Cheese: Smear-Ripened Cheeses

Abstract

Smear-ripened cheeses harbor complex microbial communities on the surfaces. This surface microbiota, which is mainly responsible for the characteristic flavor and appearance, is dominated by salt-tolerant yeasts (e.g. Debaryomyces hansenii, Geotrichum candidum, Candida spp.) and bacteria from the Actinobacteria phylum, including the families Corynebacteriaceae, Brevibacteriaceae, Micrococcaceae etc., the Firmicutes phylum with Staphylococcus spp., and the Proteobacteria phylum, including Halomonas, Psychrobacter, and Vibrio spp. These cheeses can be made from any kind of rennet curd and can be divided into (semi)-soft, semi-hard, and hard cheeses. Soft smear cheeses are characterized by a rich aromatic, piquant flavor whereas semi-hard and hard smear cheeses are milder, with pleasant sweetish flavors.