A Quick Guide to Cheese

Do you like the buttery richness of cow’s milk cheeses, the tang of goat’s milk cheeses or the mellow nuttiness of sheep’s milk cheese?

With the vast array of specialty cheeses available these days, it would be a shame to limit yourself to just a favored two or three cheeses. Trying one or two new cheeses whenever you visit the cheese shop can help expand and educate your palate and expose you to cheeses you might otherwise missed out on.

Each of the three main milks (cow, goat and sheep) used to make cheese has its own unique characteristics and flavor profiles which, of course, show up in the resulting cheese. Cheese colors can range from white to yellow to chocolate brown in various shade degrees. Much depends on the length of ripening along with how much butter fat is present. Rule of thumb: the longer the ripening, and the more butter fat content, the darker the cheese.

The following is a quick guide to help you understand which cheese may best suit the purpose or recipe you are incorporating cheese.

• Acorn is a modern, farmhouse, unpasteurized, vegetarian, hard cheese made in Wales from sheep’s milk. It has a truckle shape with golden, crusty, natural rind. It is used as a table cheese and for grating. Firm, yet crumbly, it melts in the mouth, releasing the flavors of cream caramel and crushed nuts, with a citrus finish. The cheese ripens in three to six months.

• American cheese is actually a blend of Cheddar, Colby and other cheeses. It’s heated twice in the cheese-making process, instead of once, due to the mixing of cheeses. American is one of the common cheeses that is pasteurized to help prevent spoilage. Appearance is light yellow or golden orange. It has a mild taste and melts well.

• Asiago (ah-se-AH-go)It is an inspiring cheese. It ranges in flavor from mild and buttery when it’s young (look for the clear or white wax coating) to an intense, semi-sharp when it’s aged (in the black coating). Flavorfully and savory, Asiago can add something special to just about any dish. Try it grated over pastas, potatoes, rice and salads, or melted in quesadillas and pizza. It is a light yellow with tiny cracks and may be coated in paraffin. It melts best when grated.

• Blue cheese may be a creamy, blue-veined or a crumbly, blue-veined cheese – depending on its age. The fact is every Blue you try will have its own charming quirks – slight variations in its peppery flavor, texture, or artful pattern of veins. Both Blue’s texture and tangy, ripe flavor intensify as it ripens. Scrumptious on salads or served with pears, raisins, figs, walnuts and fruit or nut breads, Blue is guaranteed to add some kick to any meal. It is white or yellow with blue veins. Tangy, earthy and ripe in taste and melts best when crumbled. Roquefort, Gorgonzola, Stilton, Cambozola/Blue Brie and Danish Blue are four of the most popular blue cheese in America.

• Bougon is a traditional, creamery, soft-white cheese made from goat’s milk. The shape is round with fine, white penicillin mould rind. It is a smooth and voluptuous cheese with a taste that has been likened to a blend of tarragon, thyme and white wine. The Camembert shape is the most popular, but it also comes in pyramids, cylindrical logs and mini rounds.

• Boursin is a modern, creamery, fresh cheese of cylindrical shape without rind. It is made with garlic and herbs or even black pepper. It is a soft industrial cheese with no affinage. The cheese was founded by Monsier Boursin in 1957. It has a rich, sweet flavor with a hint of acidity. This cheese is sold in an corrugated-foil wrapper and it is used as a table cheese for spreading and baking. It goes good with white wine.

• Brick is mild-tasting and sweet when young, grows sharper and more pungent with age. In fact, aged Brick has been described as a cross between Limburger and Cheddar due to its intense tang and mouthwatering aroma. Its smooth, semi-soft surface is speckled by small, irregular shaped holes, which give Brick its open texture. Have a little Brick with fruits like apples, grapes or pears. Serve it with crackers or dark breads or shred it and melt it into your favorite dish. Mild, sweet and pungent in taste and melts best when shredded.

