112 CHEESE MAKING. 
cheese which we cannot as yet entirely control. Bacteriological 
research may overgome this difficulty in the near fucure. 
The old saying that ‘‘the proof of the pudding is in the 
eating of it,’’ is true of cheese. If the cheese tastes good and 
we want more of it, the flavor is satisfactory. It should not be 
sharp enough to bite the tongue, but of a mild lasting taste. A 
great many cheese, in which the flavor cannot be termed bad, 
are still on the negative side; they do not have that fine lasting 
aroma, although we can eat them quite agreeably, but we do not 
feel that it is a matter of very great importance, whether we 
can have more of the same cheese or not. 
Where experts are judging cheese, they seldom taste it. 
They get the flavor simply by the smell, for if they tasted of 
every plug they would soon te confused as to flavors. 
If a cheese is cold, it should first be warmed in the fingers, 
before judging the flavor. 
215. Texture. 
While flavor stands first in importance, the texture of a 
cheese comes next. The plug should be smooth, not fuzzy. If 
the cheese is not fully cured the plug should bend a little before 
breaking. When held between the eye and the light it should 
be slightly translucent. If the light does not come through, it 
is a sign that the texture has been injured in the manufac- 
ture, probably by too high acid. When a piece is broken from 
the plug, it should not crumble off, but should show a surface 
such as flint does when broken; this texture is therefore termed 
a ‘‘flinty break.’’ When pressed between the fingers it should 
not stick to them but should mold like wax. Cheese that is 
tough and will not mold down readily between the fingers, is said 
to be ‘‘corky,’’ this is probably due to over-cooking or use of an 
insufficient quantity of rennet to cure it properly. Cheese 
should not be mealy, as is the case with high acid or too highly 
salted cheese. 
A Cheddar cheese with good texture should not have any 
round, smooth or ragged holes in it; but should be perfectly 
solid. (See Fig. 52.) 
Cheese with the round holes, or one that is soft and pasty, 
will go ‘‘off flavor’’ on further keeping. 
