Categorizing cheese by degree ofhardness is the most universal and logical method used. It is also the only .method that rests on legal definition. Many cheese varieties have Federal Standards of Identity that dictate allowable percentages of maximum moisture, minimum milkfat, and sometimes the age of the product. You will see examples of Federal Standards of Identity in the
individual varieties we will cover. Since the amount of moisture and milkfat in a cheese significantly controls it's functional properties, there are many common denominators in how a cheese performs in cold and hot cooking applications.
The following are basic guidelines for how moisture, milkfat, and age affect the properties of cheese.