Cheese Buying Guide: Selecting The Perfect Cheese

With over 2,000 types of cheese in the world, choosing the right one can be daunting. The six most common varieties are hard, soft, blue, pasta filata, soft-ripened, and processed. Hard cheeses are aged and have a low moisture content, while soft cheeses are young and spreadable. Blue cheese is made with a penicillium mold, giving it a distinct flavour and appearance. Pasta filata cheeses are stretched and formed into various shapes, and soft-ripened cheeses have a natural mold that creates a soft rind. Processed cheese is made by blending and heating natural cheese to create a consistent product.

Hard cheeses

Parmigiano-Reggiano, or Parmesan, is widely known as the "King of Cheese". It is a hard, dry cheese with a complex, full-bodied flavour. It is made from skimmed or partially skimmed cow's milk, with a pale golden rind and is typically aged for at least two years.

Pecorino is another hard cheese, often grated over pasta or used in sauces. It is usually made from sheep's milk, although cow's milk varieties can be found.

Gruyère is a hard, fruity and nutty cheese that is commonly used in French onion soup. It is also great for melting in baked goods and fondue.

Gouda is a semi-hard to hard cheese with a smooth flavour. It can be grated, sliced, cubed and melted. It is usually made from cow's milk, although goat's milk varieties can be found. The cheeses can be aged from one month to several years, with older varieties tending to have a sharper, nuttier flavour.

Emmentaler, or Emmental, is a hard, cooked cheese that is arguably Switzerland's most famous food thanks to its iconic holes. It is a great cooking cheese for melting in baked goods, toasties and on burgers.

Monterey Jack is another American hard cheese, made from cow's milk. It is typically eaten when it is only a month or two old, when the flavour is mild and milky, and it is great for melting in Mexican food.

Soft cheeses

Feta is a soft, crumbly cheese that features in many Greek dishes. Over time, its flavour becomes sharper and saltier, and its texture more firm.

Queso Blanco, or "white cheese" in Spanish, is a soft, crumbly cheese that can be eaten fresh, fried, or grilled. It is often used as the base for American-style queso dip.

Ricotta is a fresh, moist cheese that can be used in a variety of recipes. It can be used as a rich filling for lasagne or stuffed shells, or spread on toast for a delightful twist. It also serves as an excellent alternative to yoghurt.

Cream cheese is a soft, mild-tasting cheese with a short shelf life. It can be used in cheesecakes, frostings, dips, and desserts.

Danish Blue, or Danablu, is a soft cheese with a pungent and sharp flavour. It has a creamy and smooth texture.

Soft-ripened cheeses begin as a clump of cheese curds formed into a shape and drained of all excess moisture. This wheel of curds ages into cheese and develops a rind, creating a wheel of soft-ripened cheese.

Brie is a soft, white cheese that comes in a wheel, sometimes in a small wooden box. It is considered a great dessert cheese, best enjoyed at room temperature. As it matures, its flavour becomes increasingly earthy. It can be baked or eaten at room temperature on a cheeseboard.

Camembert is a soft, mould-ripened cheese, similar to brie. It has a moist and creamy texture that starts with a sweet, milky taste. As it matures, its flavour becomes rich and buttery. It can be added to a variety of desserts.

Fromager d'Affinois is an oozy, creamy cheese that provides a rich taste. It is similar to brie, but softer and with a more subdued flavour.

St. Marcellin has a lusciously smooth texture and a creamy consistency that becomes firmer over time. It has a tangy and slightly salty flavour that becomes milder with age.

Blue cheeses

Blue cheese is characterised by its distinctive blue veins, which are caused by the addition of the mould Penicillium roqueforti. Once the mould is added, the cheese wheels are punctured with a needle to allow air in and encourage the blue ribbons to develop.

• Roquefort: A semi-hard French cheese that is moist and creamy with a crumbly texture and a salty, tangy taste.
• Stilton: A crumbly and delicate English blue cheese that is rich, savoury, and creamy with a tangy finish.
• Gorgonzola: An Italian blue cheese that is sweet and mild with a creamy texture.
• Cambozola: A blend of gorgonzola and camembert, resulting in an ultra-creamy texture and a tangy flavour.
• Bleu d'Auvergne: A French blue cheese with a white perimeter of un-blued cheese and a salty, meaty, and mushroomy flavour.
• Point Reyes Original Blue: A nuanced blue cheese that walks the line between sweet, savoury, and smoky, finishing with a creamy mouthful of umami-rich flavour.

