As the simple flavours start to subside, they give way to more complex flavours, which are registered through the nose and tongue. How would you grade the texture of the cheese? Is it soft or hard – think about using a scale of some kind to rate the cheese from 1 to 10 – with 1 being the softest Which of the simple flavours are present? Try to give each of the simple flavours a score from one to ten (ten being the most prominent)

Our mouth evolved millennia ago to provide a fast response to our brain on whether we should or should not eat the food in front of us. Through our mouth we sense 5 flavours, when we were hunter/gathers these flavours enabled us to make instant decisions on whether we should continue eating in the high risk natural environment in which we were living.Although life has evolved a bit and food is very different, the instant response remains. In terms of tasting cheese, we call these mouth flavours the Simple Flavours: 1. Sweet Tastee cheese is made with the highest quality ingredients and our manufacturing is guided by our internationally certified food safety management system, FSSC 22000. Has the cheese got any outer coating (or rind)? If so, you’re tasting notes should indicate if wether it is dry or natural, whether is it has a white mould or a washed rind. Top Tip: It’s a good idea to taste with friends too, this helps gauge any flavours you are particularly sensitive to as everyone’s palate is different. Stage 4: Conclusion

Fonterra being one of the companies overseeing the operations of Dairy Industries, the cheese used to make Tastee Cheese is brought from New Zealand. It contains Milk, Salt, Bacterial Culture, Enzyme, Water, Butter, Sodium Phosphates, Salt, Citric Acid, Preservatives and Annatto which is used for colouring.

We know that the temptation to snaffle a delicious piece of cheese as soon as it’s cut is hard to resist. But, you will get much more from the cheese tasting process if you set yourself up for it correctly before you start. Here’s how: 1. Bring the cheese to room temperature. The company was the first in the Caribbean to manufacture processed canned cheese and has been the favourite for Jamaicans ever since. Canned Cheese - They have four canned options. The smallest, a 250g is open tin, 500g tin that comes with a convenient storage cover, a larger 1kg tin and their largest product, the 2.2kg tin. Tastee Cheese is rich in calcium and Vitamin B. This is great for the structuring and strengthening of bones and overall bone health. Expecting mothers, growing children and the elderly are encouraged to have cheese to aid in bone health and the prevention of diseases like Osteoporosis. If you regularly eat good cheese you will be well aware that eating cheese straight out of the fridge is a bad idea, it can be dull & flavourless, dry & crumbly or have a rubbery texture. So, you need to make sure that you to bring cheese to the correct temperature before you start tasting. 2. Have a clean palate.We are the only company in Jamaica and the Caribbean that manufactures a processed cheese in a can that is uniquely made for the Jamaican and Caribbean palate. Whether tasting table salt or sodium chloride, we are generally receptive to these flavours. This is not surprising since salt is a critical element for the functioning of the body’s muscles and nervous system. 4. Bitter Sensing sugars such as fructose, sucrose, glucose, lactose, maltose and others, foods with this flavour group were good to eat. Smokey: a cheese might literally be smoked (like smoked cheddar) or it might just have a flavor reminiscent of something that has been smoked It sounds obvious, but there is little sense in starting to taste if you then have to break off to find a knife, or something to take notes with. So, make sure that you have your tasting toolkit to hand. This should include:

Dairy Industries became the first Caribbean company to achieve ISO 9001 standard and has been able to be recertified every year since. They were also granted Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) certification. This was granted by Guelph Food Technology Centre who were satisfied with the rigorous food safety programme at the company. Mastering the art of tasting cheese in a structured way, will not only give you a deeper appreciation of the cheese but also the ability to confidently describe it using a professional vocabulary. In this chapter we explain the four key stages you should go through in the tasting process from the preparation stage through pre-taste assessments to the actual tasting and drawing your conclusions. Stage 1: Before you start While we eat Tastee Cheese every day in Jamaica. There is still a season where we indulge a little more than usual. This is during the Easter period. One of our favourite parts of Easter is that we get to eat bun and cheese in copious amounts without odd stares and feelings of guilt because we know everyone is doing exactly the same thing. What complex flavours can you taste? As the taste evolves in your mouth, try to record and of the more complex flavours that start to emerge (eg mineral, fruit flavours etc) giving each a score out of 10 Dairy Industries Jamaica Ltd has been manufacturing dairy products since 1964. They started producing cheese in February of 1968 through their brand Tastee Cheese. Tastee Cheese is not only a favourite in Jamaica but carries its distinct savoury flavour throughout the Caribbean and the world.

Dairy Industries was the first company in Jamaica and the Caribbean to achieve the international ISO 9000 certification in 1995 and have successfully earned their recertification over the last twenty-five years. The company is now certified under the FSSC 22000. Dairy Industries Jamaica Limited owns the brand Tastee Cheese. However, the company is governed by a partnership that began in 1996 between GraceKennedy & Company Limited and Fonterra, also known as New Zealand Co-operative Group Limited. If you are familiar with the Academy of Cheeses Make-post-make (MPM) model, we recommend recording this in your conclusion also. Repeat and re-record Tangy, acidic: citrus-like, makes the sides of your mouth salivate (some fresh goat cheese is like this) There are pleasant bitters such as bitter beer or tonic water, but excessive bitterness in food can be unpleasant. 5. Acid

After opening, Jamaican Cheese can last up to 8 weeks if it is stored correctly. This means keeping it in the refrigerator and covering it properly.

Next, during your pre-taste assessment, try to answer and record the following details as you inspect the cheese: The cheese fair is also where we met Mr Wedge, the official mascot for Tastee Cheese, for the first time. What Is Jamaican Cheese Made Of? Classic Tastee Cheese is also an essential half of a classic Jamaican Easter food pairing. “Bun and cheese” features Tastee Cheese inside a Jamaican spiced bun, a Caribbean twist on the British hot cross bun. In the mid-1600s, colonists brought the tradition of eating crossed buns (to symbolize Jesus’ crucifixion) on Good Friday to Jamaica. Locals made a few tweaks to the recipe, including shaping it into a loaf, swapping out honey for molasses, and adding dried fruit. A slice of Tastee cheese in the middle now completes the holiday treat. Wine-y, fermented: the cheese might have actually been soaked in wine (like Drunken Goat) or it might just have an acidic bite to it