Aged cheeses pack a punch of nutty, sharp taste. Earlier than they’re totally mature, aged cheeses are both waxed or positioned in brine for weeks to create a pure rind. Nevertheless, the excessive salt content material in brined cheeses deters some shoppers. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Meals Science & Expertise current a shortened brining time for Parmigiano Reggiano that leads to a much less salty product, whereas nonetheless doubtlessly sustaining the cheese’s distinctive texture and taste compounds.
Parmigiano Reggiano is a lactose-free, crumbly and exhausting cheese. Manufactured in choose provinces in Italy, its protected designation of origin standing requires that sure manufacturing processes, such at least 12-month ripening interval, be carried out. Ripening or maturing imparts the cheese’s recognizable style as milk solids are transformed to taste compounds. However earlier than that, cheese wheels are positioned in a saturated brine answer for weeks. The added salt performs a key function within the ripening course of by modulating microbial progress, enzyme exercise and the separation of solids from liquids, hardening the ultimate product. One enzyme-mediated response is lipolysis, by which triglyceride fat in milk break down into their key elements—free fatty acids and diacylglycerides. Free fatty acids not solely contribute to the style of the cheese however are additionally precursors to different taste molecules. So, Silvia Marzocchi and colleagues wished to check the affect of brining time on the lipolysis reactions accountable for the free fatty acids concerned in Parmigiano Reggiano’s taste profile and distinctive traits.
The researchers had 5 Parmigiano Reggiano dairies brine a number of cheese wheels by immersing them in a saturated salt answer for both 18 days or a shorter 12-day interval. Then the wheels have been ripened for 15 months underneath situations typical for any such cheese. Salt content material in totally ripened cheese was 9% decrease within the samples brined for a shorter time than the group with the longer process. Unexpectedly, the researchers discovered no distinction within the moisture stage, ldl cholesterol and complete fats within the two units of cheeses. The crew additionally noticed no main variations in compounds concerned within the taste profile, as many of the 32 free fatty acids had overlapping focus ranges between the 2 teams. But within the cheeses with the shorter salting time, general, the entire free fatty acids and the entire diacylglycerides focus ranges have been 260% and 100% larger, respectively, than the historically brined model, suggesting the decrease salt to moisture ratio resulted in additional water obtainable to lipolysis reactions and extra speedy enzymatic exercise breaking down triglycerides. The researchers say a diminished brining time for Parmigiano Reggiano might lead to a product interesting to salt-conscious shoppers, however sensory checks are nonetheless wanted to point if they’ll detect variations to the general style and texture.
Making certain artisanal Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is the actual deal
Florencia Salaberría et al. Research of the Impact of NaCl on Lipolysis in Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese, ACS Meals Science & Expertise (2020). DOI: 10.1021/acsfoodscitech.0c00025
American Chemical Society
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Decreasing salt in Parmigiano Reggiano cheese won’t negatively have an effect on its taste (2021, February 24)
retrieved 24 February 2021
from https://phys.org/information/2021-02-salt-parmigiano-reggiano-cheese-negatively.html
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