What is Light Cream Cheese?
Light cream cheese is a reduced fat option of the popular dairy spread. Cream cheese is made from milk, cream and additives, to form a fresh cheese that can be spread onto breads and used as a creamy ingredient in desserts. Cream cheese is very thick and white, with an ultra smooth texture that spreads easily across food surfaces. The flavor is milky with a mild tanginess.
What does Light Cream Cheese Taste Like?
Salty is one of the five main tastes. It has a satisfying and addictive quality with hints of sourness. Salty foods include cheeses, cured meats, chips, and olives. It is used in almost every dish and prepared food. Salt is added to enhance flavor and offer a distinctly salty taste.
Umami is one of five main tastes. It is savory with a depth of flavor. Umami is a taste in many foods, including meat, seafood, beans, and nuts. It is both naturally occurring and created through the specific use of ingredients to create a satisfying taste. Umami is characteristic of proteins and savory dishes.
Ingredients
Milk is almost always sourced come from cows. Sometimes sheep, goat, yak and water buffalo milk are used. In general, store bough milk comes from a cow, unless specified otherwise. Whole milk is white, or cream colored and has a higher fat content than skim milk and therefore a creamier and richer texture and flavor. The flavor is mild and bland with a hint of savory sweetness and is satisfying, especially due to its creaminess. Milk is served as a beverage and used in a multitude of dishes both sweet and savory.
Cream is the fat derived from milk. Other milking animals can produce cream, but it is most commonly obtained from cows. The cream can vary from an off white to a pale golden color. The texture is smooth and can be thick, like a high fat yogurt, or thin, as is often seen in store bought cartons of whipping cream. The flavor is delicate, milky and buttery. Cream is used in a huge variety of food items and dishes, from baked goods, to curries, as glaze for scones, or a flavoring for tea and coffee.
Skimmed milk, also called skim milk is when all of the cream has been removed from the milk. The cream contains the fat from which butter is made and which gives milk an extra rich flavor. Skim milk can have no more than 0.2% fat. The milk is white and a little thinner than whole milk. The flavor is mild, creamy and a bit blander than milks that contain more fat.
Cheese starter is made from milk, or lab made and sold powdered or frozen. The starter is formed of healthy bacteria that quickly facilitates the process of raising the acidity levels in milk and changing it to lactic acid; a necessary aspect in cheese making. This helps the cheese to form and is used by cheese makers to aid in the process of creating their product.
Salt is a mineral composed mostly of sodium chloride. It is the main flavoring used in food and is naturally occurring in certain foods, such as cheese, beets, meat and celery, plus many others. Salt is white and has finer granules than sugar. Many commercial salts include iodide, while others exclude it. Most salts are white, while some are naturally pale pink with minerals. Salt brings out the flavor of something and can create a tangy mouthfeel, if used in excess.
Additives are added to food items in small quantities to improve the flavor, change the texture, enhance appearance, or preserve the item. Additives are both natural and artificial. Natural additives have been used for a long time, while many artificial ones were discovered in the 19th century. There are numerous artificial additives including soy lecithin, guar gum, ascorbic acid and sodium nitrite.
Cornstarch is obtained from the endosperm of the corn kernel. This is the main body and juicy part of the kernel. Cornstarch is a fine, white powder with a squeaky texture and neutral flavor. It is used in many foods, particularly in America. Cornstarch makes an easy thickener for liquids, such as sauces and an excellent binding agent for baked goods. In the 1800's cornstarch was used for starching laundry, making the clothing appear stiff and professional.
Enzymes are living organisms. They are found in plants and are lab made by humans. These enzymes create specific reactions and are used in food production for this purpose. For example the enzyme called papain, which comes from papaya is used as a meat tenderizer. Some enzymes break down lactose, or keep the fermentation processes stable. Enzymes are commonly sold as powder, or in tablet form.
