Which Cheese Has Penicillin? Unveiling the Moldy Truth Behind Your Favorite Cheeses
The idea of mold in your cheese might sound a bit off-putting, but for many delicious varieties, it's not just present – it's essential! So, which cheeses have penicillin, and what does that actually mean for your palate and your health?
The "Penicillin" in Cheese Isn't What You Think
When we talk about "penicillin" in cheese, we're not referring to the antibiotic medication that doctors prescribe. Instead, we're talking about specific species of Penicillium mold. These molds are carefully cultivated and introduced during the cheesemaking process to impart unique flavors, textures, and aromas to the cheese.
Blue Cheeses: The Stars of the Penicillin Show
The most well-known category of cheeses that utilize Penicillium mold are the blue cheeses. These are the cheeses characterized by their distinctive blue or greenish veins or spots running through them. This is the direct result of the Penicillium mold's growth.
Key Blue Cheeses and Their Penicillium Strains:
- Roquefort: This iconic French sheep's milk cheese is famously made with Penicillium roqueforti. This mold gives Roquefort its sharp, tangy, and slightly salty flavor, along with its signature blue-green marbling.
- Gorgonzola: Hailing from Italy, Gorgonzola is another popular blue cheese. There are two main varieties: Gorgonzola Dolce (sweet and creamy) and Gorgonzola Piccante (firmer and sharper). Both are typically made with Penicillium glaucum or Penicillium roqueforti.
- Stilton: This classic English blue cheese, known for its rich, crumbly texture and complex, nutty flavor, is also made using Penicillium roqueforti.
- Danish Blue (Danablu): As the name suggests, this Danish cheese is a prominent blue cheese. It's often characterized by a strong, spicy flavor and is usually made with Penicillium roqueforti.
- Cambozola: A fascinating fusion of Camembert and Gorgonzola, Cambozola is a semi-soft cheese that incorporates blue mold. It's typically made with a blend of Penicillium camemberti (for the bloomy rind) and Penicillium roqueforti or Penicillium glaucum (for the blue veins).
Beyond Blue: White Mold Cheeses
While blue cheeses are the most obvious examples, some other cheeses also utilize Penicillium molds, but in a different way. These are often referred to as white mold cheeses or bloomy rind cheeses.
- Brie: The creamy, buttery Brie you know and love gets its characteristic soft, white rind from a mold called Penicillium camemberti (also known as Penicillium candidum). This mold grows on the surface of the cheese, helping to ripen it from the outside in and contributing to its mild, earthy flavor.
- Camembert: Similar to Brie, Camembert is a French soft-ripened cheese with a bloomy white rind created by Penicillium camemberti. The flavor profile is often a bit more intense and mushroomy than Brie.
- Neufchâtel: This French heart-shaped cheese, while often served fresh, can also develop a bloomy rind similar to Brie and Camembert due to Penicillium camemberti.
Are These Cheeses Safe to Eat?
Absolutely! The Penicillium molds used in cheesemaking are specifically selected for their safety and their ability to contribute positively to the cheese's flavor and texture. In fact, these molds are considered beneficial and are a crucial part of what makes these cheeses so delicious.
It's important to distinguish between the specific, cultured molds used in cheesemaking and the unwanted molds that can grow on spoiled food. The Penicillium strains in cheese are not the same as those that cause food spoilage.
How is the Mold Introduced?
The process begins with inoculating the milk or curd with a starter culture that includes the desired Penicillium species. For blue cheeses, the mold spores are often introduced directly into the curd, and the cheese is then pierced with needles during aging. This aeration allows the mold to grow and develop its characteristic blue veins. For bloomy rind cheeses, the mold spores are typically sprayed onto the surface of the cheese.
Why Do We Eat Moldy Cheese?
We eat these cheeses because the specific molds are responsible for creating a diverse and complex range of flavors and textures that are highly prized by cheese lovers. Without these molds, blue cheeses wouldn't have their distinctive tang and bite, and bloomy rind cheeses wouldn't have their creamy interior and delicate rind. It's a testament to how careful cultivation can transform a simple ingredient into something extraordinary.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: How does the mold get into blue cheese?
A: The mold spores, typically Penicillium roqueforti or Penicillium glaucum, are added to the milk or curd during the cheesemaking process. After the cheese is formed, it's often pierced with needles to allow oxygen to enter, which encourages the mold to grow and create the characteristic blue veins.
Q: Why does the rind on Brie and Camembert look fuzzy?
A: That fuzzy white appearance is the bloomy rind, which is formed by a mold called Penicillium camemberti (or Penicillium candidum). This mold grows on the surface of the cheese, creating a soft, edible rind that contributes to the cheese's creamy texture and mild flavor.
Q: Are all moldy cheeses made with penicillin?
A: Not all moldy cheeses are made with Penicillium mold. There are other types of molds used in cheesemaking, such as Geotrichum candidum, which contributes to the rind development in some cheeses. However, when people refer to "penicillin in cheese," they are almost always referring to the Penicillium species used in blue and bloomy rind cheeses.
Q: Is it safe to eat the mold on cheese?
A: Yes, the specific, cultured molds used in the production of blue and bloomy rind cheeses are safe to eat. They are intentionally introduced and are part of what gives these cheeses their unique characteristics. However, if you find unwanted, fuzzy mold on a cheese that shouldn't have it (like a hard cheddar), it's generally best to discard that portion or the entire cheese.
