A beginner's guide to every type of Cheese (Part.2)
June 04, 2020Cheeses are typically divided into six different families based on their aroma, appearances, taste, and how they are made. At Deliss you can discover each one of these families
Goat cheeses, often called by its French name, Chèvre (French word for goat). France has a hundred different varieties of goat's cheese with international, national, regional or even local renown, simply limited to a few farms or villages. Goat cheese comes in many different flavours and textures - from crumbly to creamy, young to mature, mild to tangy. There is a multitude of them, made as fresh or matured cheeses, ashy or not and in different forms: crottins, logs, pyramids, corks, palets... Among the most famous are the Buche de chèvre and Tomme de chèvre.
Buche de chèvre
Buche de Chevre is a French cheese made from goat’s milk and produced in the Poitou-Charentes region in France, it is sharp and tangy near the rind but richer and creamier toward the center. Its paste melts in the mouth. Buche de Chevre offers a delightful combination of flavours and textures in each bite.
Serving suggestion: We suggest to eat our Buche de Chevre cheese warm on salads, called 'Chèvre chaud' in French. It is also delicious served cold with fruits for dessert. Finally, it could be used as a dressing for quiches and canapés. Simply add some honey to sweeten this bold taste!
Tomme de chèvre Cabrera
This artisanal goat’s milk cheese named Tomme de Chevre Cabrera is made in the Midi-Pyrénées region of France. Tomme de Chèvre is one of those perfect, luscious cheeses that you could happily nibble on day after day. It has a well-balanced flavour that is rich, slightly sweet, grassy and nutty and a bit tangy. With a silky smooth, creamy, and very dense texture, there is no evidence of goatiness, so no need to be wary if you're not a fan of goat cheese.
Serving suggestion: Tomme de Chèvre tends to be lower in fat than other cheeses so we will suggest to serve it in a green salad with grapes or figs.
Buy our Tomme de chèvre Cabrera
As indicated by its name, this family's cheeses are firm. Production of hard cheese involves separating and draining most of the whey before pressing the curd, which is then either brined to create a hard rind or waxed. At the end of the process the cheese is aged for between two and 36 months, and in some cases even longer. Aging determines the intensity of the flavour. A well-aged cheese will be more flavourful, less creamy and grainier in texture. As an example, Emmental, Gruyère, Comté, Cheddar, Parmesan, Pecorino are part of the Hard Cheese family.
Parmigiano Reggiano
This is the finest parmesan cheese you would ever taste! Did you know that it is the longest aged cheese in the world? It goes through a lengthy production and aging process, which gives this cheese its bold flavour and makes it one of the most versatile.Forget all parmesans cheese you have ever tasted from your supermarket. Aged Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is a masterpiece with a strong and intense flavour that can be enjoyed on its own!
Serving suggestion: The texture of this cheese is drier and more crumbly than younger cheeses which makes this one ideal for grating over pasta and meat. You can also eat it on its own, paired to a glass of large-bodied wine as an aperitive.
Pecorino Truffle
In the land of flavours "Made in Italy", Pecorino Truffle is a typical sheep cheese produced in the Tuscany region in Italy. this cheese is perfect for Truffle and cheeses lovers. The colour of the cheese reveals the presence of truffle shards. It has a rich, grassy and nutty flavour that comes with a slightly oily texture on the rind that encases the truffle. Pecorino Truffle spicy and yummy taste will satisfy even the most discerning palate and give unique sensations to your papilla.
Serving suggestion: Plate your Pecorino Truffle cheese with your favourite saucisson, on it's own or over some pasta or risotto.
In the Semi-Hard Cheese family, there is a perfect balance of moisture and aridity. These cheese provide a firm, slightly springy texture with a delicate blend of savory and tangy flavors. Semi-Hard Cheeses are made by compressing curds into a solid, draining them of any remaining whey in the process. Typically, these cheeses are aged anywhere between one and six months depending on the type. A lot of these cheeses are covered, like Gouda or Cheddar, in a wax rind. The flavour tends to go into the buttery range, with hazelnut, savory tones that never get too tangy.
Raclette
Raclette Cheese has a rich history that begins in the heart of the Alps in France. Raclette name comes from the French verb ‘racler’ which means ‘to scrape’. It's an allusion to the way in which the melted cheese is scraped from the half-wheel. Raclette is a brownish-orange coloured cheese and has a very distinctive aromatic smell with a creamy texture. Raclette has a floral aroma and is nutty, fruity, spicy, and milky in flavour.
Serving suggestion: Raclette cheese is well served with small potatoes, gherkins, pickled onions and dried meat during a Raclette party with your friends and/or family!
Whiskey Cheddar
Whiskey cheddar is a cheese infused with the robust flavour of Irish whiskey! This cheese, made for impressing your dinner, is a creamy aged Cheddar with a unique tasty combination. Indeed, this gourmet cheese combines the smooth, woody and nutty taste of pure Irish Whiskey with the rich and creamy flavours of the cheddar. This is the perfect gift item!
