Cheese is available in mild to strong flavors and in assorted textures.
Cheese is produced around the world from the milk of various animals. It is one of the most versatile foods available and adds texture, volume and taste to sweet and savory dishes. Different kinds of cheese have distinct flavors and uses and are consumed straight from the package or incorporated into hot and cold recipes.
Fresh Cheese
This is typically the mildest type of cheese as it is not aged, which intensifies the flavor of cheese. Fresh cheese is creamy and has a delicate flavor. Common types include cottage, farmer's and cream cheese, as well as ricotta, mascarpone, queso fresco, quark, fromage blanc, feta and fresh mozzarella, which is also sold as an aged variety. Cheeses in this category are often spooned or spread on fruits, salads, crackers and bread as well as ingredients in dishes like lasagna and cheesecake.
Soft and Semi-Soft Cheese Types
This category includes soft-ripened, blue and washed-rind cheeses. Brie and Camembert are the most recognized soft-ripened cheeses that have mottled white rinds that imbue the cheese with flavor and are totally edible. The longer this type of cheese ages, the more pungent and liquid its body becomes. It is frequently served with crackers or bread rounds.
Semi-soft cheeses are good for melting and include Colby, Monterey Jack, fontina and Havarti. Blue cheeses are injected with a special mold that creates veins throughout their interior and gives them strong taste and soft, crumbly textures good in salads and toppings. Widely available blue cheeses include Stilton, Maytag, Danish, Gorgonzola and Roquefort.
Washed-rind cheeses have heady aromas and earthy tastes imparted by the beer, wine, brine or combination of these agents used for washing. Limburger and Muenster are the most available in this group and are eaten alone or with fruit or crackers.
Semi-hard and Hard Cheeses
Cheddar is the most recognizable semi-hard cheese, with flavors that range from mild to sharp, depending on how long it is aged. Swiss cheese, found in many sandwiches and hot savory dishes, is another popular semi-hard cheese whose sharpness is determined by how large its holes are, denoting longer aging. Very hard cheeses predominantly used for grating include Parmesan and Romano.
Pressed Cheese
Uncooked pressed cheese, which includes semi-hard varieties like cheddar, Edam and Gouda, is physically pressed to remove the largest amount of whey and increase its shelf life. These kinds of cheese are good for snacking and cooking. Hard cheeses that are frequently ripened for years are cooked before they are pressed and include Parmigiano-Reggiano, Romano, Asiago and Gouda. The latter types are eaten at various stages of aging, with the younger ones being milder and easy to slice and the older, more flavorful types suitable for grating and shredding.
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