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A platter with cheese and garnishes.

Top 100 Best High-End Cheeses and Online Suppliers



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"Nothing says holidays, like a cheese log." - Ellen DeGeneres.

"What happens to the hole when the cheese is gone?" - Bertolt Brecht.

"Age is something that doesn't matter, unless you are a cheese." - Luis Buñuel.

"How can anyone govern a nation that has two hundred and forty-six different kinds of cheese?" - Charles de Gaulle.

CHEESE is a food derived from milk that is produced in a wide range of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk, usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. During production, the milk is usually acidified, and adding the enzyme rennet causes coagulation. The solids are separated and pressed into final form. Some cheeses have molds on the rind or throughout. Most cheeses melt at cooking temperature.

Hundreds of types of cheese from various countries are produced. Their styles, textures and flavors depend on the origin of the milk (including the animal's diet), whether they have been pasteurized, the butterfat content, the bacteria and mold, the processing, and aging. Herbs, spices, or wood smoke may be used as flavoring agents. The yellow to red color of many cheeses, such as Red Leicester, is produced by adding annatto. Other ingredients may be added to some cheeses, such as black peppers, garlic, chives or cranberries.

For a few cheeses, the milk is curdled by adding acids such as vinegar or lemon juice. Most cheeses are acidified to a lesser degree by bacteria, which turn milk sugars into lactic acid, then the addition of rennet completes the curdling. Vegetarian alternatives to rennet are available; most are produced by fermentation of the fungus Mucor miehei, but others have been extracted from various species of the Cynara thistle family.

Cheese is valued for its portability, long life, and high content of fat, protein, calcium, and phosphorus. Cheese is more compact and has a longer shelf life than milk, although how long a cheese will keep may depend on the type of cheese; labels on packets of cheese often claim that a cheese should be consumed within three to five days of opening. Generally speaking, hard cheeses last longer than soft cheeses, such as Brie or goat's milk cheese. Cheesemakers near a dairy region may benefit from fresher, lower-priced milk, and lower shipping costs. The long storage life of some cheese, especially if it is encased in a protective rind, allows selling when markets are favorable.

A specialist seller of cheese is sometimes known as a cheesemonger. Becoming an expert in this field requires some formal education and years of tasting and hands-on experience, much like becoming an expert in wine or cuisine. The cheesemonger is responsible for all aspects of the cheese inventory: selecting the cheese menu, purchasing, receiving, storage, and ripening.

