There are hundreds of varieties of cheeses produced in the world. Generally, there are only four basic categories for the varieties of cheeses:
Soft cheese - examples are Brie, Cream Cheese, Mascarpone
Semi-hard cheese - examples are Blue, Monterey Jack
Hard cheese - examples are Cheddar, Colby
Very hard cheese - examples are Parmesan, Romano
A semi-hard, raw, cow's milk cheese. This mellow, melt-in-your-mouth cheese is noted for the beautiful color of its washed rind. Try this Trappist style cheese with a good microbrew. Made from Jersey cow milk from the Von Trapp farm.
See: Three Shepherd of the Mad River Valley
The mildest, sweetest cheese of the family that includes Switzerland's famous Emmenthaler and Gruyere. Baby Swiss is notable for its light, almost white color, creamy texture and small holes. Its nutty flavor and smooth melting characteristics make it a perfect ingredient in many recipes, as well as a welcome addition to a cheese tray. A smoked version is also available.
See: Boggy Meadow Farm Cheese
West River Creamery
This is a generic term to describe many
different types of cheeses made throughout Europe and North America. All blues
begin as unpressed white cheese onto which a blue mold such as Penicillium
roqueforti is dusted. The mold makes its way into the interior of the cheese via
forty or so holes punched through the wheel of cheese as it ages. Most blues
have a crumbly texture and a sharp, tangy flavor.
Serve blue cheese with robust,
whole-grain crackers. Port wine is the classic accompaniment. Crumble blue into
sour cream or plain yogurt as a dip, or into mayonnaise as a dressing.
See:
Blythedale Farm
Cato Corner Farm
Great Hill Dairy
Green Mountain Blue Cheese
Jasper Hill Farm
Rustling Wind Creamery
Westfield Farms
A world-famous externally-ripened cow's milk cheese that originated in the 13th-century near Paris. It is an easily recognized thin disc covered with a whitish bloom. At its peak, the cheese's interior should be plump and glossy, but not runny or smelling of ammonia, which indicates over-ripeness.
Its flavor is mildly tangy and fruity. Serve Brie with a variety of fruits. Thin slices served on a sandwich with roast beef are quite tasty. Some people enjoy Brie baked in a pastry crust.
See:
Blythedale Farm
Sandwich Creamery
A cows milk cheese with a natural, not cloth-wrapped rind. It is a simple, mild, semifirm cheese with a slightly liquid edge near the crust.
See:
Cato Corner Farm
Cobb Hill Cheese
An externally-ripened cows-milk cheese similar in appearance
to Brie. Camembert originated in Normandy about 300 years ago. Its flavor is
only slightly more assertive than Brie, and its rind is edible. Use Camembert as
you would Brie.
See:
Blythedale Farm
Chase Hill Farm
Sankow's Beaver Brook Farm
Westfield Farm
Willow Hill Farm
Ask almost anyone for the name of a cheese from New England,
and invariably the response will be: "Vermont Cheddar!"
Brought to the New World by English colonists, Cheddar-type
cheeses were made on most farms in New England. Vermont is responsible for
virtually all of the region's Cheddar production today.
Cheddar's flavor can vary from mild to extremely sharp and
its texture can range from firm but smooth to dry and almost crumbly, depending
on the age of the cheese. New England Cheddars are commonly sold ranging in age
from six to thirty-six months old. Cheddar's popularity has never been higher,
with the addition of many smoked, herbed and spiced varieties. Use younger
Cheddars for most cooking applications including melting, grating, soups and
sauces.
Why Are New England Cheddars White?
People from outside the region are often surprised to
discover that our Cheddars (and almost all of our other cheeses) lack the bright
orange color with which they are familiar.
Why? It's simple: orange cheese is artificially colored.
Holding fast to our centuries-old tradition, we don't color our cheeses.
See:
Cabot Creamery
Chase Hill Farm
Grafton Village Cheese
Jasper Hill Farm
Shelburne Farms
Neighborly Farms of Vermont
Sandwich Creamery
Smith's Country Cheese
State of Maine Cheese Company
Sugarbush Farm
Vermont Butter & Cheese Co.
West River Creamery
Westfield Farm
Hard, crumbly texture, with a tangy, salty flavor.
