The Basic Types of Cheeses

When you are at the cheese counter, use these cues to get an idea of what to expect from a specific cheese. Pretend you’re on safari and see how many you can identify. There are 5 basic categories:

Fresh Cheese

These are very very young cheeses that have not had time to age, and so they are very soft with a milky taste. Examples are: ricotta, cottage cheese, fresh mozzarella, and chevre. Most often they are used in recipes or as salad toppings.

Soft Ripened Cheese

These have a white bloomy-rind and creamy texture due to the mold on their surface. The mold breaks down the proteins from the outside in, so it is possible for the center to be somewhat more firm than the paste at the edges. Brie is a well-known example of a soft ripened cheese. The rind is edible, but it's all a matter of personal preference as it can have a stronger taste.

Washed Rind Cheese

At some point in the aging process the cheese was dipped in a salt brine or some kind of alcoholic beverage. This contributed to a unique mix of bacteria on the surface, which results in a somewhat ‘stinky’ cheese that usually has an orange rind. They can range in texture from soft to hard. Don’t be deceived by a strong aroma...they don’t always taste like the smell, so be a little adventurous.

Natural Rind Cheese

These are semi-hard or hard cheeses that have been aged long enough that the outer layer basically dries out. Sometimes they are cloth-bound. Because of moisture loss, they often have a more concentrated flavor and can even have a build up of tasty little crystals. Parmigiano-Reggiano is an example.

Blue Cheese

The penicillium bacteria creates the blue veins running through this cheese and gives it its pungent taste. While the cheese will almost always be soft, the texture can still vary from creamy to crumbly. A few you may have heard of are gorgonzola and stilton. Cambozola is an interesting cheese that is actually a soft ripened blue cheese...it is a good intro if you are just starting to explore the category.

These are a few of the broadest categories that can act as a jumping off point in discovering what you like in a cheese.

Which ones have you tried, and what are you interested in next?