On The Making of Cheese

Griffonclaw picked up the monograph. Written by his maternal uncle, Elias Trias, whose shop in Stormwind was well-stocked with all manner of cheeses; surely the man was something of an expert, if not one heck of an importer.

It began:

"The making of cheese is a multi-step alchemical process, and takes weeks, months, or even years to produce the desired product. There are several common steps to the crafting of cheese; culturing, coagulation, draining, scalding, and ripening.

The beginning of the cheesemaking process is to culture the cheese. The cheesemaker brings milk in the cheese vat to a temperature required to promote the growth of the culture, which may be the native culture of the cheese, or an additive of starter stock from various herb extracts, such as Peacebloom. When the fermentation of the culture is at an appropriate level, the cheesemaker adds rennet, which is produced my extraction from the fourth stomach of baby cows, lambs, or goats (the age of the calf will determine the strength of the rennet, which in turn will widely affect the flavor of the cheese). This is the coagulation of the cheese, and the fermenting milk will form into cheese curds. These curds are drained through cheesecloth, and the dehydrated curds are then scalded. Scalding involves cutting the curds into small cubes (the process called "cheddaring", where the curds are cut, turned, and stacked) and then heated to about 100 degrees. The scalding the cheese produces whey, which is drained from the curds, which are then milled into ribbon shapes and mixed with salt. The salted 'green cheese' curd is put into cheese moulds lined with cheese cloths and pressed overnight to allow the curds to meld. The pressed blocks of cheese are then removed from the cheese moulds and are waxed. The cheeses are then stored for maturation, which may take varying times in accord with the type of cheese.

Common types of cheese made throughout Azeroth include:

Darnassian Blue - Darnassian Blue cheese is made from a mixture of sheep and nightsaber's milk. The final product is spotted or veined throughout with blue or blue-green mold, and aged in the caves east of Auberdine. The characteristic flavor of Darnassian Blue tends to be sharp and a bit salty. The smell of this food is widely considered to be pungent, even compared to other cheeses. It can eaten by itself or can be crumbled or melted over foods.

Dalaran Sharp - Dalaran Sharp is produced primarily in the areas around Ambermill area, although some does come through Southport from Pyrewood by merchants whose sense of timing is precise. This cheese is colored a deep orange by annatto, an extract made from the silverleaf plant, and often packaged in black wax.

Dwarven Mild - Dwarven Mild is produced from goat's milk, and like all chesese made from goat's milk, has a slightly tart flavor. It is usually packagewd in red-wax encased wheels of great size.

Stormwind Brie - Stormwind Brie is a soft, cows' milk cheese. It is pale in colour with a slight greyish tinge under crusty white mould; very soft and savoury with a hint of ammonia. The white mouldy rind is moderately tasteful and edible, and is not intended to be separated from the cheese during consumption.

Fine Aged Cheddar - This cheese is made from cow's milk, and matured longer than most, giving it a delicate, subtle taste.

Alterac Swiss - This cheese has a distinctive appearance, as the blocks of the cheese are riddled with holes known as "eyes". Alterac Swiss is known for its nutty, bittersweet taste. Since the destruction of Alterac, most of this type of cheese is produced in the Southport region in Hillsbrad.

Garadar Sharp and Mag'har Mild Cheese - These two cheeses were first produced by the Mag'har orc tribes in northern Nagrand, and much of its production comes via the black market activities around Halaa.

Spiced Onion Cheese - This cheese is produced almost exclusively for Brewfest by Ironforge clans, and is flavored with herbs, spices, and onions. Many dwarven clans have their own jealously-guarded recipe for this seasonal delicacy."