The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1894-12-20
GREEN CHEZ SEES.


How SapsagO Schsbzlcger Is Made In
Various Countries.
This cheese is made originally in the
canton of Glaris, Switzerland, but it
has been popularized AZ sage cheese or
sapeago, an evident corruption of the
German name, both in England and on
this side of the ocean. Its special feature
is the sage green color given to it by
admixture of dried fragrant and aro-
matte herb which grows abundantly on
the Swiss mountains and is known rs
the blue meilot, close relative of tho
white melilot that is a common weed
i'm North America. Its botanical name
is Tritolium molilotus cerulea, and it
belongs to the clover family In this
country tho common garden sage is used
~ substitute. 1t is "A very pleasantly
favored cheese and popular for dessert
OF to eat with pastry. And here might
DO mentioned tho curious fact that tho
prevalent fashion of eating cheese with
pastry is based Oh scientific reason,
rs thus: Pastry is almost universally
considered to be an indigestible food,
although this may not really be the
case, and as cheese is considerable aid
to the digestion of other food it is thus
put to very good use And the popu-
lar fashion is seen to be ono of those
scientific connections that validate pop
ular practices begun and continued
wholly without any knowledge of the
actual REASONS for them.
The original cheese, however, goes
through process of curing to make it
agreeable to the European .palates that
will hardly ever be popular here, yet
this cheese made under different proc
ess is not only free from all objection
to an American taste, but is so treated
rs to be really a desirable addition to
our list of foods. The Swiss process is
Ns follows: The curd is made of skim
milk. It is mixed with 2t9 per
cent of the finely ground leaves of the
dried melilot aud or per cent of fine
salt. 1t is then ground to smooth
paste under q hard, smooth, round mill
stone. and when this is perfectly homo
geneous it is put into molds of willow
bark of n truncated conical shape-tllat
is, n cone cut off tho point, and thus
having fiat bottom and top. the latter
smaller than the bottom.
After standing in the mods until
they arc firm and able to keep their
shape they are removed to the curing
house. Here they are kept moderately
dry and remain for a year until they
have become ripe and acquired the right
consistency and flavor and become fit for
market. In the curing it is necessary
that the cheese be kept from currents of
air; otherwise tho dryness so caused will
crack the crust, and the soft pulpy in
side willAexude through the shrinkage
and Mt the same time it is equally nee
essary to prevent tho cheese from dry
ing too much inside lest it should be-
come too hard and brittle This cheese
il used as n dessert only
1t is mostly rasped fine and sprinkled
over tarts OF other pastry, the fullness
of tho flavor of it preventing it from
being eaten rs an ordinary food. Its
high price, too, is an obstacle to its
large consumption, as is the case with
other and ordinary cheese, Its name is
BlNoh Dctauot Va Wis btiuS itllNti
from two words, schaben. rasp, and zie-
ger, curd or cheese.
A cheese of this same class is made
In England i'll the county of Glouoes
ter, whence it has been introduced into
New England. This is the sage cheese
and quite different thing from the
more odoriferous Swiss article. 1t is
made in this way: The average weight
of cheese is 10 to l2 pounds, and for
such size there are taken two full
handfuls of green sage, one-fourth as
much green parsley and the same of
leaves of marigold. These are bruised
and stepped for night in sweet milk
n extract the color and flavor. This
colored milk is then mixed with one
third of the whole milk which is used
as taken from the COW, but well strain
ed, of course. The two milks are curdled
separately in the usual manner. and the
curds are kept separate until mixed.
This part of the process is performed to
suit the fancy of the makers, Some mix
them evenly together, making a smooth
and even green cheese. Others mix the