Cheese Glossary
| Cheese Glossary ABERDEEN CROWDIE Unripened cheese, similar to cottage cheese. Made in England and Scotland. May contain caraway seeds. The only semi-cooked cheese in the British Isles. Delicious with oatcakes. ADELOST A Swedish blue cheese made with cow's milk. ALENTEJO Usually sheep and goat's milk blended. May include cow's milk. Curdled with rennet. From Portugal. ALLGAU EMMENTALER Germany's most famous hard cheese. Made of cow's milk. The flavor ranges from mild to strong, dependent upon age. Good for shredding, slicing and melting. ALSATIAN MUENSTER A French cheese, first produced in the middle ages by monks. Spicy flavor. ALTEMBURGER Mellow, semisoft cheese made from goat's milk. A German cheese. AMERICAN Very mild, creamy yellow. Processed cheese. Used for sandwiches and snacks. Goes with crackers and bread. APPENZELLER A Swiss cheese that is marinated in cider or white wine and spices before aging. More moist and creamy then Emmenthaler with a more pronounced yet delicate flavor than Gruyere. Produced in the 11th century by monks. A worthy cheese. APPETITOST Made from buttermilk; nut-like flavor. May contain caraway. A Danish semi-soft cheese. ARAKADZ A Russian cheese made of sheep’s milk. Semi-hard with a nutty flavor. ARDENNES HERVE A velvety textured dessert cheese from Belgium. ASADERO A braided cheese also called Oaxaco. Melts easily. A Mexican cheese. ASIAGO A sharp-flavored Italian cheese, originally made of sheep’s milk, now of cow’s milk. The poor man’s Parmesan. When young it is firm, slightly salty cheese and good for sandwiches. Best for grating when it becomes older and hardens. American Asiago isn’t as fine as cheese as its Italian counterpart. AUVERGNE Made from cow’s milk cheese; blue-veined. A French cheese. AZEITAO A rich soft cheese from Portugal, made of sheep’s milk. BABY GOUDA American semi-soft cheeses. Mild with a bit more butterfat than unaged Edams. BACKSTEINER Bavarian cheese, brick-shaped. Almost as pungent as Limburger. BANON A French firm cow and goat’s milk cheese. The flavor enhances with age. The older it gets, the more strongly sour it becomes. BARBACENA Brazilian white cheese; firm. BARBEREY Also known as Fromage de Troyes. Pungent. A French cheese. BATH CHEESE An English soft cream cheese that is delicately flavored. BATTELMATT A Swiss cheese. Similar to the flavor of Tilsiter. BAYRISCHER BIERKASE A Bavarian cheese. The best way to eat this is to dip it in your stein of beer. BEAUFORT Also called Gruyere de Beaufort. Similar to Gruyere but with little or no holes. Also softer and more mild. A French cheese. BEAUMONT Semi-soft French cheese. Mild and creamy, much like Brie. BEJA A cheese made of sheep’s milk. Portuguese. When young, it is soft and buttery but as it ages, it becomes semi-hard and picante. Moderately salty. BEL LAGO Delicately flavored, semi-soft cheese. Made in Switzerland. BELLELAY Semi-soft with a flavor similar to Gruyere. Also known as Tete de Moine. Made in Switzerland. BELLETOILE A French triple-crème cheese. Mild. BEL PAESE Beautiful country. Mild, rich texture; spongy; creamy yellow interior. Originally, an Italian cheese, America now produces it. Used for dessert and snacks. Goes with fresh fruit and crusty French bread. BERGQUARA Similar to Gouda. Made in Sweden. BERLINER KUHKASE A soft cheese with caraway seeds. Made in Germany. BERTOLLI A firm sheep’s milk cheese from Italy. BIERKASE Semi-soft, with a pungent aroma rivaling Limburger. BIFROST White goat cheese that comes as both natural and processed. Made in Norway. BITTO A semi-firm cheese similar to Fontina. As it ripens, it becomes harder and more, more flavorful. Made in Italy and Switzerland. BLARNEY An Irish semi-soft cheese with a nutty flavor. In the Fontina family. BLAUSCHIMMELKASE Blue Cheese. There are two types – Edelpilz Blue, which is crumbly with 26 percent butterfat and a sharp flavor; and Creamy Blue. Creamy Blue is 70 percent