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    Cheese News, Reviews & Resources
    Denmark
  • BLUE CASTELLO - "In the 1960s, one of the oldest cheese producing companies in Denmark - Tholstrup Cheese Company, initially prepared Castello Blue cheese. This soft cheese made from cow's milk has a mild spicy flavour and smooth and rich texture."
  • CASTELLO - since 1889. "At Castello we continuously strive to put a creative spin on traditional favourites as well as our own unique creations. Our talented cheese makers across Denmark and around the world have been crafting hundreds of cheese recipes to feed your senses since 1893. From deliciously creamy mould cheeses to beautifully balanced hard cheeses. Here you can explore our full range of delicious flavours, textures and types of Castello cheese."
  • Danablu cheese.
  • DANABLUE - "The uncrowned king of blue cheeses." The quintessence of fine dining since its origin, Castello Traditional Danish Blue cheese exudes self-indulgence at the highest level. Also known as Danablu, the cheese is made using cow’s milk and displays fine streaks of blue veins along its white interior. Resembling Danish royal porcelain, it enchants with tones of mild bitterness and salt. The flavors are pungent and sharp, with a creamy and smooth texture on par with many soft cheeses. Adopting traditional French recipes for making blue mold cheese, dairy farmers on the island of Funen in Denmark replaced goat’s milk with cow’s milk to better fit the profile of a creamy and rich consistency. Traditional Danish Blue is milder than the likes of Roquefort and is favored for being better suited to sensitive palates.
  • DANISH CHEESES - Wikipedia.
  • ESROM - Danish Port Salut cheese is a Trappist-style pale yellow semi-soft cow's milk cheese with a pungent aroma and a full, sweet flavour. A Danish classic.
  • HAVARTI - a semisoft Danish cow's milk cheese. It can be sliced, grilled, or melted.
  • SAMSOE - Danish cow's milk cheese named after the island of Samsø located in Denmark. It was invented in the later 19th century (1870s) when the king of Denmark invited Swiss cheesemakers to teach their skill. It is similar to Emmentaler, although its flavour is milder: gentle and nutty in young cheeses and pungent with sweet and sour notes in older ones. Samsø's interior has a supple, elastic texture; a yellow colour; and a few large, irregular holes. The cheese has goldenrod coloured rind covered with a yellow wax.
  • WHITE CASTELLO - "Inspired by the mildness of traditional brie and creamy, rich flavours of blue cheeses, Castello Extra Creamy Brie was the very first new cheese recipe invented by our founding family of Tholstrup. A slim rind yields easily to your knife, revealing a thick and velvety centre. Let this cheese melt in your mouth and you’ll get hints of natural yoghurt and dark chocolate. Then savour the mild aftertaste and enjoy the same rich afterglow you’d get from a well-marbled steak."
    France
  • Brie de Meaux.
  • Brie de Meaux - named the "king of cheeses" in 1815 by Talleyrand at the Congress of Vienna.
  • Brie de Melun.
  • BRIE DE MELUN - "Brie de Melun is said to be the ancestor of all Brie's, which originated in the region of northern France known as Seine-et-Marne. It was granted an AOC protection in 1980 that requires that the cheese be manufactured under strict guidelines for supreme quality. Brie de Melun is produced from either whole or skimmed, raw milk of cows grazing in the valleys of Seine et Marne and some departments of Aube and Yonne. It is semi-soft cheese inoculated with a Penicillium mould and aged in a cellar for at least 4-5 weeks. If the cheese is left to ripen for a longer period, say several months, it matures to a Brie Noir. "
  • Camembert.
  • CAMEMBERT DE NORMANDIE - moist, soft, creamy, surface-ripened cow's milk cheese. It was first made in the late 18th century in Camembert, Normandy, in northwest France. It is sometimes compared in look and taste to brie cheese, albeit with a slightly lower butterfat content than brie's typical 60% and 75% by weight.
  • France's favorite cheese is facing an 'extinction' crisis. Not everyone is worried - "Camembert's distinctive white rind is created by a fungus that scientists say is in increasingly short supply. When Napoleon first encountered a Camembert cheese, legend has it, he was so delighted he kissed the waitress who plonked it in front of him. Setting aside the inappropriateness of this gesture, the French emperor clearly recognized a winner."
  • Cantal cheese. Image Courtesy Coyau.
  • Cantal - uncooked firm cheese produced in the Auvergne region of central France. Cantal cheese was granted Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée certification in 1956. One of the oldest cheeses in France, Cantal dates back to the times of the Gauls. It came to prominence when Marshal Henri de La Ferté-Senneterre served it at the table of Louis XIV of France. Senneterre is also responsible for the introduction of Saint-Nectaire and Salers.
  • Charolais cheese.
  • CHAROLAIS - "The Charolais comes from the granite plains around the Charolles region of Bourgogne, near the Beaujolais vineyards, from which it gets its name. Its shape is a barrel with concave sides. It can be eaten fresh, slightly dried (demi sec) or very dry. Its artisan production varies greatly from farm to farm. radition calls for the Charolais to be made with goat’s milk. The richness of these plains produces a subtle savour of milk, and the saltiness and sweetness of its aroma is a pleasure to the palate. In this latter state it is in the category of strong cheeses. It is also greatly appreciated in the dry state. In the course of the first two weeks of maturing, its rind turns a blue/grey shade and is covered with blue/ white mould."
