The Ultimate Cheese Guide

What is Cheese, Anyway?

At its core, cheese is a concentrated form of milk. It's created by coagulating milk protein (casein) using rennet or an acidic agent, which separates the milk into solid curds and liquid whey. These curds are then treated in countless ways – pressed, salted, aged, washed, inoculated with molds – to produce the staggering variety of cheeses we know and love.

The incredible diversity stems from factors like:

• The source milk (cow, goat, sheep, buffalo, even yak!)
• The specific breeds of animals and their diet (terroir!)
• Bacteria and mold cultures introduced (natural or added)
• Processing methods (heating, stretching, cheddaring)
• Amount of salt and moisture content
• Aging time (from days to years) and conditions (caves, cellars)
• Washing or treating the rind during aging
• Regional traditions passed down through generations

Exploring Cheese Types: A Breakdown

Navigating the cheese world is easier when you break it down by key characteristics. Here are the most common ways cheeses are categorized:

How to Choose Cheese: A Beginner's Guide

Feeling overwhelmed at the cheese counter? Don't worry! Here’s a simple approach:

1. Consider the Occasion: Are you snacking, cooking, or building a cheese board? Softer cheeses melt well, harder cheeses are great for grating, and a mix is best for boards.
2. Think About Flavor Intensity: Start mild if you're unsure (young Cheddar, Havarti, Fresh Mozzarella). Gradually explore medium (Gruyère, Fontina) and then stronger flavors (Aged Gouda, blue cheese, washed rinds).
3. Texture Preference: Do you prefer creamy and spreadable (Brie, Chèvre), firm and sliceable (Cheddar, Swiss), or hard and crumbly (Parmesan)?
4. Ask Your Cheesemonger: They are your best resource! Tell them what you like (or dislike) and ask for recommendations or a taste.
5. Start with Classics: You can't go wrong exploring well-known examples from different categories (e.g., a Brie, a Cheddar, Manchego, a Blue).

Beginner-Friendly Cheeses: Mild Cheddar, Colby, Monterey Jack, Mozzarella, Havarti, Cream Cheese, Brie (mild versions), young Gouda.

How to Taste Cheese Like an Expert

Tasting cheese is more than just eating. Engage your senses to fully appreciate its complexity:

1. Serve at Room Temperature: Crucial! Take cheese out of the fridge 30-60 minutes before tasting. Cold mutes flavor.
2. Look: Examine the color of the paste (interior) and rind. Is it uniform? Are there veins (blue), eyes (holes, like Swiss), or crystals (in aged cheeses)? Is the rind bloomy, washed, or natural?
3. Touch: Gently press the cheese. Is it soft, firm, springy, crumbly?
4. Smell: Bring the cheese close. What aromas do you detect? Milky, grassy, nutty, earthy, pungent, fruity, barnyardy? The smell (aroma) is a huge part of flavor. Note any ammonia smell, especially on bloomy rinds – a little is okay, too much means it might be overripe.
5. Taste: Take a small piece. Let it warm on your palate. Notice the initial taste (sweet, salty, tangy, bitter, umami) and the texture (creamy, crumbly, smooth, crystalline). Exhale through your nose while tasting (retronasal olfaction) to capture more complex flavors. Pay attention to the finish – how long does the flavor linger?

Taste from mildest to strongest if sampling multiple cheeses.

Cheese Pairing Guide: Finding Perfect Matches

Pairing cheese elevates the experience. Aim for balance – either complementing or contrasting flavors and textures.

Classic Food Pairings:

• Fruits (Fresh & Dried): Apples and pears with Cheddar/Gruyère; Figs and dates with Blue cheese/Goat cheese; Grapes with almost anything. Dried apricots or cherries are also great.
• Nuts: Walnuts with Blue cheese; Almonds with hard aged cheeses (Parmesan, Manchego); Pecans with Brie/Camembert.
• Honey & Jams: Honey drizzled over Goat cheese or Blue cheese; Fig jam with Brie or Manchego; Tart cherry jam with aged Cheddar.
• Crackers & Bread: Choose relatively plain options that don't overpower the cheese. Crusty baguette, water crackers, rye crisps, nut/seed crackers.
• Charcuterie: Prosciutto with Parmesan/Pecorino; Salami with Provolone/Cheddar. Balance salty meats with cheese.
• Olives & Pickles: Cornichons or pickled onions cut through the richness of fatty cheeses.

