Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/1516167
Take it with a Grain of Salt "NaCl plays a major role in both the cheesemaking and ripening processes," says Dennis D'Amico, a dairy researcher at the University of Connecticut. According to him, salt is necessary at almost every stage of the process to ward off bacteria and enable enzymatic activity. Here, we trace exactly where these crystals show up in the make. Barks, Brines, and Washed Rinds N ot that I'm complaining, but have you ever wondered why cheese is dunked in, massaged with, or raggedly smeared by salt at every turn? It's all about microbial growth. Cheese wouldn't exist without microbes, but it takes a deft hand to allow only the good ones in. For keeping the bad ones at bay, salt is just about the best cop we could ask for—and it takes the form of a lot of rind manipulation. Brines stabilize young wheels. High-sodium atmospheres reduce moisture and control unwanted bacteria and mold growth. Like a sourdough starter, these brines select "good" bacterial cultures that contribute to a cheese's flavor, making them a bit more like bouncers than cops. In many facilities, these rich, storied brine baths are reused for, get this, decades (with salt regularly added to maintain 18 to 24 percent salinity). Barks introduce extra risk, as their wood can carry untold amounts of foreign bacteria. They are, however, necessary to hold soft, young wheels together, so cheesemakers soak these strips of wood in a salt brine first to not only soften but also sterilize them. Washed rinds are a response to bad bacteria, and one that introduces the sticky, stinky brevibacterium linens instead. Legend has it that Benedictine monks invented this style by "cleaning" their moldy wheels with rags dipped in sanitizing salt water or alcohol. (Imagine using your nearest dish towel to wipe a fuzzy blue bloom off a dinner roll and you've pretty much got the picture.) What's the difference between salt on the road and salt in food? Purification! Once harvested, NaCl can be ultra-purified into table salt, or left with mineral impurities intact and boosted with anti-caking agents such as sodium hexacyanoferrate and sugar. 1. GRAZING Cow's eat grass—salty grass, if they're anywhere near the sea. PHOTO: Parmigianno Reggiano: barmalini/Adobe Stock; Harbison: Mark Ferri PHOTO: (Opposite page) Salar de Uyeni: Matyas Rehak/Adobe Stock