What Are the World's Best-Known Cheese Varieties?

The variety of cheeses around the world comes from the types of milk used (cow, sheep, goat, or water buffalo) and the aging methods. French Brie and Camembert are well-known soft-ripened cheeses; Italian Parmesan is firm and grateable; Swiss Gruyère melts well; and Greek feta is among the best-known brined cheeses.

Which cheeses have a soft rind? Brie and Camembert are French cheeses aged with a white mold coating (Penicillium candidum) on the outside. This mold rind is edible and gives the cheese its characteristic creamy texture. As it comes to room temperature, the inside becomes runny, so take the cheese out of the refrigerator and let it rest before serving; just keep the total time at room temperature under 2 hours (1 hour above 32°C / 90°F). Pregnant women should eat mold-ripened soft cheeses such as Brie and Camembert only when thoroughly cooked.

Which cheeses are firm and grateable? Parmigiano-Reggiano and Grana Padano are Italian cheeses aged for at least 12–24 months. This extended aging reduces their moisture content and creates their characteristic crystalline texture. They can be grated over pasta and risotto or eaten on their own in pieces.

Which cheeses melt well? Swiss cheeses such as Gruyère and Emmental are used in fondue and gratin dishes because they melt smoothly. Their protein structure allows them to melt without separating when heated. Mexico's Oaxaca cheese is also known for its long, stringy, stretchy texture when melted.

Which cheeses are brined? Greek feta and Bulgarian white cheese are stored in salt water, which preserves them and gives them their characteristic tangy, salty flavor. Once removed from the brine and exposed to air, cheese can begin to dry out within a few days. For that reason, opened brined cheeses should continue to be stored in their original liquid or in lightly salted water.

Which cheeses are blue-veined? Roquefort, Gorgonzola, and Stilton are made by deliberately adding Penicillium roqueforti mold culture to the curd. As the cheese ages, the mold spreads inside and creates the characteristic blue-green veins. The sharp, salty, somewhat pungent flavor of these cheeses comes from compounds produced by the same mold family, and they are often served with honey or dried fruit to balance the flavor.

The source milk also shapes a cheese's character. Sheep's milk cheese (some types of feta, for example) tends to be richer and sharper than cow's milk cheese; goat's milk cheese is tangier and lighter; and water-buffalo milk cheese, such as Italy's mozzarella di bufala, has a creamier, richer texture. Results can differ noticeably even when the same aging method is used with different milks. That is why two cheeses with the same name may vary considerably depending on their region of production and the milk used.

A cheese's aging time is as important as its milk when choosing it: young cheeses are soft and mild, while long-aged cheeses taste more intense and sharp. Serving cheeses with different textures and intensities on a cheese board adds variety. Start with a young, mild cheese and save the sharpest cheese, usually a blue-veined one, for last to create a more balanced tasting order.