  • Crottin de Chavignol - the most famous goat cheese of the many varieties produced in the Loire Valley.
  • Époisses de Bourgogne.
  • Époisses de Bourgogne
  • Fium'Orbu cheese.
  • Fium'Orbu
  • LIST OF FRENCH CHEESES - French President Charles de Gaulle asked, "How can you govern a country which has two hundred and forty-six varieties of cheese?" There is immense diversity within each variety of cheese, leading some to estimate between 1,000 and 1,600 distinct types of French cheese. French cheeses are broadly grouped into eight categories, 'les huit familles de fromage'.
  • Maroilles cheese.
  • MAROILLES
  • Morbier.
  • Morbier - semi-soft cows' milk cheese named after the small village of Morbier in Franche-Comté. It is ivory colored, soft and slightly elastic, and is immediately recognizable by the distinctive thin black layer separating it horizontally in the middle. It has a yellowish, sticky rind.
  • PÉLARDON - cheese from the Cévennes range of the Languedoc-Roussillon region. It is a traditional cheese made from goat's milk. It is round soft-ripened cheese covered in a white mold (à pâte molle à croûte fleurie) weighing approximately 60 grams, with a diameter of 60-70 mm and a height of 22-27 mm. Pélardon has benefited from Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) status since August 2000.
  • PICODON - goats-milk cheese made in the region around the Rhône in southern France. The name means "spicy" in Occitan.
  • Pont-l'Évêque cheese.
  • Pont-l'ÉvÊque
  • Roquefort cheese.
  • ROQUEFORT - one of the world's best-known blue cheeses.
  • Saint-Marcellin cheese.
  • Saint-Marcellin
  • Selles-sur-Cher cheese.
  • SELLES-SUR-CHER
  • ST. MARCELLIN
  • Tomme de Savoie cheese.
  • TOMME DE SAVOIE
  • Vacherin du Haut-Doubs cheese.
  • Vacherin - cow's milk (French vache, "cow") cheese. Two main types of French or Swiss Vacherin cheeses exist.
  • Valençay cheese.
  • ValenÇay cheese - "Valençay cheese is an unpasteurised goats-milk cheese and is one of the classic French cheeses made in the province of Berry in central France. It is named after the town of Valençay in the Indre department. This cheese comes in two types: the one coated with wood ash and produced on farms is called Valençay Fermier while the other coated with vegetable ash and made in dairies or industries is called Valençay Laitier."
    Italy
  • Auricchio Aged Provolone.
  • Auricchio Aged Provolone
  • Calcagno cheese.
  • CALCAGNO
  • Caprino di Foglia Noce cheese.
  • Caprino di Foglia Noce
  • Casu marzu. Photo: Shardan.
  • Casu marzu - traditional Sardinian sheep milk cheese that contains live insect larvae (maggots). Because of European Union food hygiene-health regulations, the cheese has been outlawed, and offenders face heavy fines. However, some Sardinians organized themselves in order to make casu martzu available on the black market, where it may be sold for double the price of an ordinary block of pecorino cheese.
  • Gorgonzola.
  • GORGONZOLA
  • LIST OF ITALIAN CHEESES - Wikipedia.
  • Moro Formaggi
  • Mozzarella di Bufala Campana.
  • Mozzarella di Bufala Campana
  • Parmigiano Reggiano.
  • PARMIGIANO REGGIANO
  • Pecorino di Pienza cheeses.
  • Pecorino Romano - hard Italian cheeses made from sheep's milk. The name "pecorino" derives from pecora which means sheep in Italian. Of the six main varieties of pecorino, all of which have Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status under European Union law, pecorino romano is probably the best known outside Italy, especially in the United States.
  • Why Italian cheesemakers buried their pecorino - "When Covid hit Italy in 2020, the pecorino industry careened towards life support. But thanks to the ingenuity of several producers, the cheese is now perhaps better than ever."
  • Piave cheese.
  • PIAVE - cow's milk cheese that is named after the Piave river. As Piave has a protected designation of origin (DOP), the only "official" Piave is produced in the Dolomites area, province of Belluno, in the northernmost tip of the Veneto region.
  • Provolone cheese.
  • PROVOLONE - semi-hard cheese made from cow's milk. It is an aged pasta filata ('stretched-curd') cheese originating in the Campania region, near Vesuvius, where it is still produced in pear, sausage, or cone shapes 10 to 15 cm (4 to 6 in) long.
  • Ricotta di Pecora cheese.
  • RICOTTA DI PECORA
  • Robiola delle Alta Langa cheese.
  • ROBIOLA DELLE ALTA LANGA
  • Taleggio cheese.
  • TALEGGIO
    Netherlands
  • Boerenkaas cheese.
  • BOERENKAAS
  • Edam cheese. Original photo by Yvwv.
  • Edam - (Dutch: Edammer) is a semi-hard cheese that originated in the Netherlands, and is named after the town of Edam in the province of North Holland. Edam is traditionally sold in flat-ended spheres with a pale yellow interior and a coat, or rind, of red paraffin wax. Edam ages and travels well, and does not spoil; it only hardens. These qualities (among others) made it the world's most popular cheese between the 14th and 18th centuries, both at sea and in remote colonies.
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