ナチュラルチーズ
なちゅらるちーず
noun
natural cheese
1.
natural cheese (cheese that is not processed cheese)
Cheese made directly from milk by curdling, draining, and ripening, without further melting and reblending. Distinguished in Japanese supermarket labeling from プロセスチーズ (processed cheese).
ナチュラルチーズが好きだ。
I like natural cheese.
ナチュラルチーズの種類は多い。
There are many kinds of natural cheese.
ナチュラルチーズはプロセスチーズに比べて風味が豊かだ。
Natural cheese has a richer flavor compared to processed cheese.
専門店には、世界中から集められた様々なナチュラルチーズが並んでいる。
At specialty shops, various natural cheeses gathered from around the world are lined up on display.
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 (soft), 半硬質 (semi-hard), 硬質 (hard).
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- ナチュラルチーズを選ぶ: to choose a natural cheese
- ナチュラルチーズを食べ比べる: to do a tasting comparison of natural cheeses
- ナチュラルチーズの盛り合わせ: a cheese plate / assortment
CONTRAST:
- 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 NOTES:
- 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.