butterfat categorizing it as a double-crème. It has a bland flavor much like Brie. BLEU French. Piquant, spicy; marbled, blue veined, semi-soft; creamy white. A wide variety available, distinguishable by the different milks used in their processing. A versatile cheese and a great eating cheese. Goes with fresh fruit, and bland crackers. BLUE d’AUVERGNE A French Roquefort. Hard cheese made from cow’s milk. Less salty with a strong taste and aroma. BLEU de GEX France’s terrific version of Stilton cheese. BLUE American or English blue veined cheeses made from cow’s milk and injected with the bacterium, penicilliium roqueforti. BLUE DORSET OR BLUE VINNEY An English cheese made from cow’s milk. Aged. This also contains a mold. BOERKASE American semi-soft cheese. Buttery, made of cow’s milk. Available with caraway or naturally smoked. BOLA A semi-firm cow’s milk cheese. Made in Portugal. BONBEL A semi-soft, bland cheese, flavored similarly to American Munster. Made in France. BONDANE A French cheese from the Tomme family. Available skimmed or whole milk. BONDOST A Swedish firm cheese with a mellow flavor. Often containing caraway seeds or cumin. BOURSAULT A French triple-crème cheese, rich and creamy. Made of goat’s milk. BOURSIN Very rich triple-crème cheese. Soft, delicate flavor. Made in France. BRANDKASE A German sour milk cheese. It is mixed with butter and ripened in old beer kegs then moistened periodically with beer. BRESSE BLEU American. A blue cheese. Creamy and mild. BRICK Also known as Bierkase or beer cheese. An American firm cheese. Yellow colored and more pungent than Cheddar. Great on sandwiches with rye bread. BRICOTTA A Corsican semi-soft cheese make from sheep’s milk. Salty. BRIE French. Larger and sharper flavor than Camembert. Soft, creamy with edible crust. Exquisite taste. A perfect Brie has a hint of tanginess with an under-flavoring of mushrooms. The presence of ammonia indicates over ripeness, unless pasteurized milk has been used. The finest and most delicious Bries are made from unpasteurized milk. Used for dessert and snacks. Goes with fresh fruit. BRILLAT-SAVARIN A white French dessert cheese with a delicate flavor. Excellent when served with a fruity Beaujolais and pears. BRINDZA Russian. Sheep or goat cheese, similar to feta cheese and of the same family. Soft, milky flavor. BROCCIO Similar to Bricotta and made of Corsican sheep or goat milk. BURRATA Considered by many the best fresh cheese in the world. Apulia, in Southern Italy is the home of this cheese, which at first sight looks like a big Mozzarella, weighing about 1 pound. Traditionally was made with buffalo milk, but today cow’s milk is used. It is buttery tasting, and has a higher fat content than Mozzarella. The outer layer is edible and the cheese is soft and creamy. BUTTERKASE Butter cheese from Germany. While it has no butter in it, the flavor is like that of butter. Only 45% butterfat. Eaten as is or melt it. CABOC Scottish. Cream cheese-like. High in butterfat. Rolled in oatmeal for a nutty flavor. CABREIRO Mixed ewe and goat cheese, made in Portugal. Its flavor is delicate when fresh and young, becoming sharper with age. CABRINNETI A soft dessert cheese from Denmark. CABRION A French cheese made from goat’s milk cheese. Ripened between layers of grape skins. CACHAT Sheep’s or goat’s milk, produced in France. Soft and creamy. Sometimes it is blended with wine and brandy. CACIOCAVALLO Firm, buttery with a light brown exterior and smoky flavor. Produced in Italy and is like Provolone. As it ages, it hardens. CACIOFIORE UMBRO Skimmed cow’s milk is used to produce this soft cheese, which is eaten fresh or briefly matured. It has a mild taste, with a slight aromatic overtone. CACIOTTA ROMANA Usually a mixture of sheep’s and cow’s milk. This cheese is most often eaten fresh as a table cheese but is also widely used in cooking. Usually eaten broiled or lightly fried in a little olive oil. CACIOTTA