Dairy Category

Two distinctly different cheeses go by the name robiola: Robiola Piemonte is a fresh cheese that's often used on pizza, while robiola Lombardia is an aged, tan-colored soft cheese used for snacking. They are made from mixture of cow, sheep and goat’s milk.

Robiola Lombardia is an aged, tan-colored soft cheese used for snacking. It is made from mixture of cow, sheep and goat’s milk.

This creamy fresh cheese from the Piedmond region of Italy. It is made from mixture of cow, sheep and goat’s milk. It is often used for cooking, and it's great on pizza. It's also served as an antipasto along with olive oil and/or fresh herbs. Piedmont robiolas include Langhe Robiola = Robiola delle Langhe, Robiola di Roccaverano, Robiola di Murazzano, and Robiolina di Bosconero. These cheeses are hard to find in the U.S. Don't confuse this with robiola Lombardia, a soft cheese.

Romano is similar to Parmesan and Asiago, only it has a nuttier, sharper, and saltier flavor. Pecorino Romano is made from sheep's milk, Caprino Romano from goat's milk, and Vacchino Romano from cow's milk. It's often grated onto pizzas and pasta dishes to add flavor. Pecorino Romano is made from sheep's milk, Caprino Romano from goat's milk, and Vacchino Romano from cow's milk. Domestic Romanos aren't as well-regarded as Italian Romanos.

This flavored cream cheese is an inexpensive domestic version of Boursin.

This French sheep's milk cheese is considered to be one of the finest of the blue cheeses. Some Roquefort cheeses can be frozen successfully, others become crumbly (but still usable in salads). For best results, first cut the cheese into small (1/2 pound) chunks, and wrap each chunk in an airtight package. Thaw in the refrigerator, and use the cheese soon after it's thawed.

Saanen is a goat's milk cheese. It comes from the Saanen breed of goats.

This aged cow's milk Gouda has a very complex, rich flavor.

This well-regarded Danish blue cheese is soft, rich, and creamy. It is usually made with cow’s milk but can be made from sheep or goat milk. It's mild enough to be served to unadventurous guests, yet pungent enough to be interesting. .

This superb cow's milk blue cheese is creamy, spicy, and rich.

It is a rich triple cream cow's milk cheese. Use within a few days after purchasing. For best flavor, serve at room temperature.

A young version of this French cow's milk cheese is so runny it's sold in small pots; a more aged version is wrapped in leaves. Both are rich and exquisite on French bread. This was originally made from goat's milk.

This French cow's milk cheese has a rich, nutty flavor.

This French semi-soft cow's milk cheese is creamy and mild.

See the Recipesource.com recipe for Salted Eggs.

This versatile Danish semi-soft cow's milk cheese is mild and nutty. It is similar to Emmentaler.

This Swiss cow's milk grating cheese is colored and flavored by a clover-like herb. It's hard to find, but many seek it out as a low-fat substitute for Parmesan and Romano.

This hard Swiss cow's milk cheese resembles Parmesan.

This cow's milk cheese is similar to mozzarella or pasta filata, only smaller and firmer. It's often smoked.

This Austrian cow's milk cheese is a marvelous choice for people who like strong "stinky" cheeses. It's good with beer, but it would overpower most wines.

This is raw cow's milk Brazilian cheese.

Sheep's milk is higher in fat than cow's milk, so these cheeses are rich and creamy. Like goat cheeses, they're also a bit tangy. Examples include Pecorino Romano (pecora is the Italian word for sheep), Roquefort, Manchego, Idiazábal, and Manouri.

This crumbly British cow's milk blue cheese is very similar to Stilton, but it's dyed a yellowish orange.

This is very hard to find in the United States, but some Eastern European markets carry it.

This is the smoked version of the Dutch Gouda cow's milk cheese.

The rinds of these cheeses are exposed to mold, which moves into the pâte as they ripen. As they do, they become softer and maybe even slightly runny. It's important to eat soft-ripened cheeses when they're perfectly ripe--if under-ripe, they're pasty and bland, if overripe, they become runny and ammoniated. To fully appreciate their subtle and complex flavors, be sure to bring them to room temperature before serving them. These are great table cheeses, and they're often served with bread, crackers, or fruit. They're not usually cooked. Most are covered with a felt-like white mold which is edible, but not to everyone's taste. This category includes Brie, Camembert, Toma, Coulommiers, Chaource, and Brillat-Savarin.

This is perhaps the most highly regarded of all the cow's milk blue cheeses. Made in England, it's firmer and milder than Roquefort or Gorgonzola. It's excellent with pears. Don't eat the rind.

This soft Italian cow's milk cheese is mild and spreadable. It's great on pizza. Use within a few days after purchasing and, for best flavor, serve at room temperature.

This popular cow's milk cheese is an American knock-off of Switzerland's Emmentaler cheese. This difference is that our domestic version usually has smaller eyes (making it easier to slice) and is made from pasteurized milk. Emmentaler has a richer, nuttier flavor.

This creamy Italian cow's milk cheese is one of the better stinky cheeses--not too tame, not too wild. It's great on crackers or bread, but it's also a good melting cheese and works well in casseroles and even on pizza. The rind is edible, but not to everyone's liking.

This is an ancient Middle Eastern cheese made from goat or sheep's milk.

This is a very pungent Swiss cow's milk cheese.

This is a good sandwich cheese. It is made from cow's milk.

This soft French cow's milk cheese is rich and buttery. Don't eat the rind.

This is a mild and pleasant French cow's milk cheese that's semi-soft when young, firmer when aged.

This mild Danish cow's milk cheese is great on sandwiches.

This milk Israeli cheese was produced originally from sheep's milk. But now may also be made from cow's milk, goat's milk or water buffalo milk.

This creamy Spanish cheese is a member of the washed rind (a.k.a. stinky) cheese family, but it's mild and subtle.

This French cheese comes in wedges or squares.

This is a cheese-lover's cheese, with a complex nutty flavor. It's a good melting cheese that's often used to make fondues. Try heating it a bit and serving it with crusty French bread.

This Spanish blue cheese is pungent enough to be interesting without being overpowering. It is usually made with cow’s milk but can be made from mixture of cow, sheep and goat milk. It's a good snacking cheese for adventurous guests.

This hard cow's milk cheese has a strong flavor and is popular in Sweden.

When making cheese, milk is curdled with the help of rennet, an enzyme that occurs naturally in the stomach of animals. Many vegetarians object to eating cheese made with natural rennet, since its production involves the slaughter of animals. Fortunately, a lot of fine cheese is now made with vegetable rennet, which is derived from fungi, bacteria, or plants. Unfortunately, the type of rennet used isn't always marked on the cheese label. Some stores help out by adding their own labels.

As they ripen, these cheeses are washed with a liquid. The moisture encourages the growth of bacteria, giving the cheese a strong odor and flavor. Many of these cheeses are soft or semi-soft and have sticky, reddish-orange rinds, which most people consider too pungent to eat. It takes a strong wine like a Burgundy or Pinot Gris to stand up to most of the cheeses in this category. Beer works, too. This category includes Limburger, Muenster, Maroilles, Langres, Epoisses, Tallegio, Abondance, Urgelia, Epoisses, Pont l'Evêque, Mahon, Reblochon, Port Salut, and Livarot.