Cheese: Biochemistry of Cheese Ripening

The curds for rennet-coagulated cheeses are generally ripened for 2 weeks to >2 years depending on the variety. During ripening, the flavor and texture characteristic of the variety develop. In this article, the principal biochemical pathways for flavor development are discussed. The biochemical pathways that occur in cheese during ripening are usually considered under three headings: (1) metabolism of residual lactose, and of lactate and citrate; (2) lipolysis and metabolism of the resulting fatty acids; and (3) proteolysis of the casein matrix to a range of peptides and free amino acids and the catabolism of amino acids to volatile flavor compounds. These pathways are discussed in this article.