Very Old Factory Cheddar is the trade name for well-aged sharp Cheddar. New Factory is just that--mild, young and tractable--too tractable, in fact.

Farm _France_

Known as Ferme; Maigre (thin); Fromage a la Pie (nothing to do with apple pie); and Mou (weak). About the same as our cottage cheese.

Farmer _U.S.A._

This is curd only and is nowadays mixed with pepper, lachs, nuts, fruits, almost anything. A very good base for your own fancy spread, or season a slab to fancy and bake it like a hoe cake, but in the oven.

Farmhouse _see_ Herrgrdsost.

Farm Vale _England_

Cream cheese of Somerset wrapped in tin foil and boxed in wedges, eight to a box.

Fat cheese _see_ Frontage Gras and Maile Pener.

Fenouil _see_ Tome de Savoie.

Ferme _see_ Farm.

Feta _see_ Chapter 3.

Feuille de Dreux _Bearn, France_

November to May.

"Filled cheese"

_England_

Before our processed and food cheese era some scoundrels in the cheese business over there added animal fats and margarine to skimmed milk to make it pa.s.s as whole milk in making cheese. Such adulteration killed the flavor and quality, and no doubt some of the customers. Luckily in America we put down this vicious counterfeiting with pure food laws.

But such foreign fats are still stuffed into the skimmed milk of many foreign cheeses. To take the place of the natural b.u.t.terfat the phony fats are whipped in violently and extra rennet is added to speed up coagulation.

Fin de Siecle _Normandy, France_

Although this is an "all year" cheese its name dates it back to the years at the close of the nineteenth century.

Fiore di Alpe _Italy_

Hard; sharp; tangy. Romantically named "Flowers of the Alps."

Fiore Sardo _Italy_

Ewe's milk. Hard. Table cheese when immature; a condiment when fully cured.

Flandre, Tuile de _France_

A kind of Marolles.

Fleur de Deauville _France_

A type of Brie, in season December to May.

Fleur des Alpes _see_ Bel Paese and Millefiori.

Floedeost _Norway_

Like Gjedeost, but not so rich because it's made of cow's milk.

Fltost _Norway_

Although the name translates Cream Cheese it is made of boiled whey.

Similar to Mysost, but fatter.

Flower _England_

Soft and fragrant with petals of roses, violets, marigolds and such, delicately mixed in. Since the English are so fond of oriental teas scented with jasmine and other flowers, perhaps they imported the idea of mixing petals with their cheese, since there is no oriental cheese for them to import except bean curd.

Fodder cheese

A term for cheese made from fodder in seasons when there is no gra.s.s.

Good fresh gra.s.s is the essence of all fine cheese, so silo or barn-fed cows can't give the kind of milk it takes.

Foggiano _Apulia, Italy_

A member of the big Pecorino family because it's made of sheep's milk.

Foin, Fromage de _see_ Hay.

Fondu, Vacherin _see_ Vacherin Fondu.

Fontainebleau _France_

Named after its own royal commune. Soft; fresh cream; smooth; mellow; summer variety.

Fontina _Val d'Acosta, Italy_

Soft; goat; creamy; with a nutty flavor and delightful aroma.

Fontine, de _Franche-Comte, France_

A favorite all-year product.

Fontinelli _Italy_

Semidry; flaky; nutty; sharp.

Fontini _Parma, Italy_