An Introduction To The Types Of Cheeses Found In A Good Cheese Shop

There are several types of cheese that one will encounter in a good gourmet cheese shop. We are not talking about goat, sheep or cow milk cheeses but are referring to the terms used to distinguish the manner in which the cheeses are produced. These processes are important to the final product with respect to their taste, smell and texture.

Pressed Cheese: The curds of these types of cheese are hand or mechanically pressed to remove the maximum amount of water during production. This produces hard and semi-hard types of cheese. After pressing the cheese may be cooked to remove even more moisture from the curd. This cooking process creates a very firm inner paste and a hard outer rind. If the cheese remains uncooked or thermalized its inner paste and outer rind will remain only semi firm. Uncooked cheeses tend to be sweet and fruity when they are young but will develop a much more complex flavor as they age. After further drying the young cheeses are subjected to a salt bath and are then allowed to age in cool rooms or caves. Natural rind cheeses tend to have hard outer rinds and are for the most part inedible, however some cheddars and semi-firm cheeses will have edible rinds

Examples of Cooked Pressed Cheeses include; Gruyere, Swiss Emmental, Gouda,  Parmigiano Reggiano, Asiago, French Comte, and Idiazabal

Examples of Uncooked Pressed Cheeses include; Morbier, Red Leicester and Tete de Moine, Roncal, Pecorino Toscano, Manchego, Farmhouse Cheddar and Hirtenkase

Washed Rind Cheese: These cheeses have also become known infamously as " stinky cheeses". Before beginning the aging process some of these cheeses may be cooked. During their aging process these cheeses are washed or "bathed" with liquids like wine, apple or pear juice. The sweetness of the wash enables the growth of bacteria on the outer rind. This beneficial bacteria is actually encouraged and produces the stinky aroma and the sticky, reddish-orange rinds that are for the most part inedible. It also inhibits the growth of unwanted mold on the cheese. For many of theses cheeses the stinky aroma is only held in the washed rind so that when it is removed an exquisitely flavored inner paste is revealed. So reward yourself and be daring.

Examples of Washed Rind Cheeses include; Epoisses, Taleggio, French Munster, Stinking Bishop, Pont-L'eveque,Vacherin Fribourgeois and Mahon

Soft Ripened Cheeses or Bloomy Rind Cheeses: For the most part these cheeses are not cooked but their rinds are exposed to mold. The mold is encouraged to cover the entire outer rind and it forms a white or light beige velvety layer that holds in the soft inner paste. The outer rinds are edible but it is really a matter of personal taste. As these cheeses age or "ripen" they become gooey or completely runny. This type of cheese is wonderful as a table cheese when served with fresh fruits and crusty bread.

Examples of Soft Ripened Cheeses include; Camembert, Brie, Chaource and Italian Toma

As mentioned in previous posts a ripe Brie should bulge when it is cut but if appears to be runny you should avoid it because it is past its prime.

Triple Cream Cheeses: To be considered a triple cream a cheese must contain at least 75% butterfat. This high fat content produces sinfully decadent cheeses that have wonderful texture and flavor. Some triple creams are soft-ripened and some are freshly produced with little aging.

To fully enjoy these rich cheeses serve them with Champagne or indulge in a Parisian breakfast by spreading them on a crusty baguette. Mascarpone is sometimes considered to be a triple cream cheese becaues it does contain at least 70% to 75% butterfat but rennet is not used in its production so no curds are produced therefore many cheese purists consider it to be a dairy product like cream and not a cheese at all.

Examples of Triple Cream Cheeses include; Explorateur, Brillat Savarin or Pierre Robert

Blue Veined Cheeses: Blue cheeses are made from cow's sheep and goat's milk. After the cheeses have been formed and placed in caves or cellars and begin to age they are pierced with needle and molds are introduced to create the blue and sometimes green veining. Blue cheese can be mild in flavor or  have a very powerful flavor and some will be somewhere in between. So there is a blue cheese for almost everyone.

We hope that this will make your next visit to your local cheese shop a little less intimidating and that you will be a better informed cheese buyer. You should never feel that your questions or concerns are silly, any GOOD cheese seller will be more than happy to let you sample any of his cheeses and to answer any of your questions. If you meet some resistance to sampling or the sales staff seems aloof or uninterested in your questions find another cheese shop!