• Brie is creamy, rich, buttery mellow, inside the smooth, edible rind, you’ll find Brie’s soft, ivory or yellow interior that not only looks elegant – it tastes elegant. With pleasant mushroom or other earthy overtones. Softened at room temperature, Brie nicely tops crackers or complements green apples, strawberries, pears, melons, grapes or walnuts. When heated, the smooth interior melts into a perfect spread for crackers, croissants and crusty breads.

• Broccio is an unusual cheese made from goat’s or ewe’s milk. It is unpasteurized, whey cheese of various shapes. The cheese is drained in woven baskets and has a mild flavor. Some of them are salted and dried for six months, when the flavor becomes very sharp. The pâte is soft, sweet and smells of milk. This cheese is similar to Italian Ricotta and is usually eaten fresh, hot or cold, within 48 hours with jam or salt and pepper. It can also be served with marc poured on it, or used as a filling for omelets.

• Camembert has a creamy yellow interior with a thin, edible crust. The first taste might reveal a mild, slightly salty buttery flavor. Another might uncover Camembert’s underlying flavors of mushrooms, garlic or nuts. So give in to temptation, and keep eating – it’s the only way to fully appreciate this beautiful cheese. Camembert’s mild to pungent taste goes well with melons, grapes, sweet berries and sun-dried tomatoes. Its soft, creamy, interior and thin, edible crust are ideal for spreading onto croissants and crackers. Serve Camembert warm, and you’ve got a delicious, soft cheese spread that’s perfect for entertaining. Melts easily when heated gently.

• Castellano is a traditional, creamery, unpasteurized, hard cheese of either round or half cylinder shape. The fresh curds are drained in special, plastic hoops, which have zigzag marks on the rind. The pale yellow interior of Castellano is firm and dense. Compared to Manchego, it is quite moist, and has a few rice-sized holes. The cream-caramel taste is perfectly offset by the fresh acidity and hint of salt. It is a table cheese, served with the classic Spanish quince, membrilla whose fruity tang makes it pretty tasty.

• Cheddar’s flavors range from mild – nutty, and creamy – to extra sharp – rich and robust. If you want a little tang, try a white Cheddar. If you’re looking for something smoother, smoked Cheddars will deliver. American-made Cheddar is based on the cheese made in Cheddar Gorge, a small village in England. This all-time favorite made its way to the states in 1851, and has become one of the most popularly produced cheeses to date. Cheddar is widely used for soups, sauces, salads, sandwiches, casseroles, pizza and often served with apple pie.

• Chevre is a generic term which denotes a cheese made from the milk of goats, with the word chevre meaning goat in French. Most cheeses incorporating goat’s milk use chevre in their labeling so that consumers seeking goat cheeses will be able to readily identify them. Chevre can come in a wide range of forms, from soft farmer’s cheeses to fully cured firm varieties. Chevre also runs the flavor gamut, with some retaining a characteristic goaty flavor while other chevres are much more mild and buttery

• Cotija is a Hispanic-style cheese, known as the “Parmesan of Mexico”. It was originally made with goat’s milk but today cow’s milk is preferred. This cheese is strongly flavored, firm and perfect for grating. Cotija is commonly used to add a lively garnish to common dishes: simply sprinkle on top of refried beans, salads, chili or lasagna. In Mexico, it is also widely used to enhance the flavor of many savory dishes by mixing directly into the casserole or recipe. In the U.S. it is increasingly popular on pasta.

• Colby’s palette extends from lightly sweet to sharp and tangy, Colby is generally known for its mild, tender flavor. Sometimes compared to Cheddar, but softer and more open, Colby is an American original that’s as comfortable with hot dogs and hamburgers as it is with hors d’oeuvres. A combination of Colby and Monterey Jack, Colby Jack’s flavor ranges from mild and mellow, to lightly sweet, to sharp and tangy. Usually marbled white and orange. Both Colby and Colby jack melt easily with shredded or slice thin.

• Couger Gold is like a cheddar cheese of round shape without rind. It ranks among semi-soft cheeses. The cheese was established in 1948 by Washington State University. It is sold packed in a can and is creamy, smooth and rich, with a nutty aroma and taste.

