Cheese
Everyone loves one form of cheese or another, and there are so many varieties and textures to choose from. From hard
Wikipedia article.
Fresh Unripened Cheeses
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Cottage Cheese:''' Unlike other cheeses, cottage cheese curds are never pressed. Instead, the curds are stirred, which gives it a soft, creamy texture and milky and mild taste.
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Cream Cheese: '''An acid curd cheese that requires a starter culture of bacteria. It is generally mild and velvety.
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Mascarpone:''' Rich Italian-style cream cheese with a buttery flavor.
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Neufchâtel:''' Found in the dairy case right next to cream cheese, Neufchâtel can be used in many of the same ways. Soft and smooth, it has rich, nutty and slightly sweet flavor.
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Ricotta:''' Moist and smooth, mild and lightly-sweet, ricotta is a staple of Italian kitchens.
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Fromage Blanc:''' A white cheese that is very soft and spreadable.
Soft Cheeses
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Brie:''' Mildly tangy and fruity.
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Camembert:''' Similar to Brie, it has mild, salty, butter flavor that also has notes of nuts. Originated in Normandy in 1789 by Marie Harel who was christened by Napoleon himself.
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Teleme:''' Encased in an edible, white rind this tangy, nutty cheese gets stronger as it ripens. Teleme is soft and creamy and gets runnier with age.
Semi-Soft Cheeses
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Asiago:''' Named after a village in Northern Italy, it ranges in flavor from mild and buttery when it's young (packed in the clear or white wax coating) to an intense, semi-sharp when it's aged (in the black coating).
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Brick:''' Mild tasting and sweet when it is young, but it grows more pungent with age.
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Coulommier:''' Semi velvety soft with a pronounced tang.
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'''Chevre''': Goat cheese - very fresh, soft white, and made in logs, Flavor is tangy, yet mild.
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Gouda:''' Originated in the Netherlands - straw colored with firm, creamy texture. Mild and buttery flavor that develops a richer tang as it ages. Aged Gouda is lightly sweet and sharp. Smoked Gouda has a musky, rich aftertaste. Baby Gouda is usually coated in red wax, aged has a yellow coating, and smoked usually has a black or brown rind.
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Havarti:''' Smooth and buttery with a hidden intensity.
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Kasseri:''' Tart flavor with hints of olive and sweetness.
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Mozzarella:''' A rich, tender cheese. An Italian favorite there are two types: fresh pale yellow with a smooth texture. Both have a delicate, milky flavor. May be marinated in pure olive oil and herbs.
* '''Others:'''
Morbier,
Liederkrantz,
Chaource.
Sliceable Semi-hard Cheese
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Gruyère:''' Creamy yellow interior and golden brown rind, with an earthy, buttery and toasty flavor and slightly fruity undertones.
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Colby:''' An American original, named for the town where it was invented. Similar to cheddar, but softer with mild sweet flavor.
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Edam:''' Packaged in a shiny red or yellow wax coating. Is semi-soft when young and hard when aged. It has a creamy, mild, slightly salty and nutty flavor.
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Fontina:''' Young Fontina has a nutty, buttery flavor, with a velvety texture, and it develops a mellower blend of fruits and nuts, with a slightly drier texture when it ages. Any age, Fontina will reveal an earthy flavor.
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Muenster:''' Pale, milky white with a light sprinkle of paprika coating, Muenster is mild with a smooth, slightly salty and buttery flavor.
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Jalepeño Jack).
* '''Others:'''
Jarlsberg,
Emmanthaler.
Crumbly and/or Blue-veined
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Bleu Cheese:''' Crumbly texture and sharp, tangy flavor.
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Stilton:''' Aristocratic, with sharp tang.
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Feta:''' Greek origin, originally made from the milk of sheep. In the U.S., it is often made of cow's milk. Lightly pressed and ripened in brine, it has a crumbly texture and salty flavor.
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Gorgonzola:''' Semi-soft and creamy when young, Gorgonzola ages into a pungent, crumbly cheese that has a robust and spicy taste.
* '''Others:'''
Roquefort.
Hard Cheeses
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Cheddar:''' Brought to the New World by the English colonists. Flavor varies from mild to extremely sharp with texture from smooth to dry, almost crumbly. Also available are
special varieties.
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Colby:''' Similar to cheddar. As it ages, the texture matures into a harder style cheese, with sharper flavors.
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Manchego:''' Spain's most popular cheese - mild, salty and nutty.
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Tarentaise:''' Made in the tradition of the Beaufort and Abondance cheeses of the Tarentaise Valley of the French Alps. Smooth texture with subtle nut flavor.
Very Hard Cheeses
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Romano:''' Named for the city of Rome. Mild to extremely sharp.
* '''Others:''' Swiss
Saanen, which are all Swiss varieties.
Cheese and Mold
Cheese and mold is a match made in heaven for some, for it is this combination that helps to create some of the most popular cheeses in the market. Here are the three main categories:
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Stilton is an example of this kind of cheese.
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'''Storing Cheese'''
Here are some simple, general tips on how to properly store cheese.
* Fresh cheese can't be stored for very long and should be consumed quickly and otherwise kept in their original containers.
* You can store similar cheeses together in the same container, however, they shouldn't be touching.
* Rub cheese (except for white, grey, blue, and washedrind cheeses, and this will help with the molding as well.
* Cheese should be kept in a plastic container with a couple of paper towels (they absorb excess moisture) with a little bit of breathing room.
* You should wash the container and change the paper towels often.
Search for Cheese
* '''By Country:'''
** England
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France
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Spain
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Italy
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Netherlands
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Other
* '''By Animal:'''
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Cow
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Sheep
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Goat
* '''Popular Cheeses:'''
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Cheddar
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Manchego
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Brie
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Camembert
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Stilton
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Limburger
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Muenster
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Mozzarella di Bufala
Related Buying Guides
International Resources
For this resource in your home country, please see:
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DE: Käse
ES: Queso