TOSCANA Classified under the general heading “Caciotta”, it includes endless varieties of cow’s, goat’s and sheep’s milk products from the upland areas of Tuscany, Latium, the Marches and Umbria. CAERPHILLY A mild Welsh or English cheese with a delicate flavor. Semi-soft to semi-firm texture. Crumbly and slightly salty flavor, reminiscent of buttermilk. CAMEMBERT French. A world reknowned cheese. Soft and ripened. Mild to pungent, tastes much like Brie, but more pointed in flavor and richer in texture; edible crust. The most widely marketed of all French cheeses. Used for dessert and snacks. Especially good with tart apple slices. CANESTRATO A Sicilian ripened cheese made from ewe’s milk. Aged. Pungent. CANTAL A French variety of Cheddar. One of France’s oldest cheeses. Firm, becoming crumbly with age. CAPRICE des DIEUX A French mild, soft double-crème cheese. Has a nice flavor and is a good first experience with double-cremes. CARRE FRAIS Also known as Gervais. French. A sweet cream cheese. CARRE de L’EST French. Known as a cross between Brie and Camembert. CASERA A salty goat’s milk cheese. Similar in flavor to Fontina. Made in Turkey or Greece. CASHKAVALLO Made in the Balkans and similar to Caciocavallo. CASTELO BRANCO Made of sheep’s milk, this cheese is similar in flavor to Queijo da Serra. Used most often as an aged cheese. From Portugal. CEDULAIT French. A type of ricotta, smooth without the curd. Delicate flavor. Butterfat content is 20 percent. CHABICHOU A smooth, soft goat’s milk cheese made in France. CHANAKH OR KLUKH PANIR Russian soft cheese made of either cow’s or sheep’s milk. Salty. CHANTELLE Semi-soft, ripened French cheese. Goes well with pears. CHAOURCE French. So rich it often is mistaken for a double-crème cheese. Creamy texture. As it ages, it develops a mushroom-like aroma. Tastes much like Camembert. CHEDDAR Mild to sharp, has an appetizing nutty flavor, and a firm buttery texture, slightly crumbly. Cream to orange-colored. Most widely manufactured and consumed product of its kind in the world. A variety of uses, in dishes and as an eating cheese. Especially good with apples. CHESHIRE Possibly England’s oldest cheese. Firm, slightly crumbly, salty, and tangy. Comes in three varieties – Red, which is an apricot-peach color; White, which is a pale yellow; and Blue, which is blue “by accident.” CHEVRE Most common of all goat cheeses. Pungent and creamy. French in origin. This cheese can be molded into any shape. Comes plain or coated with herbs, pepper, or edible vegetable ash. Used for relishes, appetizers, sauces, and compliments any cheese board. Goes with crackers and fruit. CHILCHIL Russian. Sour, saltwater cheese. Hard. Must be rinsed before eaten. CHRISTIAN IX A Danish semi-firm cheese, made with part skim milk with caraway seeds. Also known as King Christian IX. CLABBER CHEESE The English name for pot cheese. COEUR a la CRÈME Delicate, soft, French dessert cheese. Likened to cream cheese. COIMBRA Portuguese semi-firm, sharp, salty cheese which is sometimes made from goat’s milk. COLBY American. Softer and more creamy than Cheddar. White to medium yellow in color and is good for both cooking and eating plain. Smooth flavor. A variety of uses. COLORADO BLACKIE American. Belongs to the Cheddar family. So named because it is made in Colorado and has a black wrapping. COMTE French cheese, similar to Gruyere. Salty. High in butterfat. A good cheese to eat plain and to cook with. COON CHEDDAR Aged, sharp, and crumbly. The color is almost a pale yellow-white. COOPER American. A Cheddar-type cheese. CORNHUSKER American. Natural aged Cheddar-type cheese that is softer. COROLLE A French double-crème with a distinctive tangy flavor. COTTAGE CHEESE Mild, neutral taste; soft, moist; large or small curd; white. Used for appetizers, fruit salads, snacks and as a ingredient in cooking. Goes with canned or fresh fruit. COTTENHAM English. Double-crème and