Mold is formed by mold fungi. It is a velvety or fluffy colored plaque that multiplies mainly on food and the surfaces of other objects under favorable temperature and humidity conditions. Mold fungi develop almost everywhere and carry out harmful actions. However, some types of mold are used to improve the taste of the product. For example, noble mold on cheeses.
Unlike harmful mold, noble mold does not develop on its own and is the result of a rather complex and lengthy process. For these purposes, only noble varieties of food mold are used, as a rule, of the Penicillium species. Mold covers the cheese body on top or develops on the inside. Noble molds vary in color.
Mildew white
White mold is a fungus of the genus Penicillium candidum or Penicillium camemberti, found exclusively outside the cheese head. Its thickness can be 1-2 mm, this type of mushroom covers the cheese with an even layer. A white mold culture is used to treat the surface of an already prepared mass of cheese. Subsequently, it is sent to special chambers with the necessary temperature balance and humidity level for maturation, the air in which is replete with mold spores. Within 7 days, the curd becomes covered with a white, fluffy layer of mold.
Blue mold
Blue mold is obtained from fungal spores that parasitize rye. On the surface of the cheeses, it looks like a greenish-blue speck. Mold is introduced either into milk or into a cheese body with a long needle, whereby carbon dioxide is removed from it and oxygen penetrates inside. This air exchange ensures the multiplication and growth of mold in the cheese mass. In the process of making blue cheese, highly active enzymes (proteinases and lipases) are formed, which actively interact with the enzymes functioning inside the cheese mass. The whole process of making blue cheese takes 3-6 months.
Red mold
It is a common white penicillin mold that turns red when it interacts with saline or wine. During the manufacturing process, the surface of the cheeses is only wiped with the resulting mixture; mold does not form inside the cheese itself.
Black mold
Black mold is obtained due to the long-term content of cheese masses in chamber rooms with high humidity and is located exclusively on the surface of the cheese.
All types of noble mold are biologically active, thus, noble cheeses are in the process of constant maturation, acquiring an ever more intense taste. This is a natural process that accelerates as the temperature rises. Therefore, when eating cheeses with noble mold, it is very important to know and follow the rules for their storage, take into account the level of humidity and temperature conditions.
