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hand cheese

hand cheese

9.6
A semi-hard cheese with a strong smell and taste shaped by hand
  • noun
translation icon : queso de mano
  • She served slices of hand cheese with onions and bread for a traditional appetizer.

Examples

  • Unlike mass-produced cheeses, hand cheese is shaped by craftsmen using only their hands.

  • In some regions, hand cheese is enjoyed with a splash of vinegar and a sprinkle of herbs.

  • I love the rich taste of hand cheese.

  • Have you ever tried hand cheese from France?

  • In some regions, hand cheese is enjoyed with a splash of vinegar and a sprinkle of herbs.

  • She served slices of hand cheese with onions and bread for a traditional appetizer.

  • Unlike mass-produced cheeses, hand cheese is shaped by craftsmen using only their hands.

Synonyms

cheese
vshand cheese
1.0

A solid food made from milk that is pressed and often aged

is a specific semi-hard variety formed manually with a strong aroma

How Strong

Limburger
5 9.0
blue cheese
18 2.8
hand cheese
9.6
cheddar
50 1.0
cream cheese
40 1.0

Surface Forms

hand cheese singular
hand cheeses plural

Morphology

hand + cheese

The compound 'hand cheese' is compositionally transparent: 'hand' modifies 'cheese' to indicate a cheese made or shaped by hand, so a learner who knows both words can infer it denotes a type or variety of cheese associated with manual production. This follows common noun–noun compounding patterns (and parallels like 'handmade cheese' in other languages), making the meaning readily recoverable for a B1 learner.

Etymology

Hand cheese comes from a simple image: the cheese was shaped by the maker's hand rather than by a machine. So the name links the hand and the cheese and explains why this is a small, firm cheese with a strong smell today.