See:
Rustling Wind Creamery
West River Creamery
An American original, Colby is named for the town where it
was invented. Colby is a "washed curd" cheese. The term "washed curd" indicates
that during the cooking process the whey is replaced by water to reduce the
curd's acidity. In addition, the curd is not turned and stacked like a Cheddar,
nor is it pressed quite as hard.
The cheese which results is somewhat similar to Cheddar, but
softer and moister with a mild, sweet flavor. Colby may be used just like
cheddar.
See:
Chase Hill Farm
Crowley Cheese Co.
Frog City Cheese
Orb Weaver Farm
Neighborly Farms of Vermont
State of Maine Cheese Company
Coulommier is a delicious semi-soft cheese, made from cow's milk. Having most of the same characteristics as brie, coulommier is smaller in size, and thicker. Coulommier is velvety soft with a pronounced tang.
See:
Sandwich Creamery
Old Fashion Cream Cheese is produced without stabilizers or preservatives. This cheese has a smooth, creamy, and spreadable texture. The luxurious taste makes a delightful spread on bagels and toast, as the base for a rich cheesecake, or even crumbled over a salad.See:
Champlain Valley Creamery
These are terms you will hear and see
quite often when dealing with limited-production, artisan crafted cheeses.
"Farmhouse Cheese" is not a specific type of cheese, but a term used to denote a
cheese made by a farm using exclusively the milk from its own herd.
Additionally, Farmhouse cheesemakers usually use raw (unpasteurized) milk in their cheeses because they feel the pasteurization process removes some of the "character" of their milk. During the cheese's aging process, the cheese builds up certain acids which cause it to "self-pasteurize", making it perfectly safe to eat. Because Farmhouse cheeses are usually made in small batches by hand, the cheesemaker's individual style becomes very evident in the flavor, texture and even the color of the finished product.
See:
- Apsenhurst, Bayley Hazen Blue, Constant Bliss (Jasper Hill Farm)
- Block's Landing, Bridgid's Abbey, Chabbey, Colchester Colby, Dutch Farmstead, Hooligan, Jeremy River Cheddar, and Vivace (Cato Corner Farm)
- Blue, Cheshire, Wensleydale (Rustling Wind Creamery)
- Brother Laurent, Gore-Dawn-Zola, Vermont Blue ( Green Mountain Blue Cheese)
- Buck Hill Sunshine, Buck Hill Sunrise, Holy Cow!, Meadow Sweet, and Tarte de Force (Lazy Lady Farm)
- Camembert, Farmstead Cheddar, and Farmstead Colby (Chase Hill Farm)
- Camembert Vermont, Cookeville Grana, Green Mountain Gruyere, Jersey Blue, and Vermont Brie (Blythedale Farm)
- Fanny Mason Cheese (Boggy Meadow Farm Cheese)
- Farmhouse Cheddars (Shelburne Farms)
- Farmhouse Cheeses (Orb Weaver Farm)
- Organic: Raw Milk Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Feta, Colby, Flavored Cheddars and Flavored Monterey Jack, (Neighborly Farms)
- Farmhouse Goudas (Taylor Farm)
- Fernwood, La Fleurie, Mountain Tomme, (Willow Hill Farm)
- Gore and La Couverture (La Fromagerie du Royaume)
- Harbor Light, James Bay, and Misty Cove ( Lakes End Cheeses)
- Nehantic Abby, and Pleasant Cow Cheese (Sankow's Beaver Brook Farm)
- Tarentaise (Thistle Hill Farm)
Of Greek origin, this pale white cheese was originally made
from the milk of sheep. Today, in the U.S., it is often made from cow's milk.
Feta's curd is only lightly pressed and then ripened in brine, giving the cheese
a crumbly texture and salty taste. Use Feta on a Mediterranean-inspired
appetizer tray or crumbled over salads.
See:
Neighborly Farms of Vermont
Sankow's Beaver Brook Farm
Vermont Butter & Cheese Co.
Fromage Blanc is a very soft, spreadable unripened cheese
made from skim milk. Literally translated from the French, Fromage Blanc
simply means "white cheese"
See: Vermont Butter & Cheese Co.
Gruyere: a moderate-fat cow's milk cheese with a creamy
yellow interior and golden brown rind. Its' flavor is rich, with a hint of
fruits and nuts. typically aged for 10 to 12 months, it can enjoyed alone or in
recipes.
