Mouthfeel
How a cheese feels as you eat it: creamy, waxy, crumbly, chewy, grainy, fudgy or dry.
Also: texture in the mouth
Mouthfeel is the texture of a cheese in the mouth, as opposed to its look on the board. Tasters describe it with words such as creamy, buttery, fudgy, waxy, supple, elastic, crumbly, flaky, grainy, gritty and chalky. A ripe Brie is creamy and coating; paneer is soft but firm and slightly squeaky; aged Gouda is dense with crunchy crystals; Wensleydale is moist and crumbly; Parmigiano is granular and breaks into flakes. Temperature changes mouthfeel greatly, which is why cheese tastes richer and smoother at room temperature than from the fridge. Mouthfeel comes from the cheese's water, fat, acidity, salt and the degree of protein breakdown.