Cottage cheese with a dry curd, not creamed. An old English favorite for fruited cheese cakes with perfumed plums, lemons, almonds and macaroons. In Ireland it was used in connection with the sheep-shearing ceremonies, although itself a common cow curd.

Pennsylvania pot cheese is cooked.

Potato _Germany and U.S.A._

Made in Thuringia from sour cow milk with sheep or goat sometimes added. "The potatoes are boiled and grated or mashed. One part of the potato is thoroughly mixed or kneaded with two or three parts of die curd. In the better cheese three parts of potatoes are mixed with two of curd. During the mixing, salt and sometimes caraway seed are added.

The cheese is allowed to stand for from two to four days while a fermentation takes place. After this the curd is sometimes covered with beer or cream and is finally placed in tubs and allowed to ripen for fourteen days. A variety of this cheese is made in the U.S. It is probable, however, that it is not allowed to ripen for quite so long a period as the potato cheese of Europe. In all other essentials it appears to be the same."

From U.S. Department of Agriculture _Bulletin_ No. 608.

Potato Pepper _Italy_

Italian Potato cheese is enlivened with black pepper, like Pepato, only not so stony hard.

Pots de Creme St. Gervais _St. Gervais-sur-mer, France_

The celebrated cream that rivals English Devonshire and is eaten both as a sweet and as a fresh cheese.

Pouligny-St. Pierre _Touraine, France_

A celebrated cylindrical cheese made in Indre. Season from May to December.

Poustagnax, le _France_

A fresh cow-milk cheese of Gascony.

Prato _Brazil_

Semihard, very yellow imitation of the Argentine imitation of Holland Dutch. Standard Brazilian dessert with guava or quince paste. Named not from "dish" but the River Plate district of the Argentine from whence it was borrowed long ago.

Prattigau _Switzerland_

Aromatic and sharp, Limburger type, from skim milk. Named for its home valley.

Prestost or Saaland Flarr _Sweden_

Similar to Gouda, but unique--the curd being mixed with whiskey, packed in a basket, salted and cellared, wrapped in a cloth changed daily; and on the third day finally washed with whiskey.

Primavera, Spring _Minas Geraes, Brazil_

Semihard white brand of Minas cheese high quality, with a spring-like fragrance.

Primost _Norway_

Soft; whey; unripened; light brown; mild flavor.

Primula _Norway_

A blend of French Brie and Pet.i.t Gruyere, mild table cheese imitate in Norway, sold in small packages. Danish Appet.i.tost is similar, but with caraway added.

Processed _U.S.A._

From here around the world. Natural cheese melted and modified by emulsification with a harmless agent and thus changed into a plastic ma.s.s.

Promessi _Italy_

Small soft-cream cheese.

Provatura _Italy_

A water-buffalo variety. This type of milk makes a good beginning for a fine cheese, no matter how it is made.

Providence _France_

Port-Salut from the Trappist monastery at Briquebec.

Provole, Provolone, Provolocine, Provoloncinni, Provoletti, and Provolino _Italy_

All are types, shapes and sizes of Italy's most widely known and appreciated cheese. It is almost as widely but badly imitated in the U.S.A., where the final "e" and "i" are interchangeable.

Cured in string nets that stay on permanently to hang decoratively in the home kitchen or dining room. Like straw Chianti bottles, Provolones weigh from _bocconi_ (mouthful), about one pound, to two to four pounds. There are three-to five-pound Provoletti, and upward with huge Salamis and Giants. Small ones come ball, pear, apple, and all sorts of decorative shapes, big ones become monumental sculptures that are works of art to compare with b.u.t.ter and soap modeling.

P'teux, le, or Fromage Cuit _Lorraine, France_

Cooked cheese worked with white wine instead of milk, and potted.

Puant Macere _Flanders_

"The most candidly named cheese in existence." In season from November to June.

Pultost or Knaost _Norway_

Sour milk with some b.u.t.termilk, farm made in mountains.

Pusztador _Hungary_

Semihard, Limburger-Romadur type. Full flavor, high scent.

Pyrenees, Fromage des _France_

A fine mountain variety.

Q

Quartiolo _Italy_

Term used to distinguish Parmesan-type cheese made between September and November.

Quacheq _Macedonia, Greece_