See: Blythdale Farms
Originating in the Netherlands, Gouda is easily recognized by
its distinctive red waxed exterior, enrobing a three to fifteen-inch wheel. The
cheese itself is straw-colored, with a firm yet creamy texture scattered with
small holes.
Typically aged for only a few months before it reaches
maturity, its mild and buttery flavor develops a richer tang as the cheese ages.
A superbly versatile cheese, Gouda is noted as a breakfast cheese in Europe and
is especially good served with fruit.
See: Smith's Country Cheese
Taylor Farm
King Louis is a semi-hard washed rind cows milk cheese that is reminiscent of a French Munster with a slightly pungent, hearty, and creamy character that pairs well with crisp white wines and many micro-brews.
See: Three Shepherd of the Mad River Valley
This is a rich, Italian-style cream cheese. It is
indispensable for cannoli fillings as well as the classic dessert, Tira Mi
Su, and is the foundation for Torta. Mascarpone may be used as the primary
ingredient of a "killer" cheesecake.
See:
Vermont Butter & Cheese Co.
Created by Spanish monks in early
California, Monterey Jack is a light-colored, creamy-textured relative of
cheddar noted for its mild flavor. It is because of that mildness that Monterey
Jack is so often flavored with Jalapeno Jack being the most famous of this type.
All Jack cheeses melt beautifully, and
are especially good on broiled, open-face sandwiches. Jack's meltability has
made it indispensable for Southwestern and "Tex-Mex" dishes, shredded over
tacos, stuffed into enchiladas or melted over refried beans. Serve jack cheeses
with beer and fruity wines.
See:
Cabot Creamery
Neighborly Farms
State of Maine Cheese Company
Due to the popularity of
pizza in our country, mozzarella production has risen to the point where it
rivals Cheddar, the all-time production champion!
Besides pizza, Mozzarella may be used
to top any baked Italian dish, including ziti casseroles, lasagna, and veal,
chicken or eggplant "parmesan". Mozzarella may be marinated in good olive oil
and herbs as an antipasto. Bread and pan (or deep) fry mozzarella "cutlets" and
serve on a pool of marinara sauce.
Mozzarella is packaged in a variety of
sizes and is produced in whole-milk, part-skim and skim varieties. The higher
the fat content, the richer and more tender the cheese.
See:
Calabro Cheese Co.
Maplebrook Farm
Parmesan: a hard, dry cheese made from skimmed or
partially skimmed cow's milk, with a rich, sharp flavor. It is primarily used
for grating. U.S. examples of parmesan are typically aged 14 months, while some
Italian versions are aged up to 4 years.
See:
Blythdale Farm
Calabro Cheese Corp.
This is soft, spread able German-style
cream cheese. Very versatile, Quark can be used in everything from bagel spreads
to desserts. Its fat content is higher than the skim milk Fro mage Blanc, but
significantly lower than Mascarpone. It is very white, with a tangy flavor.
See: Vermont Butter & Cheese Co.
Romano: Named for the city of Rome, most
American Romano's are made of cow's milk or a combination of cow's milk with
sheep or goat. they can vary from mild to extremely sharp and is mostly used for
grating.
See: Calabro Cheese
Soft Cheeses that are often mixed with other ingredients
or seasonongs, and served as a complement to crackers, bagels or in recipes
See:
Beryl Marton and Company
Sandwich Creamery
Smith's Country Cheese
A fresh curd-like cheese that blends wonderfully. It's rich, creamy texture is low in salt and bursting with the flavour
See: Beryl Marton & Co.
Thistle Hill Farm Tarentaise is an aged alpine raw milk cheese, made by-hand from the certified organic milk of their grass-fed Jersey cows. The cheese is made in the tradition of Beaufort and Abondance cheeses of the Tarentaise Valley in the Savoie region of the French Alps. This unique cheese is smooth textured, subtly nut-flavored and naturally rinded. It is ideal both for the table and for melting.
See: Thistle Hill Farm
A natural rind, raw cow's milk cheese. This bold nutty cheese has a wonderfully crumbly texture and derives its golden color from the milk of the Von Trapp's Jersey cows grazing local mountain pastures.
See: Three Shepherd of the Mad River Valley
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