ナチュラルチーズ

ナチュラルチーズ is a loanword phrase based on English "natural cheese." In Japanese, it serves as a marketing/labeling term to distinguish authentic cheeses from プロセスチーズ (processed cheese), which is melted and reblended from natural cheeses.

Category details

• ナチュラルチーズ includes most well-known cheese varieties: チェダー, モッツァレラ, カマンベール, ブリー, パルメザン, ゴーダ, etc.
• The category is often subdivided by texture: 軟質(なんしつ) (soft), 半硬質(はんこうしつ) (semi-hard), 硬質(こうしつ) (hard).

Common collocations

• ナチュラルチーズを選(えら)ぶ: to choose a natural cheese
• ナチュラルチーズを食(た)べ比(くら)べる: to do a tasting comparison of natural cheeses
• ナチュラルチーズの盛(も)り合(あ)わせ: a cheese plate / assortment

Similar words

• プロセスチーズ: processed cheese — melted and reblended natural cheeses, with longer shelf life and uniform flavor; the typical sliced cheese for sandwiches in Japan

Usage

• This is more of a labeling/category term than a word used in casual conversation. Most people simply say チーズ in everyday speech and use ナチュラルチーズ when emphasizing the distinction (e.g., on packaging, in food magazines, or when shopping at a cheese counter).
• Japan's food labeling regulations formally distinguish ナチュラルチーズ and プロセスチーズ.