• Derby cheese has a shape of cylinder with natural rind. It is the first cheese in Britain to be made in factory. This cheese is very similar to Cheddar, but has a softer, flakier curd and a butter taste. Derby ripens in one to six months. A herb-flavored version is called Sage Derby.

• Double Gloucester is a traditional, unpasteurized, semi-hard cheese which has been made in Gloucestershire since the sixteenth century. The hard, natural rind has some gray-blue moulds and bears the marks of the cloth in which it is matured. The full-cream, two milking sessions milk in Double Gloucester gives it characteristic, rich, buttery taste and flaky texture. It is firm and bitable, like hard chocolate. The color is pale tangerine. The cheese has a flavor of cheese and onions. Not as firm as Cheddar, it has a mellow, nutty character with an orange-zest tang.

• Edam comes in a shiny red or yellow colored wax coating, and you’ll find a creamy yellow, mild, slightly salty and nutty delight. Edam can be semi-soft, or when aged, semi-hard. Today’s traditionally small size of Edam is a result of how the cheese was originally made. The Dutch farmers who crafted Edam only had a small herd of cows, and the yield per cow was low – so, by necessity, the cheese was made in small sizes. It melts best when shredded.

• Emmental is produced in the central cantons of Switzerland. It is a traditional, unpasteurized, hard cheese made from cow’s milk. It’s hard, thin rind is covered by paper with producer’s name on it. The aroma is sweet with tones of fresh-cut hay. The flavor is very fruity, not without a tone of acidity. Emmental has walnut-sized holes. It is considered to be one of the most difficult cheeses to be produced because of it’s complicated hole-forming fermentation process.
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• Farmer Cheese is delightfully basic and uncomplicated, it is merely a form of Cottage Cheese from which most of the liquid has been pressed. Very dry Farmer Cheese is available in solid loaves, and is easily sliced or crumbled, depending on its age. Farmer Cheese wasn’t available publicly until recently. Originally, this cheese was made on the farm and intended only for the farmer’s family. Not really a melting cheese.

• Feta is usually thought of as only a Greek goat’s milk cheese, Feta is now deliciously produced in the states using cow’s milk. Its preservation process gives Feta a salty, pickled Mediterranean flavor that gives salads, vegetables, chicken and seafood a pleasantly sharp zest. Contrary to popular belief, Feta isn’t just a Greek cheese. It was produced originally in the Balkan countries – which includes Bulgaria and Romania in addition to Greece. Feta acquires its unique flavor from being pickled in brine. Feta melts best when heated slowly.

• Young Fontina has a nutty, buttery flavor, with a velvety texture. As it ages, it develops a mellower blend of fruits and nuts, with a slightly drier texture. Any age, Fontina will reveal an earthy flavor The original Fontina cheese from Italy is fairly pungent and has quite an intense flavor, although cheeses labeled Fontina that are produced in other countries tend to be much milder. The Danish version is particularly common in US grocery stores, and can be distinguished from Italian Fontina by the red wax rind (Italian Fontina has a natural rind due to aging, which is usually tan to orange-brown). Because of its superior meltability, Fontina is known as a great cooking cheese, and has made mouths water on top of pizzas, french onion soup, pastas, or in fondues. Melts easily and smoothly.

• Gorgonzola is marbled by streaks of green, it’s considered to be the Italian member of the Blue Cheese family. Semi-soft and creamy when young, Gorgonzola ages into a pungent, crumbly cheese. It’s robust and spicy taste as a great addition to salads, spreads and dressings. Gorgonzola Piccante has a firmer texture and sharper flavor, while Gorgonzola Dolce has a sweeter taste and softer texture.

• Gouda may best be remembered for its wax-coated exterior but once you taste Gouda’s mellow, rich caramel-flavor, or aged Gouda’s lightly sweet and sharp individuality or smoked Gouda’s musky, rich aftertaste it will be remembered as a favorite. Baby Gouda is usually coated in red wax, aged has a yellow coating, and smoked usually has a black or brown rind. Gouda and Edam are essentially identical cheeses in terms of flavor, texture and appearance. Their main difference is that while Edam is always made from partially skimmed milk, Gouda is always made from whole. Gouda melts best when shredded.

