Cream line
The soft, glossy layer just under the rind of a cheese that is ripening from the outside in.
Also: creamline, breakdown
The cream line is the band of soft, almost translucent paste that forms beneath the rind of cheeses that ripen from the surface inwards. Moulds and bacteria on the rind break down protein and lower acidity there first, so the paste just under the surface turns creamy while the centre is still firm. It is easy to see on a cut Brie, a young Camembert, a lactic goat cheese, or a Caerphilly from Wales, where the creamy edge contrasts with a crumbly middle. Cheesemongers watch the cream line to judge ripeness: a thin line means young, a thick one means close to ready. When it reaches the centre, the chalky core has gone.