Cheese
Everyone loves one form of cheese or an other. And there are so many varieties and textures to choose from. From the hard grating Pecorino Romano to the soft silky feel of perfectly aged brie, it's hard to find a cheese I don't like. And for Vegans or lactose intolerant cheese-lovers, there are a growing number of soy and non-dairy cheese available.
Below are some popular cheeses, broken down by category. For a longer list of cheese by country, check out this Wikipedia article.
Fresh Unripened Cheeses - Cottage Cheese: Unlike other cheeses, Cottage Cheese's curds are never pressed. Instead, the curds are stirred, which gives it a soft, creamy texture and milky and mild in taste.
- Cream Cheese: An acid curd cheese that requires a starter culture of bacteria. It is generally mild and velvety.
- Quark: Soft, spreadable, German-style cream cheese.
- Mascarpone: Rich Italian-style cream cheese with a buttery flavor.
- 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.
- Ricotta: Moist and smooth, mild and lightly-sweet, Ricotta is a staple of Italian kitchens.
Soft Cheeses- Brie: Mildly tangy and fruity.
- 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.
- Fromage Blanc: A white cheese that is very soft and spreadable.
- Teleme: Encased in an edible, white rind this tangy, nutty cheese gets stronger as it ripens. Teleme is soft and creamy -- yet solid -- and gets runnier with age.
Semi-Soft Cheeses - 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).
- Brick: Mild tasting and sweet when it is young, but it grows more pungent with age.
- Coulommier: Semi-soft cheese, with characteristics similar to brie -- velvety soft with a pronounced tang.
- Chevre: Goat cheese –- very fresh, soft white, and made in logs, Flavor is tangy, yet mild.
- 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.
- Havarti: Smooth and buttery with a hidden intensity.
- Kasseri: Tart flavor with hints of olive and sweetness.
- Mozzarella: A rich, tender cheese. An Italian favorite there are two types: fresh: soft, white and stored in water and string: 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- Baby Swiss: White color with small holes -- buttery, sweet and only slightly nutty, and generally semi-soft and creamy.
- Gruyére: Creamy yellow interior and golden brown rind, with an earthy, buttery and toasty flavor and slightly fruity undertones.
- Colby: An American original, named for the town where it was invented. Similar to cheddar, but softer with mild sweet flavor.
- 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.
- 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.
- Muenster: Pale, milky white with a light sprinkle of paprika coating, Muenster is mild with a smooth, slightly salty and buttery flavor.
- Monterey Jack: Created by Spanish monks in early California –- light colored with creamy texture. Mild relative of cheddar. May be flavored (i.e., Jalepeño Jack).
- Others: Jarleberg, Emmantaler.
Crumbly and/or Blue-veined- Bleu Cheese: Crumbly texture and sharp, tangy flavor.
- Stilton: Aristocratic, with sharp tang.
- 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.
- Gorgonzola: Semi-soft and creamy when young, Gorgonzola ages into a pungent, crumbly cheese that has a robust and spicy taste.
- Others: Sainte-Maure Ash, Roquefort.
Hard Cheeses- 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 Smoked Cheddar, Herbed Cheddar and Special Varieties.
- Colby: Similar to cheddar. As it ages, the texture matures into a harder style cheese, with sharper flavors.
- Farmhouse Cheese: These are crafted in all varieties –- often Farmhouse Cheddar, and other quality varieties.
- Manchego: Spain’s most popular cheese –- mild, salty and nutty.
- Provolone: Italian provolone is a hard, sharp cheese with a full-bodied taste. There is also a milder, sliced version used on sandwiches.
- Swiss: Swiss will be shiny and pale yellow, with large holes. Swiss can range from sweet to sharp, and is generally nutty and semi-hard.
- 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- Parmesan: Hard, dry cheese with rich, sharp flavor.
- Romano: Named for the city of Rome. Mild to extremely sharp.
- Others: Swiss Sbrinz, Sapsago, Saanen, which are all Swiss varieties.
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