Cheeses can lie classified by country of origin, ripening method, fat content or texture. Here we classify fine cheeses by texture and have adopted 3 cate­gories for describe and explain the qualities of cheese: fresh or unripened, soft, semi-soft.

Fresh or Unripened Cheeses

Fresh cheeses are uncooked and unripened. Referred to as frontage blanc or fromage frais in French, they are generally mild and creamy with a tart tanginess They should not taste acidic or bitter. Fresh cheeses have a moisture content of 40% to 80% and are highly perishable.

Cream cheese is a soft cow’s-milk cheese from the United States containing approximately 35% fat. It is available in various-sized solid white blocks or whipped and flavored. It is used throughout the kitchen in baking, dips, dressings and confections and is popular as a spread for bagels and toast.

Feta is a semi-soft Greek or Italian product made from sheep’s and/or goat’s milk. It is a white, flaky cheese that is pickled (but not ripened) and stored in brine water, giving it a shelf life of four to six flavor is useful in both sweet and savory sauces as well as desserts. It is also: eaten plain, with fresh fruit, or spread on bread and sprinkled with cocoa a sugar.

Mozzarella is a firm Italian cheese traditionally made with water buffalo’s milk (today, cow’s milk is more common) and containing 40% to 45% fat. Moz­zarella becomes elastic when melted and is well known as “pizza cheese.’ Fresh mozzarella is excellent in salads or topped simply with olive oil and herbs. It is a very mild white cheese best eaten within hours of production Commercial mozzarella is rather bland and rubbery and is best reserved for cooking, for which it may be purchased already shredded.

Ricotta is a soft Italian cheese, similar to American cottage cheese, made from the whey left when other cow’s-milk cheeses are produced. It contains only 4% to 10% fat. It is white or ivory in color and fluffy, with a small grain and sweet flavor. Ricotta is an important ingredient in many pasta dishes and desserts.

Soft Cheeses

Soft cheeses are characterized by their thin skins and creamy centers. They are among the most delicious and popular of cheeses. They ripen quickly and are at their peak for only a few days, sometimes less. Moisture content ranges from 50% to 75%.

Bel paese is a 20th-century Italian creation made from cow’s milk and con­taining approximately 50% fat. It is mild and creamy with a fruity flavor. The inside is yellowish, and the outside is brown or gray. Bel paese is excellent for snacking and melts easily.

Brie is a rind-ripened French cheese made with cow’s milk and contain­ing about 60% fat. Brie is made in round, flat disks weighing 2 or 4 pounds; it is coated with a bloomy white rind. At the peak of, ripeness, it is creamy and rich, with a texture oozes. Selecting a properly ripened Brie is a matter of judgment and experience. Select a cheese that is bulging a bit inside its rind; there should be  just the beginning of a brown coloring on the rind. If underripe, Brie will be bland with a hard, chalky core. Once the cheese is cut, it will not ripen any further. If over­ripe, Brie will have a brownish rind that may be gummy or sagging and will smell strongly of ammonia. The rind is edible, but trim it off if preferred. The classic after-dinner cheese, Brie is also used in soups, sauces and hors d’oeuvres.

Boursin is a triple-cream cow’s-milk cheese from France containing ap­proximately 75% fat. Boursin is usually flavored with peppers, herbs or garlic. It is rindless, with a smooth, creamy texture, and is packed in small, foil-wrapped cylinders. Boursin is a good breakfast cheese and a welcome addi­tion to any cheese board. It is also a popular filling for baked chicken.

Camembert is a rind-ripened cheese from France containing approxi­mately 45% fat. Bavaria also produces a Camembert, though of a somewhat lesser quality. Camembert is creamy, like Brie, but milder. It is shaped in small round or oval disks and is coated with a white bloomy rind. Selecting a properly ripened Camembert is similar to selecting a Brie, but Camembert will become overripe and ammoniated even more quickly than Brie. Camem­bert is an excellent dessert or after-dinner cheese and goes particularly well with fruit.

Semi-Soft Cheeses

Semi-soft cheeses include many mild, buttery cheeses with smooth, sliceable textures. Some semi-soft cheeses are also known as monastery or Trappist Cheeses because their development is traced to monasteries, some recipes hav­ing originated during the Middle Ages. The moisture content of semi-soft cheeses ranges from 40% to 50%.

