Smoking is a way to enrich the flavour of cheese.

As smoke evaporates moisture, it brings fat to the surface of the cheese. Combined with smoke, this fat has a preservative effect, provided the cheese is kept dry. Smoking gives cheese an interesting flavour and a beautiful golden colour. Note: only apply paraffin or cheese wax after smoking is complete.

The key principle is a low fire. The cheese should not heat up, as this may cause fat loss. Instead, it should hang in a smoke-filled room at a temperature no higher than 4.5°C. Oak and apple are the best woods.

Smoke the cheese for 4–6 hours, or one or two hours longer for milder varieties.

Liquid smoke can also be added to cheese when breaking up the curds or during salting. Cheese may also be dipped in a liquid smoke solution. Follow the instructions on the bottle. However, we personally do not recommend this, as it is a chemical product.

If you do not have a smoker, you can use the following method: put damp wood sawdust on a metal tray and place it on hot charcoal at the bottom of a garden barbecue. Put the cheese on a metal rack some distance above it. Cover the barbecue, allowing smoke to escape freely through the vents in the lid. Make sure the cheese does not get too hot (above 32°C). The cheese is smoked when its surface turns golden brown.