The Cheese Report 01

Recently, I’ve been trying to expand my horizons with a variety of cheeses. I am a total cheese newbie, but it has been fun and exciting to try out various new types of cheese. Thus far I have been trying mostly cheaper cheeses; I get a very small slice, just in case I don’t end up liking it. Here’s what I’ve tried so far:

• Gouda: I’ve tried both the aged and the young varieties. Probably my favorite cheese so far. The aged one had a sharp taste, and even a few grains, but was still very pleasant. The young gouda has a very nice buttery texture, and a mild flavor that allows the cheese to be eaten by itself.
• Cheshire: A very sharp cheese, with a rather strange texture. It’s somewhat crumbly (but still easily sliced) and not really hard. It reminded me of a cross between Ricotta and Cheddar. I thought this one was alright, and I’d try it again.
• Swiss: I always hated the kind you get on a sandwich, but I was hoping this would be different. It wasn’t. I hate Swiss cheese. It has an ok (but oily!) texture, but I despise its very distinctive flavor.
• Blue: On its own, blue cheese can be a bit too sharp and pungent for my tastes, but it pairs extremely well with a variety of foods. The crumbliness makes it annoying to serve, but overall it tasted fantastic when matched with an appropriate food.
• Brie: This cheese had an absolutely wonderful texture, but there was something about the flavor that I wasn’t thrilled about. Perhaps the earthy taste didn’t go as well with the delicate texture. I didn’t like the bloom either, but I would try this cheese again.

Related posts:

1. The Cheese Report 02
2. The Cheese Report 03
3. Ho Hummus