7. Gouda Cheese
Gouda cheese accounts for 50% of the total cheese production in the Netherlands and it is the most typical and prestigious cheese in the country. As one of the oldest cheeses ever recorded, the history of gouda cheese can be traced back to 1184. At that time, people gathered in Gouda, the small Dutch town for cheese trading, and the cheese was named after the town.
From the perspective of ingredients and production process, gouda cheese is a kind of semi-hard cheese made from milk and has a long aging period. It has a strong milk flavor, a soft and smooth taste, and a sweet taste with mellow caramel or nut flavor. The finished product looks like a carefully polished wheel, with a smooth surface, and has yellow, red, brown and black colors. The cheeses with different color surface represent the length of aging period and the flavor that is gradually concentrated. For instance, the red gouda with shorter aging period and the aged yellow gouda have a sweet and light taste; while the smoked brown and black ones taste more intense.
It can be eaten in a variety of ways, such as being added to baked foodsand soups as seasonings, or to sandwiches. It tastes delicious and pleasant paired with fruits, vegetables and meat.
8. Parmesan
Parmesan is a hard cheese made from skim milk or partial skim milk. The hard cheese has a pale golden surface, with a straw- yellow interior, grainy taste, as well as a rich and spicy flavor. It takes at least two years for the cheese to be aged.Those labeled stravecchio need three years while others labeled stravecchiones need four years or more.
The cheese must be made meticulously in the traditional way that has lasted for nearly eight centuries, and only by hand. This is one of the reasons that many cheese lovers call parmesan cheese as the "King of Cheeses". Without being squeezed, every 440 kilograms of milk is condensed into only about 40 kilograms of parmesan cheese.
It is also worth mentioning that only cheeses from Bologna, Mantua, Modena and Parma, the four Italian provinces, can be called Parmigiano-Reggiano. In addition, the production and sale of the cheese is controlled by the local government, and it has to pass strict quality inspection during the early aging process before it can be officially certified.
9. Comté cheese
Some people say that you can't really know French cheese until you've eaten Comté cheese. It is not only the most productive cheese in France, but it also has a strict grading system, called "Appellation D'origine Contrôlée" (AOC). In this system, the full mark is 20, and only those with more than 12 are qualified as Comté cheese. As a result, Comté cheese is produced under strict quality control standards, which requires it to be aged for at least 90 days and be bathed in salt water at regular intervals.
The aging period of Comté cheese ranges from 9 months to 3 years. The longer the aging period, the more sophisticated the aroma of Comté cheese will be. The various aroma of roasted nuts and aged leather are naturally blending together, leaving people still intoxicated in the aftertaste of cheese aroma after each taste. It is said that Comté cheese paired with yellow rice wine and sweet wheat wine, is a more authentic way to enjoy the cheese, and the flavor is excellent.
10. Blue mould cheese
Blue mould cheese is a kind of cheese with unique characteristics. It is a fungus cheese fermented with penicillium and has a gorgeous marbling-like appearance and an indescribable unique taste, so that those who like it cannot extricate themselves from it, while those who do not like it try to avoid it. If neither the refreshing fresh cheese nor the semi-hard cheese rich in milk aroma can satisfy your picky taste buds, you might as well try this kind of "special cheese" with spicy flavor.
Among the famous blue mould cheese, the historic French Roquefort cheese must have a place. Authentic Roquefort cheese must be made from Lacaune ewe's milk and must be aged in a natural cave in the Combalou Mountains of Roquefort. Because the cave environment is cool and humid, it's perfect for Penicillium Roqueforti's reproduction to make Roquefort cheese. It is the wonderful penicillium that makes the cheese become hard after dehydration, and makes it soft and smooth with a moist taste .
Its pure ivory white exterior is decorated with blue-green "stamens", which has become a hallmark of Roquefort cheese. Because of its strong smell and spicy taste, it is suitable for serving with light lettuce and endive salad and baguette.
