Brick cheese

Brick cheese is a cheese from Wisconsin, U.S.,[1] made in brick-shaped form due to (originally) using actual bricks to form the shape.[2] The color ranges from pale yellow to white with an orange rind. Unaged cheese has a sweet, mild flavor suitable for melting, while aged cheese has a stronger smell and a more nutty taste.[3]

A package of brick cheese

Origins

Brick cheese was originally produced in Wisconsin beginning in 1877.[4] The cheese-making process was derived from white American Cheddar that is cultured at a slightly higher temperature, which results in a marginally higher fat content and a slightly altered protein structure. The resultant "brick cheese" has a slightly softer texture.

Culturing

Brevibacterium linens grows on the surface of brick cheese, making it surface-ripened. Brevibacterium linens is also the bacterium responsible for the aging of Limburger cheese and many French cheese varieties. Cheesemakers often refer to the growth of the bacteria as a smear and this process is known as smear-ripening.[3] This is reflected in the Brevibacterium's species name linens which is Latin for 'besmearing'.

The cheese is placed on wooden shelves, then gets washed with a whey and water mixture and turned. It can stay in cold storage up to five months, and is considered ready for consumption after two weeks have passed.[3]

Regulations

The US Code of Federal Regulations defines what the fat and moisture content of brick cheese must be. This Standard of Identity does not take into account that brick cheese should be surface-ripened with B. linens.[5]

Applications

Brick cheese is the traditional cheese for Detroit-style pizza.[6][7]

See also


References
  1. Wisconsin Cheese Makers' Association (1912). Annual Meeting of the Wisconsin Cheese Makers' Association: Report. Democrat Printing Company, State Printer. p. xix. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  2. "Brick Cheese | Wisconsin Cheese".
  3. "What Is Brick Cheese?". The Spruce Eats.
  4. "Story of Brick Cheese | Widmer's Cheese Cellar | (888) 878-1107".
  5. "CFR - Code of Federal Regulations Title 21". www.accessdata.fda.gov.
  6. Houck, Brenna (9 April 2019). "Detroit-Style Pizza Is Having a Moment. But Are Its Originators Getting Left Behind?". Eater. Archived from the original on 14 December 2019. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  7. López-Alt, J. Kenji (28 February 2017). "Detroit-Style Pizza Is the Best Thing You're Gonna Make This Year | The Food Lab". Serious Eats. Archived from the original on 14 April 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
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