Doux de Montague is a cow’s-milk cheese from France containing ap­proximately 45% fat. Produced in the foothills of the Pyrenees, it is also re­ferred to as pain de Pyrenees. Doux de Montagne is pale yellow with ir­regular holes and a mellow, sweet, nutty flavor. It is sometimes studded With green peppercorns, which provide a tangy flavor contrast. It is usu­ally shaped in large, slightly squashed spheres and coated with brown wax. Doux de Montagne is good before dinner and for snacking.

Fontina is a cow’s-milk cheese from Italy’s Piedmont region con­taining approximately 45% fat. The original, known as fontina Val D’Aosta. has a dark gold, crusty rind; the pale gold, dense interior has a few small holes. It is nutty and rich. The original must have a purple trademark stamped on the rind. Imitation   fontinas   (known   as fontal or fontinella) are pro­duced in Denmark. France, Swe­den, the United States and other regions of Italy. They tend to be softer, with less depth of flavor, and may have a rubbery texture. Real fontina is a good after-dinner cheese;  the  imitations are often added to sauces, soups or sandwiches.

Gorgonzola is a blue-veined cow’s-milk cheese from Italy containing 48% fat. Gorgonzola has a white or ivory interior with bluish-green veins. It is creamier than Stilton or Roquefort, with a somewhat more pungent, spicy, earthy flavor. White gorgonzola has no veins but a similar flavor, while aged gorgonzola is drier and crumbly with a very strong, sharp flavor. The milder gorgonzolas are excellent with fresh peaches or pears or crumbled in a salad. Gorgonzola is also used in sauces and in the torta con basilico, a cakelike cheese loaf composed of lay­ers of cheese, fresh basil and pine nuts.

Gouda is a Dutch cheese containing approximately 48% fat. Gouda is sold in various-sized wheels covered with red or yellow wax. The cheese is yellow with a few small holes and a mild, buttery flavor. Gouda may be sold soon after production, or it may be aged for several months, resulting in a firmer, more flavorful cheese. Gouda is widely popular for snacking and in fondue.

Havarti is a cow’s-milk monastery-style cheese from Denmark containing 45% to 60% fat. Havarti is also known as Danish Tilsit or by the brand name Dofino. Pale yellow with many small, irregular holes, it is sold in small rounds, rectangular blocks or loaves. Havarti has a mild flavor and creamy tex­ture. It is often flavored with dill, caraway seeds or peppers. Havarti is very popular for snacking and in sandwiches.

Port du Salut is a monastery cow’s-milk product from France containing approximately 50% fat. Port du Salut (also known as Port Salut) is smooth, rich and savoiy. It is shaped in thick wheels with a dense, pale yellow interior and an edible, bright orange rind. The Danish version is known as Esrom. One of the best and most authentic Port du Saluts has the initials S.A.F.R. stamped on the rind. Lesser-quality brands may be bland and rubbery. It is popular for break­fast and snacking, especially with fruit.

Roquefort is a blue-veined sheep’s-milk cheese from France containing approximately 45% fat. One of the oldest cheeses, Roquefort is intensely pun­gent with a rich, salty flavor and strong aroma. It is a white paste with veins:] of blue mold and a thin natural rind shaped into thick, foil-wrapped cylin­ders. Roquefort is always aged for at least three months in the limestone caves of Mount Combalou. Since 1926, no producer outside this region can legally use the name Roquefort or even “Roquefort-style.” Roquefort is an ex­cellent choice for serving before or after dinner and is, of course, essential for Roquefort dressing.

Stilton is a blue-veined cow’s-milk cheese from Great Britain containing 45% fat. Stilton is one of the oldest and grandest cheeses in the world. It has a white or pale yellow interior with evenly spaced blue veins. Stilton’s distinctive flavor is pungent, rich and tangy, combining the best of blues and Cheddars. It is aged in cool ripening rooms for four to six months to develop the blue veining; it is then sold in tall cylinders with a crusty, ed­ible rind. Stilton should be wrapped in a cloth dampened with salt water and stored at cool temperatures, but not refrigerated. It is best served alone, with plain crackers, dried fruit or vintage port.