Cutting the curd
Slicing the set milk into pieces so the whey can escape, the step that most shapes a cheese's moisture.
Also: cutting, breaking the curd
Once the milk has set into a firm gel, the cheesemaker cuts it with knives, a harp or a spino. Each cut face lets whey seep out, so the smaller the pieces, the more whey is lost and the drier the cheese. For Camembert the curd is barely cut and is ladled into moulds in large scoops. For cheddar it is cut to about pea size, and for Parmigiano Reggiano and Gruyère it is broken into pieces as small as rice grains. Cutting is done slowly at first, because a young curd is delicate and fat is lost if it is shattered. Size, speed and timing together set the style of the cheese.