VARIETIES OF CHEESE : DESCRIPTIONS AND ANALYSES. 25 
GORGONZOLA. 
This variety, known also as Stracchino di Gorgonzola, is a rennet, Italian 
cheese made from whole milk of cows. The name is taken from the village of 
Gorgonzola, near Milan, but very little of this cheese is now made in that 
immediate locality. The interior of the cheese is mottled or veined with a peni- 
cillium much like Roquefort, and for that reason the cheese has been grouped 
with the Roquefort and Stilton varieties. As seen upon the markets in this 
country the surface of the cheese is covered with a thin coat resembling clay, 
said to be prepared by mixing barite or gypsum, lard or tallow, and coloring- 
matter. The cheeses are cylindrical in shape, about 12 inches in diameter 
and 6 inches in height, and as marketed are wrapped in paper and packed with 
straw in wicker baskets. 
The manufacture of Gorgonzola cheese is an important 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 those months. 
The milk used in making this cheese is warmed to a temperature of about 75° 
F. and coagulated rapidly with rennet, the time required being usually from 15 
to 20 minutes. The curd is then cut very fine, 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 among the layers. The cheese is turned fre- 
quently 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 ripening, 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 it is made, much of the cheese is consumed while in a fresh condition. 
GOUDA. 
This is a Holland cheese made from cows' milk whole or partly skimmed. It 
is round and weighs from 10 to 45 pounds. The milk, to which coloring matter 
has been added, is set at 91° F. with sufficient rennet to coagulate it in 15 
minutes. The curd is cut or broken with a wooden scoop, a harp, or an Amer- 
ican cheese knife. It is allowed to stand for a minute, and the whey is dipped 
off. Hot whey or hot water is poured on the mass of curd until the whole has 
reached a temperature of 104° to 110° F. When the curd squeaks or whistles 
if it is crushed between the teeth the whey or water is dipped off and the curd 
is stirred and piled where it will drain well. The curd is then thoroughly 
kneaded and sometimes lightly salted. After salting, the curd is put into 
round molds and placed in a press, where it remains for 24 hours with increas- 
ing pressure. The cheese is then salted, either by immersion in brine or by 
rubbing salt on the surface. The salting continues from four to eight days, after 
which the cheese is washed with hot whey and is transferred to the ripening 
cellar, where it is turned daily for several days and finally once a week until 
