After discovering how Parmesan cheese is made, people are expressing their dissatisfaction. "I may have to become a full vegan now," one individual declared.
Occasionally, the internet uncovers something about food that many people assumed was common knowledge. We're all continuously learning, right? While last month it was paprika and allspice, this time the topic is the beloved Parmesan cheese.
Following a tweet stating "Today years old when I found out Parmesan cheese is made from baby cow’s stomach & I could go cry," people have become more aware of how the cheese is made. Parmesan is traditionally produced from cow's milk and is aged for at least 12 months in copper vats. During this process, whey and rennet are added, which is the ingredient that vegans, vegetarians, and anyone grossed out by consuming the stomach juices of baby cows find unappetizing.
The Courtyard Dairy states that animal rennet, an enzyme used in cheesemaking, is extracted from the fourth stomach of an unweaned calf, which may include veal calves, lambs, or kids. At this stage in their life, they have only consumed milk, which means that the natural enzyme for coagulating milk, chymosin, is present in large quantities. As the calves age, the amount of chymosin decreases, and other enzymes take its place, those that are necessary for digesting other food.
Chymosin is vital for separating milk solids from liquid during the cheesemaking process. The Cheesemaker explains that rennet is also necessary to create firm curds and to achieve the desired texture for the cheese. While some recipes may use acid or acid-producing bacteria for this purpose, most cheesemakers prefer to use rennet as it helps to cultivate the final flavor profile of the cheese.
Although some cheesemakers use vegetable rennet, most still prefer to use traditional animal rennet. As a vegetarian, it is important to check with your waiter before ordering any dish that may contain cheese to ensure that it is made with vegetarian rennet.
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