Examples include Taleggio, Epoisses and Limburger. The washing prevents mold from appearing and eliminates the formation of a hard rind, yielding a sticky, soft, reddish crust instead. This cheesemaking technique involves washing the rind of the cheese with a brine or alcohol solution during aging. Blue cheeses are often enjoyed in salads, crumbled atop Filet Mignon, or immersed in a dip or sauce. With Roquefort, the mold enters the cheese as it ages in caves where the spores naturally exist. ![]() ![]() In cheeses like Stilton and Gorgonzola, the mold spores are introduced by injection. The best known examples include Roquefort, Stilton, Gorgonzola, Cabrales and Maytag. Blue cheeses need to be aged for a long enough period of time to allow their blue mold to fully develop. The addition of the Penicillium bacteria during the aging process creates edible blue or green streaks inside wheels of this type of cheese. A double creme has a butterfat content of over 60% whereas the fat content of a triple creme exceeds 72%. Examples include Brillat Savarin, Chaource and St. Perhaps the opposite of hard cheese, double and triple creme cheeses are made by adding extra cream to the milk prior to the cheesemaking process. Hard cheeses are high in protein and are available pasteurized or unpasteurized. In order for a cheese to become hard with age, the milk used in its production must be at least partially skimmed. Hard cheeses can also be grated or shredded and added to dishes like chili, soup, pasta and salad. These cheeses are very hard to cut and are often chunked by stabbing the cheese with the point of a knife then breaking off a piece by turning or rotating it. ![]() Hard cheese types include Aged Gouda, Parmigiano Reggiano and Pecorino Romano. Semi-soft cheeses can be easily cut with a dull knife and retain enough water content to melt reasonably well. As these cheeses age, they begin to cross the vague line that separates semi-soft and hard. A young Gouda is a semi-soft cheese, as are young versions of Manchego and Cheddar. As this cheese gets older, its texture gets harder and harder. For example, our Dutch Gouda can be aged for two, nine, eighteen or thirty-six months. Lower fat cheese when aged for three months or less fall into our semi-soft category. Most soft cheeses do not age well because of their high-fat content. The texture of a semi-soft cheese falls between soft and hard. This type of cheese tends to melt well due to its high water and fat content. Soft cheeses are less tangy than their aged counterparts, offering smoother, creamier flavors. These cheeses are typically aged for 60 days or less, can be easily cut with a fork, and usually have a shelf life of two months or less, especially once removed from protective packaging. Soft cheese types include Havarti, Port Salut and Feta. ![]() Perhaps more importantly with fresh cheeses than with other types, a high-quality milk must be used in its production. Their flavor is intentionally mild, letting the unadulterated character of the source milk shine through. Unlike other cheeses where aging improves the quality, the fresher the better in the case of Fresh Cheeses. Fresh cheeses consumed in the US are usually produced in the US, as the time to import such a product takes away from its already short shelf life and the cost to fly these cheeses into the country can be prohibitive. These cheeses are not ripened at all, are spoonable, and usually have a shelf life of three weeks or less. Our types of cheese include:įresh cheese types include Ricotta, Cream Cheese and Mascarpone. igourmet is the number one retailer of specialty cheese in the United States, and our exclusive relationships with European suppliers combined with our high volume ensures that your order will be the freshest it can possibly be. Gourmet cheeses come in many varieties and flavors, but the most important factor to consider when shopping this intriguing category is quality. Cheese is the most important subcategory within the overall category of Gourmet Food.
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