• Gruyère can best be described as having an earthy, buttery and toasty flavor, with slightly fruity undertones. Its full-bodied taste stands up well with other rich flavors, so think of it as a perfect complement to heartier pastas and entrees. Gruyère also has a wonderful meltability, making it ideal for sauces, soups, and fondue. Shiny yellow and smooth with small holes and has superior meltability, best when shredded.

• Havarti is light to pale yellow in color, smooth and buttery on the surface, Havarti has a hidden intensity that makes it a favorite for both entertaining and cooking. American-made Havarti can trace its roots to the Havarti farm in Denmark. Melts best when shredded or thinly sliced.

• Iberico is a hard, oily cheese made from blended cow’s, goat’s and sheep’s milk. It is mild, yet tasty, aromatic and very popular. Good for cooking and for eating, it goes well with Spanish red wines.

• Kasseri’s innocent, off-white, smooth and creamy appearance will be surprise you by it’s slightly tart flavor with underlying hints of olives and sweetness. It is a soft textured, stringy rather than crumbly, chewy, hard-rind cheese like provolone Kasseri is a great cheese to go with fresh fruits and raw vegetables, as well as more robust flavors – like those of cured ham, dry sausage, and olives.

• Limburger is almost as stimulating to the nose as it is to the taste buds, it is best known for its pungent aroma and very robust flavor and as a beer cheese. Limburger is soft and salty, it works well with onions; hard sausages; and rich, dark breads, crackers and pretzels and of course, beer.

• Mahon is a traditional, creamery, unpasteurized, hard cheese. It is produced from cow’s milk on Minorca, the outermost of the three Spanish Balearic Islands. The hard, orange rind carries the imprint of the cheesecloth and tends to be greasy. The curd is piled in the center of a cloth, square corners are knotted and twisted together and the cheese is pressed and twisted for a few days. This gives the cheese its typical “cushion” shape. Mahon is sold at various stages of maturity. It is usually sold young, when the texture is smooth and supple and the aroma is sweet and fruity. It must be consumed within 10 days.

• Manchego is named for the Spanish region of La Mancha. This historic cheese is produced in the La Mancha region from pasteurized sheep’s milk. It has a black gray or buff colored rind with a crosshatch pattern, the interior ranges from stark white to yellowish, depending on age. The final cheese is usually smeared with olive oil. It has a number of holes and a mild, slightly briny, nutty flavor. It is sold at various stages of maturity: at the age of 13 weeks it is described as curado (cured) and, when over three months old it is referred to as viejo (aged). There is a peppery bite to cheeses that have reached a great age.

• Mascarpone is soft, sweet and entirely unforgettable. Needless to say, Mascarpone has made its place in the cheese world as a delectable dessert cheese. Thick, creamy and velvety, Mascarpone is heavenly as a dip, filling or frosting, or melted for a sauce. Mascarpone was created in Northern Italy nearly 400 years ago, and is a key ingredient to the Italian dessert delight Tiramisu. As an American-made cheese, Mascarpone has been praised as being just as delicious as it’s European ancestor. Melts well.

• Monterey Jack is a mild cheese and has a slightly zesty taste. It is often paired with fiery foods like jalapeños and salsas known as pepper jack cheese. As Monterey Jack ages, its semi-soft texture hardens some, and its flavor gets nuttier. Melts best when shredded or sliced.

• Fresh Mozzarella is soft, white and stored in water – or the Pizza (or String) variety – pale yellow with a smooth texture. Either one has a delicate, milky flavor that’s hard to resist. But while Fresh Mozzarella is best with a sliced tomato, on top of salads or pasta, String is great melted on pizza or in sandwiches, or all by itself. Mozzarella cheese is a sliceable curd cheese originating in Italy. Traditional mozzarella is made from water buffalo (not North American buffalo or bison as many mistakenly think) milk, and its flavor is highly prized.

