Chalky core
The firm, white, crumbly middle of a young soft cheese that has not yet ripened right through.
Also: chalky centre, coeur, heart
Many soft cheeses ripen from the outside in, because the moulds and bacteria doing the work live on the rind. A young Brie, Camembert or lactic goat cheese therefore has a soft layer just under the rind and a firm, white, slightly sour centre that crumbles like chalk. That centre is the chalky core. As the cheese ages, the soft layer, sometimes called the cream line, moves inward until the whole cheese is supple. Some cheeses are best eaten with a small chalky heart, which gives contrast, while others are only right when it has vanished. A cheesemonger may describe a cheese as having a little chalk left, meaning it is a few days from peak.