Wheel
A round, flat cylinder of cheese, the classic shape of Comté, Parmigiano, Brie and Gouda.
Also: meule, forma, Laib
Wheel is the general word for a round cheese wider than it is tall. Wheels range from a Camembert of about two hundred and fifty grams to Emmental of around one hundred kilograms, the largest traditional cheeses in the world. The shape suits pressing and turning, ages evenly and could be rolled or carried on the back. Large wheels such as Comté, Gruyère, Beaufort and Parmigiano Reggiano are cut into wedges for sale, and opening a whole Parmigiano with special knives is a small ceremony. Taller cylinders are called truckles or drums, and Italian uses forma for a whole cheese. In Mongolia, India and the Middle East, wheels are rarer than blocks, balls and discs.