What Kind Of Cheese Is That? How to identify a cheese style | culture: the word on cheese
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What Kind Of Cheese Is That? How to identify a cheese style


Repeat after us: brie is not a style of cheese! It’s classified as a “bloomy rind,” and there are all kinds of “brie-like” cheeses across the globe. To cut down confusion when it comes to types of cheese, we’ve crafted a simple chart:

TYPEDEFINITIONEXAMPLES
BlueThe growth of blue mold on or in cheeses.Roquefort, Gorgonzola, Stilton, or Cabrales
Bloomy RindThe white, edible rind formed by spraying the surface with a harmless, flavor-producing, white Penicillium candidum mold before aging, which allows it to ripen from the outside in and retain a high percentage of moisture.Brie, Camembert, or Triple Cream
Pasta FilataItalian for spun paste, a process in which curds are heated and then kneaded, stretched, and molded into a desired shape, which creates elastic cheeses that stretch when melted.Mozzarella, Provolone, Oaxaca, or Burrata
Alpine-styleAny cheese made in the traditional style indigenous to the Alps, the European mountain range that marks the borders of Switzerland, France, Austria, and Italy.Gruyère, Emmental, Comté
Cheddar or cheddar-likeAny cheese that is made by the process of cheddaring, where curds are left to sit together for a few hours after they coagulate. As the curds drain, they knit together into a solid mass. This mass is then sliced into smaller loaves and stacked on top of one another.Clothbound cheddars such as Montgomery’s, Jasper Hill Farm
Cabot Clothbound, or Westcombe; Vermont Cheddars such as Grafton Village, or Shelburne Farms; or Wisconsin Cheddars such as Hook’s 5-Year, Carr Valley’s Master Reserve, or Henning’s
FreshCheese that has not been aged for more than a few weeks.Ricotta, Cottage Cheese, Chèvre
Grana/Grating CheeseGrana is a firm, aged cheese from Italy that is commonly used for grating and is known for its grainy textureGrana Padano, Parmigiano Reggiano, or Pecorino Romano
Processed CheeseA term generally used to describe cheese that has been processed after its manufacture to make it more shelf-stable.Powdered Cheese, American Cheese, or Canned Cheese
Washed-rindA cheese that is bathed in brine, whey, beer, cider, wine, or brandy during ripening to encourage the growth of B. linens bacteria, which lends a pungent aroma, full, salty flavor, and a reddish-orange rind.Epoisses, Taleggio, Munster

Mallory Scyphers

Mallory Scyphers is culture's Executive Content Director and has been with the company since 2019. She lives on Mobile Bay with her husband, two young daughters, one old Shetland Sheepdog, one rambunctious golden retriever, and one calico cat. Her favorite cheeses are alpine styles and mineral-y blues.

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