cheese that are made and ripened in a manner similar 

 to Camembert. 



