Cheese shops and carts intimidate you? Totally understandable. It can be truly overwhelming to peer into a glass case lined with hundreds of cheese in various shapes, sizes, colors, and mold labels, particularly if you grew up in a strictly Blue Box Easy Mac and Kraft Singles family like a few of us did.
Where do you even begin when it comes to fancy cheeses? Which are mild, and which are stinky? Which will melt well on my burger and which is better appreciated off a cheeseboard with a drizzle of good honey? These are some of the questions cheese virgins might experience their first time in the shop, but never fear!
Everyone has to start somewhere, and you've come to the right place. In this slideshow, you'll find pictures and details from a completely biased and opinionated list of 13 cheeses that we think every food lover, cocktail-party-thrower, and cheese-eater should know. They run the gamut from completely inexpensive to fancy, from countries around the world, and from all three of the major types of milk.
By focusing on basic styles of cheese, you'll quickly learn what you like and don't like, so the next time you step into that store, you can at least pretend you're a pro. Special thanks to the folks at Murray's in New York for letting us shoot their beautiful cheese there is, by the way, no finer, less judgmental place to learn the ropes.
For each cheese in this list, we'll talk a bit about the following features:. There are literally thousands of cheeses in the world, and this list is I mean, how could we possibly leave off, say Tomme? Or Pecorino? Or fill-in-another-awesome-cheese here? Country of Origin: France.
Type of milk: Sheep. Aging: At least five months. Tasting Notes: The blue pockets of mold that dot a chunk of Roquefort are colonies of the mold Penicillium roquefort , found naturally in the caves of Roquefort, France.
It has a moist, crumbly paste, and a sharp, sweet and nutty flavor from the yeast with distinct grassiness from the sheep's milk. It's best eaten in the fall, when cheese made from early spring milk is just coming to market. Best Uses: Eaten as is, or with nuts and honey.
Country of Origin: France Normandy. Type of milk: Cow. Aging: At least three weeks. Tasting Notes: The outer rind is a layer of penicillium candidum. Take a look at this fungus under a microscope, and it resembles the tufted head of a dandelion. That's why you'll hear it referred to as a "bloomy rind" cheese occasionally. As one of the most widely produced French cheeses, its quality can vary significantly. Because of their short aging period just over three weeks , you will not find any raw milk Camembert in the U.
Rich, buttery, and spreadable, Camembert has a mild, mushroomy aroma. Best Uses: Eaten as is, on sandwiches, baked in a crust, breaded and deep-fried giddy-up!
In India, paneer is often eaten after being spiced or used in curries like this one. Marking the third Italian cheese in a row, Parmigiano-Reggiano is a dry, crumbly, hard cheese with a strong, robust flavor. People often refer to the cheese as Parmesan, and it has a protected designation of origin POD status.
This designation means that the cheese can only be from its home region in Northern Italy. Parmesan usually comes in unpasteurized form, and it undergoes an aging time of between one and three years. Usually, Parmesan is used as a condiment for various dishes and may come in a granular, powdery form. The cheese goes back to Roman times, and it was part of the staple diet for Roman legions. It is very similar to Parmesan in appearance, but it tastes much saltier and sharper.
For those who appreciate strong flavors, Pecorino Romano is an excellent choice. However, those look for something less powerful might want to try Parmesan. Provolone is a popular Italian cheese that can vary in flavor from mild and light to strong and sharp, depending on the production and aging time.
This cheese has a mild, slightly sweet, and creamy texture, and it is one of the most popular types of cheese in the world. Ricotta has some excellent nutritional benefits too. For one thing, it is lower in calories than most other cheese options and it is an excellent source of protein. Low-fat versions of ricotta are also available, and these are very popular with athletes and bodybuilders due to their impressive protein-density.
For a detailed review, see this guide to the nutrition benefits of ricotta. Reportedly, these caves contain a particular type of bacteria in their soil, which gives Roquefort and other blue cheeses some unique characteristics. This bacteria is known as Penicillium roqueforti, and studies suggest that it may help to guard against cardiovascular disease.
Blue Stilton is one of the most famous types of cheese from England, and producers now export it around the world. Stilton has a long and rich history too, and it has played a part in the English diet since the early 18th century.
