Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-11-18

of food us it is in many of the Europeau
countries, yet II the taste for it continues
to grow as it has in the last two decades
il will not he very long before Ameri-
cans will take rank with Europeans as
cheese eaters. In Europe choose ia
almost as staple as bread. To the Eng
lish laborer cheese and ale and 10 the
German workman cheese aud beer are
rs essential RS coffee and bread to the
American.
The worsmen of this country nre
more and more each year realizing the
value Of good, nourishing Yankee
cheese, and il is growing in favor cor
respondingly US an article OF food,
Among tho foreign element here, and
with their children to the frat and
second generations, the European
cheeses are in favor, notably those made
in Switzerland.
IL is not, however, among the labor
ing and poorer classes alone that the
consumntion OF cheese is on the increase
in the United States. There is a grow
ing demand for it among the more
fortunate classes, with whom certain
brands OF imported or domestic cheese
have come to be considered a necessary
part Of every dinner.
IL is not 80 very many years ago that
cheese was almost entirely ignored upon
the bills of fare of tine best New York
restaurants, but now it can be found in
great variety, and not few restaurants
are known particularly for the excellent
quality and variety of their cheeses.
Many dainty and delicious dishes now
prepared by the best chefs of the ooun-
try are garnished with cheese in a way
that few years ago would have been
surprising.
From dietetic point of view cheese
ia excellent for the system, and ia n
healthful aid TO the proper digestion OF
hearty dinner To the epicure cheese
is more than this-it is delicious, it Is
restful and it is the peacemaker be-
tween certain antagonistic articles OF
diet which form usually part of every
elaborate dinner.
With the increased home demand Tor
American cheese there has come an in.
crease in the demand for it abroad and
during the first eight months Of 1897
there was exported from this city alone
20. 246, BAG pounds, of the value of ST.
gu, l6s. The increase in the export OF
our cheese has been coiucident with a
marked increase in our imports OF for
eign cheeses.
The consumption Of cheese in this
country has reached point where il is
not now an unusual thing for a first.
class grocery or delicatessen store TO
carry in stock dozen different brands
al domestic and imported cheeses, while
some of them have ON sale continually
twice that many.
Among the most popular of the for.
eign cheeses brought to this country
are Swiss, Roquefort, Edam, Limburger,
Sap Sage. Camembert, Stilton, Reg
CLAUS, Parmesan, Gauda, Romano,
Gorganzula, Brie and Cheddar.
Domestic substitutes for many of
these cheeses are made, some of them
with such success that it takes a per
son with really cultivated taste for
cheese to distinguish the difference
between the domestic and the genuine
imported article.
The foreign cheese mostly imitated
in this country is the Swiss. A wbole
sale dealer in cheese speaking of thio
feature of the American industry said
that during last month his firm sold
1880 pounds of imported Swiss
cheese. and SO, 500 pounds of the do
nestle made "Swias'' cheese.
I'VE sold the american article Tor
exactly what it was," no said, "but IL
it becomes genuine imported cheese
in the hands of the retailer that's none
Of our business. -
The American made Swiss cheese re-
sembleH very closely indeed the genuine
article but there is peculiar flavor 10
the real article, readily distinguishable
by good judges of cheese, which the
American makers never have been able
to produce. This flavor, it ia said is
due to herb which grows in great
quantities in Switzerland, on which
the milk giving animals feed. Efforts
have been made by dairymen to cult
vate the herb in this country, but they
have failed.
An opinion prevails that Swiss cheese
is made altogether of goat milk. This
is not wholly true. While much goat
milk is used, sheep and COW milks also
are used. 1t ia the custom of the SwisH
farmers who have different milk giving
animals to mix their milk in the manu-
facture OF cheese.
The genuine Swiss cheese is made
mostly in huts, called chalets, high up
among the A lps. 1t is made between
the melting Of the snow in May and
early in September when the pastures
on the mountain sides arc green and
accessible to the milk giving animals
and their herdors. In the winter the
goats, sheep and COWS are taken for
shelter down into the valleys, thousands
OF feet below. The chalets In which
the cheese makers live are located in
the midst OF the mountain pastures in
spots protected from avAlsnches.
In making the cheese the milk.
partly Skinned or not, according 10
the quality OF cheese desired, is put into
large kettle hung over a fire. 1t is
heated TO temperature OF a degrees,
and the kettle ia then swung from over
the fire and rennet is added TO the
milk. AS the milk coagulates the curd
JIG cut into very fine pieces. The kettle
is swung over the fire again for each
particle must be fully exposed 10 the
action OF the beat. The heat under the
Kettle III increased until tho curd at
tains temperature of 80 degrees. The
Kettle 10 thon swung off the fire i'm.
mediately, and the curd and whey
stlrred thoroughly. If the cooking has
been properly done the particles of
curu have the appearance of burst
grams OF rice sw INNING in the whey.
Inc curd ia then collected in a cloth,
ami az fhe whey is carefully drained
on. Next comes tho sailing process.
Inc salt 10 rubbed from time to time
on the outside OF the cheese, great caro-
nelng taken to discern whom enough
has heen absorbed. This sailing pro-
cess Is continued, By the most careful
OF the cheese makers, from one to two
years, at intervals of a week, Tho
Sruyere Ghseses, which are among the
best known OF the Swiss make, are
commonly three feet in diameter ana