Do You Know Your Cheese?

»Bel Paese is an Italian cheese made from cow's milk. It melts easily and is great for snacking.

»Brie is a rind-ripened French cheese, made with cow's milk and coated with a bloomy, white rind that is eatable. The classic after dinner cheese, brie is also used in soups, sauces and appetizers.

»Boursin is a triple cream cow's milk cheese. It is rindless with a smooth creamy texture. It is flavored with pepper, herbs and garlic and packed in small round cylinders wrapped in foil. Boursin is an excellent addition to a cheeseboard.

»Roquefort, one of the oldest cheeses, is a blue-viened sheep's milk cheese from France. It has a pungent aroma and a strong, rich, salty flavor. Roquefort is always aged for at least three months in limestone caves of Mount Combalon. Since 1926, no producer outside this region can legally use the name Roquefort. It is excellent for dressing or for serving before or after dinner.

»Stilton is an English blue-viened cheese made from cow's milk. It is one of the oldest and grandest cheeses in the world. Its distinctive flavor is pungent, rich and tangy combining the best of blues and cheddars. Stilton is aged four to six months in cool ripening rooms to develope the blue-viening. It is best served alone with plain crackers or dried fruit and a vintage Port.

»Gorgonzola is an Italian cheese which has a white or ivory interior with bluish-green viens. It is creamier than Stilton or Roquefort and has a strong, sharp flavor. It is excellent in salads and with peaches or pears.

»Gouda is a Dutch cheese which is covered in red or yellow wax. It is popular for snacking or fondue.

»Havarti is a Danish cow's milk cheese. Also known as Danish tilsit or by the name Dofino, it is sold in small rounds, rectangular blocks or loaves. It is often flavored with dill and caraway seeds or peppers.

»Port Salut is a monastary cheese made from cow's milk. It is popular for breakfast and snacking with fruits.

»Cream Cheese is a soft cow's milk cheese. It is used for baking, dips, dressings and confections, and as a spread for bagels or toast.

»Feta is a semisoft Greek or Italian cheese made with sheep's or goat's milk. It is a white flacky cheese that is pickled, (but not ripened) and stored in brine water giving it a shelf life of four to six weeks; the flavor gets sharper and saltier with age. It is excellent for snacks and salads and melts easily for sauces and fillings. A Greek favorite is scrambling eggs with crumbled Feta for breakfast.

»Mozzarella is a firm Italian cheese made with water and buffalo's or cows milk. Fresh mozzarella is excellent in sauces or topped with olive oil, pepper and herbs.

»Riccota is a soft Italian cheese similiar to American cottage cheese. It is made from the whey that is left when other cow's milk cheeses are produced. With its sweet flavor, it is an important ingredient in many pasta dishes and desserts.

»Cheddars are cow's milk cheeses produced in America and England. Most of the U.S. cheddars are made in New York, Wisconsin, Vermont and Oregon. The best cheddars are made from raw milk and aged for several months. Raw milk may be used in the USA provided the cheese is aged at least 60 days. Cheddar cheeses have a dense, crumbly texture. The color can be white or it can be colored orange with vegetable dyes. Flavors range from mild to very sharp.

»Colby and Longhorn are two well-known mild, soft textured Wisconsin cheddars.

»Emmenthaler is a cow's milk cheese from Bern, Switzerland that is made in 200 pound wheels. The holes, or eyes, are caused by gases expanding inside during fermentation. This nutty flavored cheese is excellent for fondue, snacks and after dinner with fruits and nuts.

»Gruyere is a cow's milk cheese made neer Fribourg in the Swiss Alps. It is aged up to 12 months and has superior flavor. It melts easily for fondue and cheese sauces.

»Jarisberg is a Swiss type cow's milk cheese from Norway. It closely resembles Emmenthaler.

»Monterey Jack is a cheddar-like cow's milk cheese from California. It is often flavored with pepper and herbs.

»Provolone is a cow's milk cheese from Italy. Provolone-dolce, aged only two months, is very mild and has a smooth texture. Provolone-picante, aged up to 6 months, has a stronger flavor, and smoked Provolone is also popular. Provolone is excellent in sandwiches and for cooking pizza and pasta dishes.

»Asiago is a cow's milk cheese from Italy. After one year of aging, it is sharp and nutty with a cheddar-like texture. If aged for two years or more, it becomes dry and brittle and is best used for grating over pasta.

»Parmigiano Reggiano (Parmesan) is a cow's milk cheese exclusive to the region of Parma, Italy. It is one of the worlds oldest and most widely copied cheeses. It is rich, spicy and sharp with a golden interior and a hard oily rind.

»Pecorino Romano is a sheeps milk cheese from central Italy. It is very brittle and sharper than other cheeses, but with a "sheepy" tang. It is excellent on pasta and risotto dishes, and also good eaten with olives, sausages and red wine.

»Chevre Cheeses, made with goat's milk, are higher in fat and protien and richer in flavor. Chevre is French for goat and refers to small, fresh and soft, creamy cheeses produced in various shapes. Chevre is often coated with ash, herbs or seasonings. One special brand is Bucheron.

»Fontina is a cow's milk cheese from Italy's Piedmont region. It is good for an after dinner cheese-board, and is also often added to sauces, soups and sandwiches.