semi-firm. Sometimes veined with blue, creamier and richer than Stilton. COULOMMIERS French. A soft dessert cheese. Somewhere between Brie and Camembert in flavor but a bit more delicate. It develops an almost almond-like flavor when ripened. Serve alone or as a light dessert with grapes. CREAM CHEESE American. Mild and buttery. Soft, smooth and white. An acid curd cheese that is very high in fat content. Highly perishable and never ripened. Used for dessert, sandwiches, salads and as an ingredient in cooking. Goes well with jelly and crackers. CREAM HAVARTI A Danish semi-soft cheese. Available plain and flavored. CREMA DANIA From Denmark. Also known as Crema Danica. A soft triple-crème dessert cheese that is buttery and full-flavored. A truly great cheese. CRÈME CHANTILLY A French dessert cheese that has a soft, delicate flavor. CRÈME de GRUYERE A French cheese that is ripened and soft. The flavor is like Gruyere and the consistency is like Camembert. Delicious with fruit and crackers. CREOLE American. Soft unripened cheese made of cottage cheese and cream. CRESCENZA A traditional cheese from Lombardy, with at least 50 percent fat content made with whole cow’s milk. Eaten as fresh as possible, as it spoils quickly. CROISSANT DEMI-SEL Also known as Demi-Sel. French. Salt cured, double-crème dessert cheese in a crescent shape. CURWORTHY FARM A British semi-soft cheese, rich and creamy, with a flavor similar to Gouda. DAISY A Cheddar cheese, firm and mild. DANABLU Denmark. Known as Danish Blue. The sharpest of the family of blues. Creamy white with a flaky texture. DANBO Also called Danish Blue. A variety of Danish Samso, Generic. Mild, semi-firm and crumbly. It develops tang with age. May be flavored with caraway seeds. DANISH CRÈME SPECIAL Denmark. Triple-crème. Dessert cheese. Delicate and soft. DAUPHIN French. Flavored with tarragon and powdered cloves. DELICE de FRANCE A bulk Camembert from France. Not as good as true Camembert. DEMI-SEL French. A fresh cream cheese. DEMI-SUISSE French. An export version of the Petit-Suisse. DERBY English. Close-textured and firm. Mild when young. Some Derby has a green coloring, indicating the addition of sage. DEVONSHIRE English. Soft, unripened cream cheese made from Devonshire cream. DOLCELATTE Also known as Sweet Gorgonzola. Aged only slightly and meant to be eaten when young. The flavor is mild, delicate and sweet. But left to age, it takes on a more potent flavor, similar to regular Gorgonzola. DOUBLE-CRÈME All soft, ripened cheese containing 60% butterfat. DOUBLE GLOUCESTER English. Firm, ripened cheese. Mellow. Pale in color. Higher in butterfat than regular Gloucester. Sharp taste that goes well with apples. DUNLOP Scottish. Firm, sharp and flaky. Pale, almost white. Pronounced flavor, similar to Cheddar. A good eating cheese. EDAM Mild, delicate taste; firm with a red wax coating. Almost completely round. One of Holland’s premiere cheeses. Used for desserts, appetizers and cheese trays. Goes with fresh fruit. EDELPILZKASE Austrian. Blue-veined cheese and high in butterfat content. Soft when young, firmer and more crumbly when aged. EDIRNE Turkish. Sheep’s milk, semi-firm, white. Good in salads. ELBING (ELBINGER) German. Hard, crumbly and sharp. EMMENTHALER (EMMENTHALER OR EMMENTALER) Delicate, aromatic flavor. Nutty, sweet flavor. Hard, smooth golden-brown rind. One of the most famous Swiss cheeses. EPOISSES French. Usually soft but when aged, may be semi-firm. Sometimes flavored with pepper, cloves or fennel seeds then soaked in white wine. Washed with brandy, giving it a delicate flavor. ERBO Italian. Sometimes compared to Gorgonzola. ESROM Danish. Semi-soft, smooth, sweet and buttery. Fashioned after Port Salut. The rind may be eaten. EVORA A noted cheese from Portugal. Made of sheep’s milk. When young, it is creamy and as it ages becomes firm and develops a slight bite. EXPLORATEUR A triple-crème French cheese. Rich and buttery