FANCY CHEESES 357 



industry in Lombardy, where formerly it was carried on 

 principally during the months of September and October, 

 but with the establishment of curing cellars in the Alps, 

 especially near Lecco, the manufacture is no longer confined 

 to this season. 



The milk used in making this cheese is warmed to a tempera- 

 ture of about 75 degrees F. and coagulated rapidly with rennet, 

 the time required being usually from fifteen to twenty minutes. 

 The curd is then cut very finely and inclosed in a cloth and 

 drained, after which it is put into hoops 12 inches in diameter 

 and 10 inches high. It was formerly the custom to allow the 

 curd from the evening's milk to drain overnight and to mix it 

 with the fresh warm curd from the morning's milk prepared 

 in the same way. The curd from the evening's milk and that 

 from the morning's milk, crumbled very fine, were put into 

 hoops in layers with moldy bread crumbs interspersed between 

 the layers. The cheese is turned frequently for four or five days, 

 the cloths being changed occasionally, and is salted from the 

 outside," the process requiring about two weeks. It is then 

 transferred to the curing rooms, where a low temperature is 

 usually maintained. At an early stage in the process of ripen- 

 ing the cheese is usually punched with an instrument about 

 6 inches long, tapering from a sharp point to a diameter of 

 about one-eighth inch at the base. About 150 holes are made 

 in each cheese. This favors the development of the penicillium 

 throughout the interior of the cheese. Well-made cheese may 

 be kept for a year or longer. In the region where made much 

 of the cheese is consumed while in a fresh condition. 



ROQUEFORT (Doane and Lawson) 



This is a hard rennet cheese made from the milk of sheep. 

 There are, however, numerous imitations or varieties closely 

 resembling Roquefort, such as Gex and Septmoncel, made 



