Abstract: A process for enhancing the cheese flavor of a cheese flavored food product and the cheese flavored food product produced thereby. A natural cheese flavor enhancer is prepared by incubating sufficient amounts of a protein, a fat, a protease, and a lipase in an aqueous medium under temperature, pH, and time conditions sufficient for producing a cheese flavor enhancer which is capable of enhancing the cheese flavor of food products that include a cheese flavor component but not of food products that do not contain a cheese flavor component. The natural cheese flavor enhancer is then added to a food product that contains a cheese flavor component. The natural cheese flavor enhancer is added in an amount sufficient to enhance the cheese flavor of the product. Alternatively, the natural cheese flavor enhancer can be added to replace a portion of the cheese flavor component without loss of cheese flavor of the product.