MORE CHEESES
California’s cheesemakers are recognized by chefs worldwide for creating the finest products available for foodservice. Year after year, they continue to win awards worldwide for cheeses that wear the “Real California” name with pride.
More Cheese Varieties For Your Recipes
Italian-Style Cheese
Start a love affair with cheeses that will bring more La Dolce Vita to menu items.
Mozzarella Cheese
Fresh Mozzarella Cheese
Burrata Cheese
Ricotta Cheese
Provolone Cheese
Stracciatella Cheese
Facts
- Mozzarella is made in fresh and drier styles; the latter can also be smoked. Both are produced with whole milk or part-skim milk.
- Italian-style cheese made in America incorporates the Old World practices: Cow’s milk curds are cooked, salted or brined, and allowed to age for a minimum of 10 months. The longer the aging, the deeper the flavor.
- Provolone is a semi-hard cheese with a mild, smoky flavor. It gets firmer as it ages.
Storage & Handling
Most cheeses will maintain their flavor and quality in a refrigerator for extended periods, but use the following guidelines for storing cheese after opening:
- Fresh cheeses should be treated just like milk and kept refrigerated. Many fresh cheeses can last for a few weeks if properly stored, so note the freshness date on the package before you buy. If you detect mold on a fresh cheese, discard it.
- Soft-ripened cheeses will keep for several weeks if properly stored.
- Semi-hard and hard cheeses will last four to eight weeks if properly stored. After opening consider removing the original plastic wrap and re-wrapping in parchment or wax paper, which allows the cheese to breathe. After re-wrapping a cheese, store in a covered plastic container or resealable food storage bag and open it a couple times a week to let in fresh air.
Back-of-house
- Italian-style cheeses are the foundation of pizza as Mozzarella and Provolone are the leading cheese toppings.
- Many other Italian dishes, such as lasagna, ravioli, and chicken Parmesan, include generous portions of these cheeses.
- Mix fresh Mozzarella with salty ham and honeydew melon for an upscale first course.
Front-of-house
- Burrata paired with seasonal fruits or vegetables is an increasing popular appetizer.
- The Mozzarella, tomato and basil salad known as Caprese, has graduated from specialty summer to an everyday salad on the menu.
Hispanic-Style Cheese
Add more authentic flavor to your dishes from one of the country’s leading producers of Hispanic-style cheeses.
Queso Fresco
Oaxaca Cheese
Cotija Cheese
Panela Cheese
Facts
- Hispanic-style cheeses are available in either fresh or aged.
- California is one of the top producers of Hispanic-style cheeses in the nation, producing more than 25 varieties and styles.
- Hispanic-style cheeses are a low-cost way to add authenticity to Latin-inspired dishes.
Storage & Handling
- Fresh cheeses should be treated just like milk and kept refrigerated. Many fresh cheeses can last for a few weeks if properly stored, so note the freshness date on the package before you buy. If you detect mold on a fresh cheese, discard it.
- When purchasing cheese, make sure the package is properly and tightly wrapped and sealed, and that the cheese inside looks appealing. Do not use any cheese that looks dry or discolored, as the package seal may be broken. With fresh cheeses, check the freshness date on the package.
- Semi-hard and hard cheeses will last four to eight weeks if properly stored. After opening consider removing the original plastic wrap and re-wrapping in parchment or wax paper, which allows the cheese to breathe. After re-wrapping a cheese, store in a covered plastic container or resealable food storage bag and open it a couple times a week to let in fresh air.
- To melt cheese, use a low temperature for a brief time. Add cheese toppings to dishes at the end of baking or broiling and heat just long enough to melt. Soft cheeses have enough water to blend well into beans, side-dishes and fillings.
Back-of-house
- Queso Fresco is a soft, fresh cheese. Like Ricotta, Queso Fresco is easily crumbled or caramelized and the ideal ingredient on enchiladas and tostadas.
- Oaxaca makes the perfect topping for pizza as it’s very similar to Mozzarella. Shredded, it can top refried beans, tostadas, and soups. Sliced, it melts wonderfully for quesadillas.
- Chefs add shredded Oaxaca in BBQ chicken quesadillas to attract diners who can’t get enough of the smoky favorite.
GLOBALLY-INSPIRED CHEESE
Mediterranean and more with style inspirations from Greece, Lebanon, Syria and Iran.
Feta Cheese
Halloumi-Style Cheese
Labneh Cheese
Ackawi Cheese
Paneer Cheese
Facts
- Feta is a Greek invention, said to be one of the oldest cheeses known to humankind.
- Ackawi is a semi-firm, unripened cow’s milk cheese with a mild flavor and a smooth, yet firm texture.
- Halloumi has a firm texture and high melting point, so it can be easily grilled and fried.
Storage & Handling
Most cheeses will maintain their flavor and quality in a refrigerator for extended periods, but use the following guidelines for storing cheese after opening:
- Fresh cheeses should be treated just like milk and kept refrigerated. Many fresh cheeses can last for a few weeks if properly stored, so note the freshness date on the package before you buy. If you detect mold on a fresh cheese, discard it.
