We’re bringing you three letters from the cheese glossary today: I, J and K!

Industrial

This refers to cheeses that are made using highly automated manufacturing processes. The milk for the cheese will often come from multiple farms rather than from a single origin.

Inoculation

Adding starter cultures to milk to begin the cheesemaking process. Starter cultures can include mesophiles and thermophiles. Thermophiles perform at a higher temperature than mesophiles.

Intense

A cheese with strong, concentrated aromas and flavors.

Interior Ripened

A cheese where the ripening occurs evenly throughout the entire cheese. The aging process begins in the center and makes its way to the outer edge. These can include hard cheeses such as Cheddar as well as soft cheeses like Brie.

Jarlsberg

The famous Jarlsberg cheese of Norway is known for its distinctive sweet and nutty taste, and of course, those large, round holes. This versatile cheese is ideal for cheese trays, sandwiches, grating, and for use in all types of recipes. As early as the 1830s there was active production of unique cheeses with holes in the Laurvig and Jarlsberg county in the South of Norway. In 1956 Professor Ole M. Ystgaard from the Agricultural University of Norway began doing research on these cheese recipes, recognizing the value of this type of cheese. During his research he developed a semi-hard, medium-fat cheese with large holes, successfully combining the cheese-making traditions with modern technologies. The new cheese was named Jarlsberg Cheese after the county where the earlier version had been made during the 19th century.

Jumping Jack

A marble-based cheese with a mix of jalapeno and habanero peppers added to give it a spicy kick.

Kaas

The Dutch word for cheese.

Kase

The German word for cheese.

Kashta

A very creamy cheese originating from the Middle East. It is sometimes baked or simply eaten with honey. This cheese is almost a dessert!

Kefalotyri 

A traditional Greek-Cypriot cheese made from sheep milk and/or goat’s milk. It is a very hard cheese with a sharp flavor and dry texture. It is sometimes aged for more than a year to create a strong cheese.

Kefir

A fermented milk drink. It resembles a thin yogurt. This is made using kefir grains, a type of mesophilic symbiotic culture which ferments the milk. Sometimes kefir is then used to make cheese. Both kefir and cheese made from the drink are a source of a wide range of probiotics.

We’ll be back with more from the cheese glossary soon. In the meantime, why not try a new cheese from our wide selection? Let us know which you pick and whether you enjoyed it in the comments below!