Serving suggestion: Whiskey cheddar cheese is great on a sandwich, a recipe that requires a cheddar or simply add to a cheese platter with a glass of wine!
After discovering that washing the rind while the cheese ripened, created a moist and supple texture, Monks from Northern France finally created Washed Rind Cheeses. This cheese family has several soft and hard variants and it is made as soft ripened cheese before it's placed in a humidity and temperature controlled room for maturation and washing. The duration and frequency of washing determines the depth of the rind's colour and facilitates the ripening of the cheese. These cheeses have a savoury flavour that can also be yeasty, meaty or sweet and nutty. They also have a strong smell and when washed rind smells strong, it means it's ripe and ready to eat. The flavour is often more subtle than the strong smell.
Delice du Jura - Reblochon Style
Our Delice du Jura is a French creamy cheese, made with cow’s milk. In this case, the model is Reblochon, one of the wonders of alpine cheese making. It gets runnier as it ages, oozing with delicate fruity notes and a nutty aftertaste that’s very pleasing to the most palate! The cheese is creamy, mild, and easy to enjoy. It is a great cheese for beginners striking out for more adventurous territory!
Serving suggestion: Delice du Jura pairs well with crackers and dried fruits. It is best baked on potatoes in a traditional French recipe named La Tartiflette!
Epoisse AOP
Epoisse is a strong cow’s milk cheese which was first made in a monastery in the small village of Epoisses five centuries ago. From the seventeenth century onwards, the production of Epoisses was taken over by farmers. This is their know-how that makes it famous by creating a penetrating aroma, with notes of undergrowth. In the month, the body is soft and melting, with a crumblier central area if the cheese is young. Its flavour is subtle, fruity, and balanced. It feels deliciously creamy on the palate.
Serving suggestion: Époisses cheese is best served with raisin bread or with warm crusty bread.
Made with cow's milk, white mold cheeses have a creamy texture and a mild, buttery taste. Different white mould cheese styles differ slightly but follow a similar pattern. Their production involves adding a white mold culture to the curd, causing a white bloom to grow on the surface. Cheeses then ripen in four to nine weeks, the longer they are stored, the softer they become. To determine whether a white mold cheese is mature, squeeze it gently on the sides. The cheese should yield easily and bulge in the middle.
Le Grand Brie
French traditional cheese, Le Grand Brie is a soft, creamy, buttery cheese. Le Grand Brie has a creamy texture and a rich, buttery, fruity flavour. Not forgetting that its bloomy white rind is considered to be a delicacy to the crowd.
Serving suggestion : Brie cheese can be eaten straight off or added in a crusty baguette and ham.
Camembert Le Fin Normand
Although Camembert is made throughout the world, only cheese made using cow’s milk from Normandy can be called Camembert Normand. Normandy is an area of northwest of France where cows graze on rich soil scattered with apple trees. Camembert has an earthy and nutty taste to it, but some claim to be able to taste hints of apple in it.
Serving suggestion: Silky and oozing on the plate they are delicious with a crispy piece of bread and some olives. Try sprinkling with a little oil and garlic slices and cook olive - This Camembert cheese is excellent roasted - Perfect for the picnic.
Buy our Camembert Le Fin Normand
The history of blue cheese goes back to the 7th century to a cave outside the village of Roquefort in France. There are many varieties of blue cheese. Depending on the blue cheese, the texture and flavor vary from crumbly, weepy, salty, and sharp to softer, creamy, and mildly earthy. Some cheeses are enriched with cream and have a soft middle and a bloomy rind. The blue cheese is characterized by green, blue, gray, or black veins or spots of mold throughout the cheese. For the cheese to turn blue, oxygen must reach the inside of the cheese. This is often done by piercing the cheese with thin needles or skewers. The blue mold then matures inside the air tunnels, developing flavor as it ages. Most mold-containing cheeses take three to six months to mature.
Bleu D'Auvergne AOP
Bleu d’Auvergne is a French blue cheese that draws its flavour and authenticity from an age-old French savoir-faire in the heart of a Volcanic region named Auvergne. This flavour-forward, creamy cheese is characterized by the bluish veins that come from the same fungus used in the fabrication of Roquefort.
Serving suggestion: Bleu D’Auvergne cheese is perfect for a cheese board or use it as an ingredient in soup, sauce or on a sandwich. Many experimenting with blue cheese start with buttered baguette and blue cheese spread thinly on the top. This tones down the strong taste.
Fourme d'Ambert AOP
Fourne d'Ambert is characterized as the mildest of blue cheese. This cheese is also one of the oldest cheeses in France. The production of this cow's milk cheese dates from the Roman occupation of France 1,000 years ago. Fourme d'Amber is a creamy and supple cheese. The smooth and balanced flavours have a perfect distinct note of butter and cream that enhances the spicy blue mold.
Serving suggestion: Fourme d’Ambert cheese is perfect with crusty bread or cheese biscuits as part of a cheese board.