The cheese has some interesting nutrition benefits too, and it is an excellent source of vitamin K2. See this full guide to Stilton for more information. Similar to other cheese products like cream cheese, string cheese undergoes greater processing than regular cheese. String cheese usually comes from mozzarella cheese, and there is a full guide to string cheese here. Wensleydale is a famous British cheese that is originally from the village of Wensleydale in North Yorkshire, England.
The flavor is somewhat tart, hence is it sometimes combined with fruit, especially cranberries and apricots. Although it is available in white and blue versions, white Wensleydale is far more prevalent these days.
However, all cheese is nutritionally beneficial and contains a wide range of nutrients. Cheese: Good or Bad? An Evidence-Based Guide. Friend's Email Address. Your Name. Your Email Address. Send Email. Receive notification each time we publish a new article, and get exclusive guides direct to your inbox.
Menu About Contact Privacy Policy. Diets Drinks Foods Nutrition. Facebook 1. Key Point: American cheese is an extremely popular processed cheese product, and it is a common ingredient in cheeseburgers. Key Point: Brie is a deliciously creamy, high-fat cheese with a soft and mild flavor.
It comes in several forms including individually wrapped cheese slices, small pre-sliced blocks and large blocks. It melts well. Asiago: Asiago, a nutty-flavored cheese, comes in two forms: fresh and mature. The fresh has an off-white color and is smoother and milder, while mature Asiago is yellowish and somewhat crumbly. Depending on its age, Asiago can be grated, melted or sliced. Blue cheese has a distinct smell and, what some consider, an acquired taste.
Blue cheeses can be eaten crumbed or melted. The cheese is white, rindless, unripened, and elastic in texture with a sweet, buttery taste. Bocconcini can be enjoyed as they are or melted. Brie: Brie is a soft, white cheese. It comes in a wheel, sometimes in a small wooden box, and is considered a great dessert cheese.
Experts recommend enjoying it at room temperature. Burrata: Burrata is a fresh cheese featuring a thin layer of cheese with a mixture of stringy curd and fresh cream on the inside. It has a rich flavor and goes well with salads, crusty bread and Italian dishes. Camembert: Fresh Camembert cheese is bland, hard and crumbly, but becomes smoother with a runny interior as it ages. Cheddar: This popular cheese comes in many variations. Its flavor can range from creamy to sharp, and its color can run between a natural white to pumpkin orange.
Cheese Curds: Popular in the United States and Canada, cheese curds have a springy or rubbery texture and can vary in flavor.
Sure, you could take a trip around the world to get a glimpse at the wonders different places have to offer. Or, you could stay home and eat your way through all the different types of cheese in the world. From the mild, creamy flavors of fresh cheese to the chewy texture of bread cheese or stretched-curd mozzarella. Or the washed-rind stinkers like Limburger and Taleggio to the strong, tangy flavor of blue cheese.
And don't forget the exquisite sophistication of the semi-firm mountain cheeses or the soul-satisfying crystalline crunch of an aged parmesan or gouda. Here in Wisconsin, we invite you to sample all the different types of cheese along with us. By some estimates, there are more than 1, different types of cheese in the world.
And there are almost as many ways of classifying them. There are more than a thousand different types of cheese in the world, and they are categorized in many different ways. One of the most common ways of talking about cheeses to describe its texture: from soft and semi-soft to semi-firm and hard cheese. There are many different types of cheese preparation techniques, which account for the hundreds of different types of cheese throughout the world. Cheese features prominently in many of the world's most favorite dishes, including mac n cheese , fondue, cheeseburgers, pizza topped with mozzarella, fondue, and nachos drizzled with cheese sauce.
Here in Wisconsin, we feel lucky to have more than different types of cheese to choose from, and we are always experimenting on ways to make even more. In fact, for more than years, we have been pushing the boundaries of what cheese can and should be fried cheese curds , anyone? Part of what endears us to cheese is that there are so many different types of cheese to enjoy. From the squeaky freshness of brand-new Wisconsin cheese curds to the colby or muenster cheese in our favorite baked mac and cheese recipe to our award-winning aged gouda and parmesan cheeses, there's an infinite number of new worlds of flavor possibilities.
And we wouldn't be Wisconsinites if we weren't determined to explore every one of them, boldly going where no cheese-lover has gone before.
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