• Muenster is mild in every sense of the word. Its smooth, slightly salty and buttery flavor almost melts on the tongue. Slicing through it is like slicing through a stick of butter with a hot knife. Muenster is a smooth textured cheese with an orange rind and a white interior. This washed-rind cheese is made from cows’ milk. The orange color is derived from vegetable coloring or dusting of paprika. Melts well.

• Neufchâtel can be used in many of the same ways as cream cheese. It looks similar to camembert, with a dry, white, edible rind, but the taste is saltier and sharper. It has the aroma and taste of mushrooms. Unlike other soft-white-rinded cheeses, Neufchâtel has a grainy texture Soft and smooth, it makes for easy spreading – so it’s great for nut breads and bagels. Its rich, nutty and slightly sweet flavor makes it a perfect to use along with jams, jellies and fresh fruit.

• Parmesan in a true, Italian-style( Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grand Parma)will be buttery, nutty and so flavorful. Your inclination will be to eat it on its own with a bottle of wine rather than use it as grated topping. Hard and granular, Parmesan is a great robust table cheese. Try it with a meal or with sliced pears, red grapes, fresh figs, melon or walnuts. Born in Parma, Italy, Parmesan has a long aging period – anywhere from 12 months to 4 years. When it’s young, Parmesan has a pale yellow color, but as it ages, it acquires a deep straw color.

• Pecorino is the name given to all Italian cheeses made from sheep’s milk. Pecorino Romano is the name given to cheeses from the Rome area, Pecorino Sardo is from Sardinia, Pecorino Siciliano from Sicily. It is traditional, creamery, hard, drum-shaped cheese. The smooth, hard rind is pale straw to dark brown in color. The compact interior is white to pale yellow, with irregular, small eyes.

• Pepato is robust and creamy, it carries an extra kick – it’s got black peppercorns distributed throughout. Pepato has its main origin in Sicily where is part of the regional cooking. Usually is used as 2–4 months aged cheese, but a mild younger version (10 days) can easily be found in Italian stores. Soothe your palette by pairing Pepato with some grapes or melon – or relish its peppery punch by serving it with pickled vegetables, olives or jalapenos.

• Port du Salut was first made in the 19th century by Trappist monks at the Abbey of Notre Dame du Port-du-Salut, in Brittany, France. Port Salut is a semi-soft natural cheese that is easily recognized by its orange rind. Unlike many other French cheeses, it is rather mild and sweet in flavor. The smooth and velvety texture has a light acidic taste giving freshness and a great finish. With its satiny smooth texture and creamy, nutty taste, it’s no wonder Port du Salut is a favorite melted into wonderful sauces and dips.

• Provolone, the authentic Italian-style, is much different from the Provolone you usually find at the grocery store. Full-bodied whether it’s mild to aged, it is buttery with a slight snap. Year-old Provolone is a harder cheese, and easy to grate over pizzas and pastas. Imagine a fuller-flavored mozzarella, and you’ve got the customary deli Provolone. A mild cheese that’s just slightly on the tart-and-salty side. Italian-style Provolone is made in a variety of shapes and sizes, though it’s most often found in a pear-shape. The Provolone loaves ripen while suspended – they’re actually wrapped in ropes or cords and hung to cure. Melts best when shredded or thinly sliced.

• Queso Blanco is a Mexican cheese with a mild, fresh flavor. Queso Blanco – resembling a cross between cottage cheese and mozzarella in appearance – is an authentic Mexican cheese with a mild, fresh flavor. Queso Blanco is typically firm yet creamy, and is commonly cubed or crumbled (if aged) to liven up the flavors of traditional Mexican dishes and pastas. Because of its ability to hold its shape when heated, Queso Blanco is often sliced and pan-fried, or used as a filling to stuff chicken breasts, burritos and enchiladas.

• Raclette is a cow’s milk cheese that has a light-brown rind and a firm texture. It has a round or square shape with smooth, pink to deep orange, slightly sticky, natural rind. Although the cheese has a pleasant enough flavor, it is not special until it is heated in front of a fire or under a hot grill. Then the full nutty, sweet and slightly fruity aroma intensifies and the elasticity of the melting cheese makes it truly magnificent. It is a hard cheese with a subtle flavor, good aftertaste and firm texture. Raclette is pale yellow inside.

