The different types of cheeses

Firm, creamy, ripened, non-ripened… The members of the extended family of cheese hide many different textures under their rinds…

Fresh cheeses

Every cheese, at the beginning, has the characteristics of a fresh cheese. It is the subsequent production steps that give the cheese wheel its distinctive qualities. A fresh cheese is one that has not fermented and that has not been ripened. Its texture is creamy and its flavour is smooth and lightly acidic.

Fresh cheese is cheese in its most basic form. Because of this, it is essential to keep it refrigerated and to eat it within two weeks of the day it was bought.

Soft cheeses

Surface-ripened, soft cheeses wear either an alluring bloomy rind, a rind covered in penicillium candidum or a washed rind. For these cheeses, the ripening process starts at their rinds and migrates to their centers. Creamy and deliciously unctuous, their flavour generally hints of mushroom and hazelnut.

Non-ripened semi-firm cheeses

Featuring a soft texture that is not very elastic, these cheeses more often than not offer a very smooth flavour and a light aroma. Mozzarella, Bocconcini and Scamorza are all non-ripened semi-firm cheeses.

Interior-ripened semi-firm cheeses

Initially pressed, then cooked and ripened, these cheeses ripen evenly throughout the entire wheel. For some of these cheeses, we have developed a special firm rind that is washed periodically. Their texture is generally soft, their flavour subtle, and their aroma light and discreet. Amongst them: Havarti, Monterey Jack and Saint-Paulin.

Surface-ripened semi-firm cheeses

Ripened in a cooler, these cheeses are washed and flipped many times during the process. The ripening starts in the rind and progresses towards the center. Their texture is supple and soft, and their taste is more pronounced due to the numerous handlings they go through. OKA and Limburger are good examples of surface-ripened semi-firm cheeses.

Firm cheeses

These cheese wheels are drained and tightly pressed to extract as much whey as possible. In some cases, they are also cooked, which makes them even firmer. During the ripening process, holes of different sizes often appear, creating the honeycombed appearance we know well. The holes are the result of the propionic gas that is produced by the ripening process and that expands within the cheese. Brick, Cheddar, Emmental, Gouda and Raclette cheese are of this type.

Hard cheeses

In order for this cheese to become hard, it is pressed extremely tightly, cooked, and then ripened, sometimes for long periods of time. Some cheeses, such as Reggiano, are ripened for 24 months, resulting in a cheese with a full-bodied taste and crumbly texture that can be easily preserved for an extended period (more than one year).

Marbled cheeses

These cheeses are full of colour and flavour, and are commonly called “blue cheese.” They are marbled with veins of mould and are creamy in the mouth. Generally salty, these cheeses often have a biting flavour that becomes bolder with age. Their qualities make them the perfect table cheese as well as the extra ingredient that gives that special taste to sauces. Roquefort and Gorgonzola are two marbled cheeses.