flavor. Lovely served with a bottle of wine. FARMER CHEESE The fresh curd of whole or skimmed milk, sieved. In some parts of the United States, the name is given to a cured cheese of mild flavor that is firm enough to slice. FARMER’S GOUDA A lovely Dutch, semi-soft cheese and one of their best. Made of cow’s milk. Mild taste when young, becoming stronger and harder with age. FETA Salty, creamy, crumbly, but sliceable. It becomes drier and saltier with age. Made of sheep’s milk. The most widely eaten of all the Greek cheeses. A table cheese used for appetizers and as an ingredient in cooking. Great in green salads. May be flavored with basil. FIOR di LATTE ABRUZZESE Made with cow’s milk, this is described as the poor relation of buffalo milk Mozzarella; it is similar in appearance, produced in oval shapes and braids. It is used as a table cheese and a cooking cheese, especially in regional dishes, in much the same way as Mozzarella. FONTAL Also known as Italian Fontina. A lovely copy of Fontina Val d’Aosta. Mild, buttery flavor. FONTINA VAL d’AOSTA An Italian semi-soft, raw milk cheese. Buttery. As it ages, it becomes more flavorful. Lovely in dishes and eaten alone. FONTINELLA The family of Fontina but firm enough to grate and with a sharper flavor. FORMAGGIO GRANDUCA Delicate and creamy. Soft cheese, similar to Brie but not as moist. FOURME d’AMBERT The sharpest of the French blues. Firm. Wonderful after dinner cheese. FRIESIAN Netherlands. Flavored with cloves alone, or the combination of cumin and cloves. FRIULANO An Italian Cheddar. Piquant. FROMAGE BLANC The simplest of French cheeses. A fresh white cheese that is rarely imported. Mild flavor. FROMAGE de CHEVRE FRAIS A French goat’s milk soft, spoonable cheese. A lovely topping for fruit. FROMAGE des PYRENEES A French semi-soft sheep’s milk, flavored cheese. Mild. A great eating cheese. GAISKASLI Goat’s milk cheese that is soft and delicately flavored. Produced in Germany and Switzerland. GAMMELOST Norwegian flat cheese made with skimmed sour milk. Has blue-green veins and has a crumbly texture. GARDA Italian soft dessert cheese; the crust is edible. GEROME French. Semi-soft, ripened cheese. Made from whole milk, with a brick-red rind, similar to Alsatian Munster in flavor. May contain anise, fennel or cumin seeds. GERVAISE French. Double-crème, soft, cheese. Ripened, delicate flavor, similar to Camembert. A variation of Petit Suisse. GJETOST (GETMESOST) Goat’s milk. Sweetish; firm, smooth; caramel-colored. A Scandinavian specialty and more like a confection than cheese. The softest Gjetost can be spread on bread; the harder type is served in a block and shaved off in thin flakes with a special knife. Used for appetizers. Goes with crackers or dark Norwegian flat bread. GLOUCESTER English cheese. Firm, smooth and mildly flavored. The best “red” cheese of England. Lower in butterfat content than Double Gloucester. GOMOST Norwegian. Made from whole cow’s milk and sometimes goat’s milk. Buttery. GORGONZOLA Italy’s oldest blue cheese. Blue-veined. Delicately flavored. When young it is semi-soft, almost creamy, and it becomes firmer and flakier as it ages with a more pronounced taste. The rind is edible. GOUDA Mild, nutty semi-soft cheese. Softer than Edam, with or without red wax coating. One of Holland’s most famous cheeses. A table cheese used for dessert, appetizers. Goes with fresh fruit. GOYA Argentine. Hard, grating cheese that is pale gold in color. Nutty flavor. GRADDOST Danish. Semi-firm with a mild, sweet flavor. GRANA PADANO Italian. A fine grating cheese, possibly the best. But not limited to grating. GRATTE PAILLE A French triple-crème cheese. A delicious and full-flavored cheese. One of the best. GRIS de LILLE French. Semi-firm. A variety of Maroilles. GRUYERE The famous cheese from Switzerland. The sweetest, nuttiest flavor of all the true Swiss cheeses. Delicate flavor, firm and naturally ripened. A variety of uses. |