| No one categorization scheme can capture all | | | | and Gloucester) whose curd is cut, gently |
| the diversity of the world's cheeses. Some | | | | heated, piled, and stirred before being |
| common systems used are: | | | | pressed into forms. Colby and Monterey Jack |
| | | | are similar but milder cheeses; their curd is |
| Length of aging. | | | | rinsed before it is pressed, washing away |
| | | | some acidity and calcium. A similar |
| Texture (hard or soft); this is correlated to | | | | curd-washing takes place when making the |
| the moisture content: the more moist a | | | | Dutch cheeses Edam and Gouda. |
| cheese, the softer. This classification is | | | | |
| common in the US, but is inaccurate: many | | | | Swiss-style cheeses like Emmental and Gruyere |
| types of cheese are made in softer or firmer | | | | are generally quite firm. The same bacteria |
| variations. | | | | that give Emmental its holes contribute to |
| | | | their aromatic and sharp flavors. The hardest |
| Methods of making: pressed or unpressed curd, | | | | cheeses — "grating cheeses" such as |
| heated or unheated curd, mold growth, etc. | | | | Parmesan, Pecorino, and Romano — are |
| | | | quite firmly packed into large forms and aged |
| Fat content. | | | | for months or years. |
| | | | |
| Kind of milk (cow's milk, goat's milk cheese, | | | | Methods |
| etc.) | | | | |
| | | | Use of mold |
| Aging period | | | | |
| | | | Soft-ripened cheeses such as Brie and |
| Fresh | | | | Camembert are made by allowing white |
| | | | Penicillium candida or P. camemberti mold to |
| For these simplest cheeses, milk is curdled | | | | grow on the outside of a soft cheese for a |
| and drained, with little other processing. | | | | few days or weeks. The mold forms a white |
| Examples include cottage cheese, Romanian | | | | crust and contributes to the smooth, runny, |
| Caº, Neufchâtel (the model for | | | | or gooey textures and more intense flavors of |
| American-style cream cheese), and fresh | | | | these aged cheeses. Goats' milk cheeses are |
| goat's milk chevre. Such cheeses are soft and | | | | often treated in a similar manner, sometimes |
| spreadable, with a mild taste. Fresh cheeses | | | | with white molds (Chevre-Boîte) and |
| without additional preservatives can spoil in | | | | sometimes with blue. |
| a matter of days. | | | | |
| | | | Blue-mold cheeses like Roquefort, Gorgonzola, |
| Whey cheeses are fresh cheeses made from the | | | | and Stilton are produced by inoculating |
| whey discarded while producing other cheeses. | | | | loosely pressed curds with Penicillium |
| Provencal Brousse, Corsican Brocciu, Italian | | | | roqueforti or Penicillium glaucum molds. The |
| Ricotta, Romanian Urda and Norwegian Geitost | | | | mold grows within the cheese as it ages. |
| are examples. Brocciu is mostly eaten fresh, | | | | These cheeses have distinct blue veins and, |
| and is as such a major ingredient in Corsican | | | | often, assertive flavors. Their texture can |
| cuisine, but it can be aged too. | | | | be soft or firm. |
| | | | |
| Traditional Mozzarella also falls into the | | | | Washing |
| fresh cheese category. Fresh curds are | | | | |
| stretched and kneaded in hot water to form a | | | | Washed-rind cheeses are periodically bathed |
| ball of Mozzarella, which in southern Italy | | | | in a saltwater brine as they age, making |
| is usually eaten within a few hours of being | | | | their surfaces amenable to a class of |
| made. Other firm fresh cheeses include paneer | | | | bacteria (the reddish-orange "smear |
| and queso fresco. | | | | bacteria") which impart pungent odors and |
| | | | distinctive flavors. Washed-rind cheeses can |
| Texture | | | | be soft (Limburger), semi-hard (Munster), or |
| | | | hard (Appenzeller). |
| Categorizing cheeses by firmness is a common | | | | |
| but inexact practice. The lines between | | | | Processed cheese is made from traditional |
| "soft", "semi-soft", "semi-hard", and "hard" | | | | cheese and emulsifying salts, often with the |
| are arbitrary, and many types of cheese are | | | | addition of milk, more salt, preservatives, |
| made in softer or firmer variations. Harder | | | | and food coloring. It is inexpensive, |
| cheeses have a lower moisture content than | | | | consistent, and melts smoothly. This is the |
| softer cheeses. They are generally packed | | | | most-consumed category of cheese in the |
| into molds under more pressure and aged for a | | | | United States. The most familiar processed |
| longer time. | | | | cheese may be pre-sliced mild yellow American |
| | | | Cheese or Velveeta. Many other varieties |
| The familiar cheddar is one of a family of | | | | exist, including Easy Cheese, a Kraft Foods |
| semi-hard or hard cheeses (including Cheshire | | | | brand sold in a spray can. |