6 Tips On Cutting Cheese

I hope these tips will help you when you are planning for a party or setting up a cheese plate or cheese board. Always provide a separate cheese knife for each separate cheese.

1) Let your cheese come to room temperature before cutting it. The reason for this is that cheeses will soften as they warm up thus making them easier to cut.

2) Cut Brie, Camembert or Taleggio cheese in wedges like a pie and in sizes that will be easy to handle. When cutting off a piece from a pre-sliced wedge always cut in the direction of the wedge, do not cut off the tip or across the wedge. Do not scoop out the center of the cheese and leave the rind on the serving plate ! You can also serve a large piece and allow your guests to cut their own portions but this usually causes a bit of a mess and a small traffic jam at the table.

3) Cut hard and semi-hard cheeses into cubes if you are serving them as table snacks but for more formal settings, where the cheese is the focus, cut small wedges (about 2 oz) and place them on each guests plate. For cheese boards or cheese plates cut them into larger wedges so that your guests can cut their own portion sizes.

4) For fresh goat cheeses, place a moderate sized portion on the serving plate and provide a butter knife for spreading the cheese onto crackers or bread.

5) For round cylinder cheeses like Stilton or Cheshire, cut them so that you keep the round shape. In other words do not cut wedges , cut circles about 1/2 inch thick. In this way your guests will appear to be cutting a pie. This will add a distinctive eye appeal to your setting.

6) For bloomy rind cheeses like Epoisses or Exploratur leave them in their containers and just split them open on the top. Provide a small spoon to allow your guests to scoop out the soft cheese and a small knife for spreading. It is advisable to keep these types of cheeses in their containers otherwise they will become very messy and unsightly when they ooze all over the place.

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I have found that a good, sharp cheese knife with a 4 or 6 inch blade is indispensable when preparing cheese. A wire cheese slicer is also very good for slicing moderate sizes of cheese but they do not work very well with round cylinder cheeses. Cheese slicers can be found in most department stores but make sure you have a way of ordering more cheese wires as they break often. Also a sharp two handled cheese knife with a 10 or 12 inch blade will also come in handy for large or very hard pieces of cheese. This type of knife allows you to exert more downward pressure on the cheese and produces a more uniform or straight cut.

Sottocenere The Italian Truffle Cheese Masterpiece

Sottocenere the Italian truffle cheese is the “ORIGINAL” and genuine truffle cheese made under ash” by Antonio Carpenedo. He is the master “affinatore” or cheese ager and the creator of the truffle cheese. This cheese is also known as Sottocenere al Tartufo or Perlagrigia. The name Perlagrigia translates as the "gray pearl" and is produced in the Vento region near Venice. The residents of this region have enjoyed Sottocenere for many years and now it has finally come to the United States. This is a true blessing for anyone who enjoys truffles. 

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Bamboo Cutting Board Set  at Amazon

Flavor: Sottocenere is only aged for about one month so it has a light fresh flavor with hints of the herbed rind. The ash rind is edible but is gritty so you may want to scrape it off. The ashed herbs do impart their flavors to the cheese. has a smooth and semi- soft light yellowish interior paste and a very aromatic cinnamon scent that fills the room. The outer rind is light gray in color with a slight dusty appearance.  Both the process of the aging and the very special ingredients make this a most unforgettable and unique cheese.

Details: Sottocenere is a semi-soft pasteurized cow milk cheese with real slices of black truffles mixed into the paste of the cheese. Its rind is rubbed with extra virgin olive oil and natural truffle oil. Then a layer of ash is used to cover the entire cheese. This layer of ash helps to lock in the wonderful herb flavors and helps to prevent the interior of the cheese from drying out. The ash layer is made from drying and grinding the following herbs; cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, coriander, licorice and nutmeg. All of these herbs are grown by local farmers using time honored methods of cultivation and harvesting. The cheese is then aged in its herbed rind for at least one month.

How To Serve:  Try Sottocenere with an antipasto course or with sun dried tomatoes as a midday treat. It also will present well as a table cheese or as a dessert course. Sottocenere is sometimes known as Perlagrigia so you may have to ask for it by either name.

Wine parings: Barolo or Barberas