Morphogenesis of cheese flowers through scraping

TL;DR

This paper investigates the physical mechanisms behind the formation of cheese flowers during scraping, revealing how plastic deformation and friction influence their morphogenesis, with implications for culinary arts and metal cutting.

Contribution

It uncovers the deformation processes and friction effects responsible for cheese flower shaping, offering insights for controlled morphogenesis in food and manufacturing.

Findings

Plastic deformation occurs throughout the cheese during scraping.

Larger plastic contraction in the inner part causes buckling into shape.

Lower friction near the crust influences the morphogenesis process.

Abstract

The "Tete de moine" Swiss cheese is generally served by scraping the surface of a cylindrical loaf with a sharp tool. This produces thin sheets of cheese that are strongly wrinkled at the edge, resembling frilly flowers and enhancing the tasting experience. In this work we unveil the physical mechanisms at play in this scraping-induced morphogenesis. We measure the deformation of the cheese during scraping and show that plastic deformation occurs everywhere, but find a larger plastic contraction in the inner part of the flower, causing its buckling into shape. We show that it surprisingly derives from the lower friction coefficient evidenced on the cheese close to its crust. Our analysis provides the tools for a better control of chip morphogenesis through plasticity in the shaping of other delicacies, but also in metal cutting.