Cheese, Please!
If you love cheese (and really, who doesn’t?), here’s a short list of 5 lesser-known varieties to know
If You Like: MOZZARELLA
Try This: SCAMORZA
Mozzarella has long been the top-selling Italian cheese, and for good reason. The semi-soft cheese, traditionally made from water buffalo milk but now often made from cow’s milk,, has a delicate and sweet flavor that makes it the perfect topping for flatbreads, sandwiches, and pretty much anything. Scamorza is a saltier, more complex version of mozzarella. Unlike mozzarella, scamorza is “semi-aged,” for a short period of one to two weeks, giving it a drier, firmer texture and a bit more flavor. Scamorza is often smoked for even more depth.
If You Like: MUENSTER
Try This: PORT SALUT
With its semi-soft texture and orange rind, Port Salut is sometimes mistaken for Muenster, but it has an incredible flavor that is all its own. While Muenster is typically made in the United States, Port Salut is a French cheese produced in the northwestern region, also made with cow’s milk. The semi-soft Port Salut has a smooth, creamy, velvety texture and a mild flavor that is at once savory and sweet, with a gentle acidic tang that pleases the palate.
If you Like: HAVARTI
Try This: TILSIT
Tilsit is a rare cheese in the United States, hailing mainly from Switzerland, Germany, and Eastern Europe. It’s a semi-hard cheese with a pungent, spicy aroma. The flavor is similar to Havarti, but with a flavor boost from caraway seeds and/or peppercorns. This cheese pairs well with hearty brown/rye breads and dark beers.
If You Like: GOUDA
Try This: CASTELÕES
Portugal may not be as revered here in the States as a “cheese mecca” like Italy or France, but some pretty amazing cheeses are made there (um, hello—wine is a thing there, and you need cheese with wine!). A staple on Portuguese dinner tables? Quejo Castelões. The semi-hard cured cheese is made from cow’s milk and has a mild, slightly sweet flavor that is rich and satisfying. It’s great for cheese boards and pairs wonderfully with fruits and nuts.
If You Like: GRUYÈRE
Try This: COMTÉ
Both Alpine cheeses made from cow’s milk, these two varieties differ in origin— Gruyère from Switzerland and Comté from France. Both hard cheeses with nutty undertones, Comte has a bit more fruitiness and a stretched flavor owing to its longer aging process (anywhere from 4 to 30-plus months).