Cheeses: Why do we prefer them ripe, very ripe?

Cheeses can also mature, like wines do. To put it simply, they can be young or aged. A matured cheese has recovered time, which can range from months, many months, or even years. Two years ago, Vila Viniteca unveiled and let people taste Parmigiano Reggiano cheese in Barcelona. which was twenty-three years old, and which he had acquired at a charity auction at the World Cheese Awards. During the ripening period, which is also known as the tuningCheesemakers must turn the cheese occasionally because, otherwise, the part touching the shelf wouldn't have the same crust as the others. They can also wash this rind, and this can be done with brine, beer, alcohol, or bacteria, which will give the cheese the desired appearance and aroma. In other words, the more years of aging, the more work for the cheesemaker, who, first, must keep the space reserved and occupied for years, and second, must monitor and supervise it.

The point is that Matured cheeses are preferred by lactose intolerant people.They prefer them because they become the only ones they can eat, as they are the ones that will allow them to digest well, which wouldn't happen if they tried a fresh cheese. Why is this? Because of the lactose, which degrades and decreases in matured cheeses, especially if they are close to a year of maturation or more. The longer the maturation period, the less lactose it will have, although cheesemakers assure us that zero lactose is impossible. Therefore, in cases of very severe intolerances, in which a very small percentage cannot be eaten, matured cheeses would not be suitable either.

The enzyme lactase

And at this point, we must explain why all this happens. Lactose, present in fresh cheeses, is one of the sugars in milk, which in nutrition is known as the glucose-galactose molecule. To digest it, an enzyme (lactase) is needed, which is located in the small intestine, and lactose intolerant people can't produce it for a thousand and one reasons. Even though yogurts and cheeses are the result of fermentation, and therefore lactose is also fermented, it's still there, of course. And from there, lactose can degrade with prolonged maturation. There are also milks that, originally, have a different lactose content. For example, buffalo milk initially has very little lactose, and then, during the manufacturing process, it loses it. The result? Lactose intolerant people can eat cheeses made exclusively from buffalo milk. If they are cheeses made with buffalo milk and others then no.

For all these reasons, some people prefer mature cheeses, very mature ones. You may hear them asking how many months the cheese has been aged, because they know that the longer it is, the closer to a year, the better for digestion. Some also ask for the type, the brand, because they've learned the varieties of cheese they can eat. Fortunately, in our country, we have many types of mature cheeses, and they're the ones that restaurant cheese carts have prepared for those with lactose intolerance, and for everyone.