Wine & Cheese Pairing Basics:

• Rule of Thumb: "What grows together, goes together." Pair cheeses with wines from the same region.
• Fresh/Soft Cheeses (Chèvre, Mozzarella): Crisp whites (Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio), dry Rosé.
• Bloomy Rinds (Brie, Camembert): Sparkling wine, Chardonnay (unoaked), Pinot Noir.
• Semi-Soft/Hard (Cheddar, Gruyère, Gouda): Medium-bodied reds (Merlot, Cabernet Franc), richer whites (Chardonnay), Amber Ales.
• Hard Aged (Parmesan, Aged Cheddar): Bold reds (Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah), full-bodied whites, Sherry.
• Blue Cheeses (Roquefort, Stilton): Sweet wines (Port, Sauternes, Riesling), strong beers (Stout, Barleywine).
• Washed Rinds (Epoisses, Taleggio): Aromatic whites (Gewürztraminer, Riesling), Belgian-style beers.

Experiment! These are guidelines, not strict rules. Find what you enjoy.

How to Store Cheese Properly

Cheese is alive! Proper storage preserves its flavor and texture.

• Avoid Plastic Wrap (Mostly): Plastic suffocates cheese and can impart off-flavors. It's okay for short-term transport but not ideal storage.
• Use Cheese Paper: The best option. It allows cheese to breathe while preventing it from drying out. Wax paper or parchment paper are good alternatives.
• Wrap Tightly, Then Loosely: Wrap the cheese snugly in cheese/wax/parchment paper. Then, place the wrapped cheese in a partially sealed plastic bag or container. This creates a humid micro-environment without suffocation.
• Store in the Crisper Drawer: The vegetable crisper in your fridge often has the most stable temperature and humidity, ideal for cheese.
• Separate Strong Cheeses: Keep pungent cheeses (blues, washed rinds) wrapped and stored separately to prevent their aromas from permeating milder cheeses.
• Fresh Cheeses: Keep fresh cheeses (Ricotta, Mozzarella) in their original brine or whey. Consume them quickly.
• Dealing with Mold: For hard cheeses, it's usually safe to cut away mold (about an inch around). If mold appears on soft/fresh/crumbled cheese, discard it.

Tip: Label your wrapped cheese with the type and date purchased.

Building the Perfect Cheese Board: Simple Steps

Creating an impressive cheese board is easier than you think:

1. Choose Your Cheeses (3-5 is ideal): Select a variety of:
   • Textures: Something soft (Brie), something semi-hard (Cheddar/Gouda), something hard (Parmesan/Manchego), maybe a blue.
   • Milk Types: Include a mix (cow, goat, sheep) for flavor diversity.
   • Flavors: Aim for a range from mild to more intense.
2. Select Accompaniments: Choose items that complement the cheeses (refer to Pairing section):
   • Sweet: Honey, fig jam, grapes, dried fruit.
   • Savory: Olives, cornichons, cured meats (optional).
   • Crunchy: Nuts (walnuts, almonds), crackers, crusty bread.
3. Pick Your Board: A wooden cutting board, slate tile, or large platter works well.
4. Arrange Artfully:
   • Place cheeses first, spacing them out. Pre-slice hard cheeses; leave soft cheeses whole or partially cut.
   • Arrange meats, if using.
   • Fill gaps with crackers, bread, fruits, nuts, and small bowls for jams/honey/olives. Aim for visual appeal with varied colors and textures.
   • Provide separate knives for each cheese, especially for soft or blue cheeses.
5. Serve at Room Temperature: Assemble the board, cover loosely, and let it sit out for 30-60 minutes before guests arrive.

Cheese Glossary: Common Terms Explained

Affinage

The process of aging or ripening cheese to develop flavor and texture.

Annatto

A natural food coloring derived from achiote tree seeds, often used to give cheeses like Cheddar or Red Leicester an orange hue.

Bloomy Rind

An edible, soft white rind developed by Penicillium candidum or camemberti mold (e.g., Brie, Camembert).

Casein

The main protein found in milk, which coagulates to form cheese curds.

Curd

The solid part of milk separated from the liquid whey during cheesemaking.

Pasteurized

Milk that has been heated to a specific temperature to kill harmful bacteria.

Raw Milk

Milk that has not been pasteurized. Raw milk cheeses often have more complex flavors but require careful production and aging for safety.

Rennet

An enzyme (traditionally from animal stomachs, but also microbial or vegetable sources) used to coagulate milk.

Terroir

A French term referring to how the environment (climate, soil, vegetation) influences the flavor of a food product, including cheese via the animal's diet.

Washed Rind

Cheese whose rind is washed with brine, beer, wine, or spirits during aging, encouraging specific bacteria (like B. linens) that create pungent aromas and distinct flavors.

Whey

The liquid byproduct separated from the curds during cheesemaking.