- Soft-ripened cheeses will keep for several weeks if properly stored.
- Semi-hard and hard cheeses will last four to eight weeks if properly stored. After opening consider removing the original plastic wrap and re-wrapping in parchment or wax paper, which allows the cheese to breathe. After re-wrapping a cheese, store in a covered plastic container or resealable food storage bag and open it a couple times a week to let in fresh air.
Back-of-house
- Chefs and bar managers should consider adding “mezze” plates to menus. Feta, hummus, roasted red peppers, Kalamata olives, almonds and a drizzle of olive oil pack a huge flavor punch.
- Consider replacing traditional sandwich cheeses such as Jack and Provolone with more tantalizing Paneer.
- Savory pies such as spanakopita are popular in Mediterranean cuisine – chefs can create their own savory fillings with greens, herbs and fresh cheeses like Feta.
Front-of-house
- Put on a show with flaming saganaki, a Greek appetizer of Feta or Halloumi cheese fried in a pan, flambéed tableside, doused with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and served with bread.
- Mediterranean-style cheeses, offered as appetizers or part of meal-ending cheese plates, add new and intriguing flavors to adventurous, pleasure-seeking diners.
SPECIALTY CHEESE
Unique varieties and styles add value for foodservice operators and provide a special treat to customers
Blue Cheese
Toma Cheese
Brie Cheese
Camembert Cheese
San Joaquin Gold Cheese
Quinta Cheese
Facts
- These cheeses vary in style, flavor and aging – they range from soft to hard, can be spiced and flavored, washed rind and include artisan, American, European, Hispanic-style and Middle Eastern influences.
- Of the 250+ varieties and styles of cow’s milk cheese produced in California, more than 100 are spiced and flavored varieties.
Storage & Handling
- Fresh cheeses should be treated just like milk and kept refrigerated. Many fresh cheeses can last for a few weeks if properly stored, so note the freshness date on the package before you buy. If you detect mold on a fresh cheese, discard it.
- Soft-ripened cheeses will keep for several weeks if properly stored.
- Semi-hard and hard cheeses will last four to eight weeks if properly stored. After opening consider removing the original plastic wrap and re-wrapping in parchment or wax paper, which allows the cheese to breathe. After re-wrapping a cheese, store in a covered plastic container or resealable food storage bag and open it a couple times a week to let in fresh air.
- Very hard cheeses (typically used for grating) are much lower in moisture than other cheeses and will keep for months stored in the same way as semi-hard cheeses.
Back-of-house
- For more interest when a menu calls for grated Parmesan, try branching out to other hard California cheeses like aged Gouda, Asiago or Dry Jack.
- A best practice is to add cheese as the last ingredient in a sauce or soup and heat until melted.
- Expand customer options by using bold, distinctive cheeses such as Feta and Pepper Jack. Use flavor-forward cheeses to kick up the flavor, richness, and indulgence factors.
CALIFORNIA CLASSIC CHEESE
Cheddar Cheese
Monterey Jack Cheese
Dry Jack Cheese
Colby Cheese
Facts
- California cheesemakers produce more than 350 million pounds of Cheddar annually. It’s not a type of cheese, but rather a process.
- Colby is similar to mellow Cheddar but is not “cheddared.”
- Originating with Franciscan friars in the 18th century, Monterey Jack got its name from David Jacks, a land baron who began acquiring farms in Monterey, Calif.
- Dry Jack was a happy accident that occurred in 1915, when a San Francisco cheese seller forgot about some wheels of fresh Jack in storage.
Storage & Handling
Most cheeses will maintain their flavor and quality in a refrigerator for extended periods, but use the following guidelines for storing cheese after opening:
- Fresh cheeses should be treated just like milk and kept refrigerated. Many fresh cheeses can last for a few weeks if properly stored, so note the freshness date on the package before you buy. If you detect mold on a fresh cheese, discard it.
- Soft-ripened cheeses will keep for several weeks if properly stored.
- Semi-hard and hard cheeses will last four to eight weeks if properly stored. After opening consider removing the original plastic wrap and re-wrapping in parchment or wax paper, which allows the cheese to breathe. After re-wrapping a cheese, store in a covered plastic container or resealable food storage bag and open it a couple times a week to let in fresh air.
Back-of-house
- Add tuna melts, cheese fries, fondue, quesadillas and croquettes to the menu.
- California Classic cheeses are also great as toppings for salads and baked potatoes, and shredded on Mexican foods.
- Dry Jack adds a jolt of flavor to salads and acts as a great substitute for Parmesan.
Front-of-house
- California cheeses are being showcased in cheese courses all across the foodservice spectrum – at restaurants, of course, but also with caterers, delis and in retail.
- California’s artisan cheeses bring flavor and luxury to any customer experience.