Pasta filata cheeses

Pasta filata, which means 'spun paste' or 'stretched curd' in Italian, is a technique used in the manufacture of a family of Italian cheeses. These cheeses are also known as stretched-curd, pulled-curd, or plastic-curd cheeses. The technique originated in the Northern Mediterranean areas, including Italy, Turkey, Greece, the Balkans, and Eastern Europe.

Some examples of pasta filata cheeses include:

• Mozzarella: This is the most well-known and popular pasta filata cheese. It can be fresh, high-moisture, or low-moisture, and is often used as a pizza topping due to its excellent melting and stretching properties.
• Provolone: A semi-hard cheese that may be shaped like a cylinder, truncated cone, ball, or sausage. It has a compact, thread-like texture and a mild, creamy flavour that becomes piquant and sharp with ageing.
• Caciocavallo: One of the most typical pasta filata cheeses, Caciocavallo has a large market popularity. It has a semi-hard texture and a delicate flavour that becomes sweeter with ageing.
• Scamorza: A mild, lactic-flavoured cheese with a smooth texture, Scamorza is ideal for melting. It is hung to age, resulting in its signature pearl or flask shape.
• Burrata: Similar to mozzarella, burrata is a soft ball of pulled mozzarella cheese filled with stracciatella and cream.
• Ragusano: A hard, Protected Denomination of Origin (PDO) cheese made in Sicily from raw milk. It has a delicate, sweet flavour that becomes piquant with extensive ripening.
• Kashkaval: A hard or semi-hard cheese that undergoes a long ripening period before consumption.

Country-specific cheeses

Italy

The Italians are renowned for their cheese-making expertise, with a diverse range of offerings. One of their most famous exports is Parmigiano-Reggiano, often hailed as the "King of Cheese." This hard, dry cheese has a complex, full-bodied flavour and is typically aged for at least two years. Another Italian favourite is Asiago, which comes in two varieties: pressed and ripened. Pressed Asiago is semi-soft, creamy, and nutty, while ripened Asiago is harder and saltier, similar to Parmesan. Italy is also the birthplace of Gorgonzola, one of the world's oldest blue cheeses, known for its crumbly texture and creamy to sharp taste. For something softer, Burrata is a fresh cheese with a thin layer of cheese enveloping a creamy mixture of stringy curd and fresh cream—a perfect addition to salads or Italian dishes. Lastly, Mascarpone, a thick, soft, and buttery cheese with high butterfat content, is Italy's secret ingredient in the classic dessert, tiramisu.

France

The French are known for their decadent cheeses, and Brie is one of their most famous exports. Brie is a soft, white cheese that comes in a wheel and is best enjoyed at room temperature to appreciate its silky texture. Another French delight is Camembert, which has a richer, bolder flavour and denser texture than Brie. For something stronger, there's Roquefort, a pungent blue cheese made from sheep's milk with a creamy texture. France also boasts the creamy, soft-ripened goat cheese, Chevrot, which develops a wrinkly rind as it ages, adding to its unique character.

England

The English have contributed some iconic cheeses to the global cheese board. One of the most well-known is Cheddar, which originated in the English county of the same name. Young Cheddars are mild and creamy, while aged Cheddars develop a stronger flavour and crumbly texture. Another English cheese is Cheshire, a dense, crumbly cheese with a tangy and lightly salty flavour. It also comes in a blue cheese variety, adding a striking visual element to any platter.

Greece

Greece is famous for its Feta cheese, a salty, briny cheese with a rich, creamy texture. Traditionally made from sheep's or goat's milk, Feta is now also commonly produced with cow's milk. It is known for its ability to soften when heated without melting, making it a versatile ingredient in Greek dishes.

The Netherlands

The Dutch have a long history of cheese-making, and one of their most popular exports is Gouda. Gouda is a semi-hard to hard cheese that becomes more crystallised and nutty in flavour as it ages. Young Gouda has a semi-soft, creamy texture and a slightly nutty taste, making it an excellent melting cheese. Another Dutch cheese is Edam, a semi-hard variety known for its signature red wax coating. It has a slightly sweet and nutty flavour and a smooth, soft texture.

Frequently asked questions