• Ricotta is moist and smooth, mild and lightly-sweet. It is a staple of Italian kitchens. But its deliciousness isn’t limited to pasta and tangy tomato sauces – mix it with herbs and dip vegetables or try it with berries or muffins. When blended with cream cheese or Mascarpone it because the luscious sweet filling of a cannoli or cheesecake.

• Romano is sharp, robust cheese. A slightly richer version of Parmesan. There are different types of romano cheese. True romano cheese is made from sheep’s milk (pecorino romano) or goat’s milk (caprino romano), though mass produced versions, as in the United States, are often made from cow’s milk (vacchino romano). It is most commonly known as a zesty grated topping for pastas and pizzas. But Romano works well beyond the Italian kitchen – try it on scrambled eggs, quiches or frittatas.

• Roquefort is considered as the “King of cheeses”. It has a tingly pungent taste and ranks among blue cheeses. Only the milk of specially bred sheep is used and is ripened in limestone caverns. It has the cylinder-shape with sticky, pale ivory, natural rind. Ripe Roquefort is creamy, thick and white on the inside and have a thin, burnt-orange skin. The exterior aspect of a Roquefort should be white and faintly shiny. The interior should be cohesive, at the same time slightly crumbly. This cheese has a distinct bouquet and a flavor that combines the sweet burnt-caramel taste of sheep’s milk with the sharp, metallic tang of the blue mould. Also frequently added in dressings and salads.

• Scamorza is similar in texture to Mozzarella, though a little and chewier and less moist. Look for it sold in little round balls, smoked or plain.
Mild, nutty, slightly salty and piquant, Scamorza is a great partner to flavorful mushrooms, fresh sun-dried tomatoes, salami, ham or Italian sausage. For an experience that will make you think you’re in southern Italy, thinly slice some Scamorza, drizzle it with extra Virgin olive oil, and sprinkle it with some freshly ground black pepper.

• Shelburne Cheddar is a hard cheese without the rind and it is made from the milk of Brown Swiss cows that gives the cheese a rich flavor. This kind of cheese became very popular in the United States and won several prizes. The period of maturing is about 18 – 24 months and it is used, above all for cooking.

• Swiss is a generic name in North America for several related varieties of cheese which resemble the Swiss Emmental. Some types of Swiss cheese have a distinctive appearance, as the blocks of the cheese are riddled with holes known as “eyes.” Swiss cheese has a piquant, but not very sharp, taste. Baby Swiss and Lacy Swiss are two varieties of US Swiss cheeses. Both have small holes and a mild flavor. Baby Swiss is made from whole milk, and Lacy Swiss is made from low fat milk.[7] In general, the larger the eyes in a Swiss cheese, the more pronounced its flavor.

• Taleggio is a buttery, delicate, semi-soft and subtlety sweet cheese from Italy made from cow’s milk. It usually has a square shape. The cheese has a special taste and aroma. The crust is pinkish-gray and the paste is white, supple and fruity season in the high pastures. Taleggio is an excellent dessert cheese that goes very well with a robust wine.

• Teleme has an edible, white rind filled with a tangy, nutty delight that only gets stronger as it ripens. Teleme has the unusual characteristic of being spoonably soft and creamy — yet solid – and gets runnier with age. An offspring of Touloumi, a Cretan goat cheese, Teleme was first produced by Greek immigrants in California and is now made with cow’s milk.

• Toma is an Italian cheese from Piedmont region. It is a semi-hard cheese made from cow’s milk. It exists in several versions depending on a period of maturation. The young cheese is sweet and milky, but if it is allowed to mature for up to 12 months, the flavour becomes more tangy, often sharp.

• Zamorano is a famous Spanish cheese, usually produced in the shape of drum. The cheese is very similar to Manchego, but is less grainy. The cheese has a natural rind covered in gray mould. The flavor has a hint of burnt caramel and buttery taste of sheep’s milk. Zamorano is used as a table cheese and it ripens in three to nine months.