Cheese is a 159.8 billion (US) dollar market. I am a very proud cheese lover and spend much more than I’d like like to admit on it. But why would curdled, decomposed milk solids taste good? 

When the bacteria break down the proteins and fats into individual amino and fatty acids, they release flavour compounds. Also, casein gets converted to casomorphine. It’s not psychoactive, but does make a nice scapegoat for my inability to stop eating it ><

Enough science. This post is supposed to be about MY favourite cheeses. There’s no shortage of guides from far more qualified cheese lovers; however, their descriptions are full of impressive sounding but borderline uninterpretable descriptions. What does it mean for something to have a “horsey aroma” or have the flavour of “lush milk”? I don’t blame them! It’s very hard to describe the taste of cheese without resorting to comparing to other cheese or using abstractions. 

I figured I’d take on the  challenge compare cheese to 1) stuff you can find in Walmart 2) not some other type of cheese 

So, let’s get started. In no particular order:

Chèvre Goat Cheese– Chèvre goat cheese is  the cream cheese of the goat cheese world. It is briny and tangy, tasting most similar to Greek yoghurt and salt blended with egg yolk. The relative lack of umami and savoury notes makes it work well with both sweet and savoury flavours from jam and honey to dill and lox. This is certainly not unique to Chèvre, but I really appreciate the spreadability. It’s also higher protein and lower calorie than most cheeses, which is always a plus for the most diet conscious among us. 

Double Cream Danish Blue–  Blue cheese is controversial, but I love strong tastes. With that said, double cream blue is much less pungent than a harder blue cheese like Gorgonzola. It tastes of anchovy and soy sauce with a hint of roasted cauliflower. What puts double cream blue above more “standard” blue cheeses is the buttery mouthfeel. There’s something uniquely pleasurable about the way fat coats the tongue. Although good on its own, I’d suggest pairing it with something crunchy and light like pear or celery for texture and to cut the richness.

Jasper Hill Whitney Cheese– I promised not to incorporate anything too obscure, but this is too good not to shout out. Just go to whole foods…. This is not as rich as a double cream blue or a Brie, but just as satisfying. The flavour is salty with a hint of sweet and a spicy aftertaste, like someone added gochujang. It’s not a soft cheese but still has an enchanting velvet texture. This is a perfect cheese to add in a grilled cheese sandwich or enjoy with grapes and crackers.

Robusto Gouda- There are 7 types of gouda, all of which are amazing. However, Robusto is the best IMO. It’s nutty, salty and sweet with a slight tang, reminiscent of oyster sauce. There are also delightful little crystals that add pops of flavour and texture. It is slightly crumblier than other types of Gouda, but still creamy enough to be satisfying. The Whole Foods “brand” is very good and there are often smaller slices for under $3. Perfect for sampling. 

Irish sharp cheddar– Cheddar is the stereotypical cheese and for good reason. It tastes good! For consistency sake, I’ll describe the taste. It’s salty with a touch of sweetness and a slight acidity in the after taste reminiscent of sour cream. I prefer sharp cheddar for the stronger acidity. As for brand, Kerrygold. I’ve also heard good things about Tipperary, but if I can’t find it at Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s, it’s probably not worth the cost or effort of getting it.

Skyr– Skyr looks and tastes like yoghurt but it is technically cheeses, not yoghurt. And full disclosure, they’re not on here for taste. It is a nutritional powerhouses with more protein, less acidity and less sugar than Greek yoghurt. It makes great toppings for sweet and savoury items, paired with berries, in smoothies or healthy ice creams. Siggis is my go to brand and it’s  sold in pretty much every larger grocery store.

Brebisrousse– Brebisrousse is admittedly a very new addition to the list. I took my weekly trip to the cheese counter when I noticed a strange looking soft, off-orange slice: Brebisrousse. It’s an aged French soft cheese with a sharp and nutty flavour, like miso mixed with butter. The texture is smooth and silky with a hint of cheese pull but never rubbery. This is the perfect cheese to enjoy on toast as an indulgent breakfast

Note: If you notice, Italian cheeses are conspicuously missing from my list. That’s not because I’m not a fan of Italy (that’s for a different place). Italian cheeses are great, just dominated by better options. For example, Asiago has a slightly more complex taste than cheddar, but I prefer the smooth texture. The soft curds in buratta are delightful, but the taste is too mild. I’m sure of the over 1000 types of Italian cheeses, some of them outrank the ones on my list. Unfortunately haven’t been able to find one that hit the spot just yet.

Where to buy Cheese

Whole. Foods.

Whole Foods gets a bad rap for being unaffordable-Not for cheese. They not only offer a better selection than most grocery stores, most items are of comparable price, if not cheaper. The other benefit is that most whole foods will have a “under $5” selection where certain cheeses will be put in discount or with smaller portions. This is great for getting a variety while watching both the wallet and waistline. Many whole foods cheese counters will even have helpful staff that’ll give recommendations (and samples). 

Conclusion

Cheese is good. Go eat cheese

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