Gouda

Gouda cheese (Goudse kaas, "cheese from Gouda) is a sweet, creamy, yellow cow's milk cheese originating from the Netherlands. It is one of the most popular cheeses worldwide. The name is used today as a general term for numerous similar cheeses produced in the traditional Dutch manner.

The first mention of Gouda cheese dates from 1284, making it one of the oldest recorded cheeses in the world still made today, reaching full maturity during the Dutch Golden Age of the 17th century. Cheesemaking traditionally was a woman's task in Dutch culture, with farmers' wives passing their cheesemaking skills on to their daughters. During the summer months in the city of Gouda, South Holland, there is a cheese market in traditional style once a week primarily as a tourist attraction. Most Dutch Gouda is now produced industrially. However, some 300 Dutch farmers still produce boerenkaas (“farmer's cheese”) which is a protected form of Gouda made in the traditional manner, using unpasteurised milk.

The cheese is named after the master of Gouda, not because it was produced in or around that city, but because it was traded there. In the Middle Ages, Dutch cities could obtain certain feudal rights which gave them primacy or a total monopoly on certain goods. Within the County of Holland, Gouda acquired market rights on cheese, the sole right to have a market in which the county's farmers could sell their cheese. All the cheeses would be taken to the market square in Gouda to be sold. Teams consisting of the guild of cheese-porters, identified by distinct differently coloured straw hats, carried the farmers' cheeses, which typically weighed about 16 kg (35 lb), in barrows. Buyers then sampled the cheeses and negotiated a price using a ritual bargaining system called handjeklap in which buyers and sellers clap each other's hands and shout out prices. Once a price was agreed upon, the porters would carry the cheese to the weighing house and complete the sale.

Various sources suggest that the term Gouda refers more to a general style of cheesemaking rather than to a specific kind of cheese, pointing to its taste, which varies with age. Young (and factory-produced) Gouda has been described as having a flavour that is "lightly fudgy with nuts, but very, very, very mild", while the same source describes a more mature farmhouse Gouda as having a "lovely fruity tang" with a "sweet finish", that may take on "an almost butterscotch flavour" if aged over two years.

After cultured milk is curdled, some of the whey is then drained and water is added. This is called "washing the curd", and creates a sweeter cheese, as the washing removes some of the lactose, resulting in a reduction of lactic acid produced. About 10% of the mixture is curds, which are pressed into circular moulds for several hours. These moulds are the essential reason behind its traditional, characteristic shape. The cheese is then soaked in a brine solution, which gives the cheese and its rind a distinctive taste.

The cheese is dried for a few days before being coated with a yellow wax or plastic-like coating to prevent it from drying out, then it is aged, during which process the cheese changes from semi-hard to hard. Dutch cheese makers generally use six gradations, or categories, to classify the cheese:

• Young cheese (4 weeks)
• Young matured (8–10 weeks)
• Matured (16–18 weeks)
• Extra matured (7–9 months)
• Old cheese (10–12 months)
• Very old cheese (12 months to 20 months)

As it ages, it develops a caramel sweetness and has a slight crunchiness from cheese crystals, especially in older cheeses. In the Netherlands, cubes of Gouda are often eaten as a snack served with Dutch mustard. Older varieties are sometimes topped with sugar or apple butter. Cubes of Gouda are commonly served as a snack along with beer in traditional Dutch Brown Bars.

In most cases, the moisture content of gouda cheese falls somewhere in the range of 40-50%. The amount of moisture that is present in Gouda cheese plays an important part in determining its texture. Cheeses that include higher moisture levels have a tendency to be softer and more creamy, whilst cheeses that have a lower moisture content have a tendency to be stiffer and may develop a crystalline structure as they age. Gouda cheese has a high moisture content.

Gouda cheese has a variable fat content, typically ranging from 20-40%. The fat content contributes to the cheese's texture and allows for the transportation and release of flavour-enhancing chemicals, increasing the cheese's overall flavour profile. The fat level also affects the cheese's melting properties.

Certain aroma-active chemicals that are found in Gouda cheese are responsible for the cheese's distinctive flavour character, which can be traced back to those components. Six components are believed to be distinctive of all Gouda cheeses. They are diacetyl, 2-methylbutanal, 3-methylbutanal, methional, ethyl butyrate, acetic acid and casein (the primary protein found in cows' milk). It is the predominant type of protein found in gouda cheese, which contributes to the cheese's high protein content. During the manufacturing process, casein coagulates to create the curds, which contributes to the cheese's stiffness and overall structure.

Gouda is recognised for its diverse flavour profile. Gouda cheese can exhibit a wide range of flavour qualities, from mild and creamy to harsh and acidic, depending on its age. The flavours develop as Gouda cheeses reach the medium stage of maturation, showing extra whey, sour aromatics and a somewhat cooked or milky essence, increasing the cheese's complexity. Matured Gouda has a rich, caramel-like flavour, which is developed after prolonged ripening, along with brothy and malty or nutty undertones. Depending on how long the cheese has been aged, the finish can range from silky to sharp.

Gouda has a solid and springy texture. The cheese gets crystalline as it ages. Young Gouda cheese often has a smooth, creamy texture and a pale ivory to light yellow colour. The cheese's look changes into a richer golden hue as it becomes older and its texture becomes more crumbly and firm. Small crystalline crystals within aged Gouda cheese may also be visible.

The term "Gouda" is not restricted to cheese of Dutch origin. However, “Boerenkaas”, “Noord-Hollandse Gouda” and “Gouda Holland” are protected geographical indications in the European Union. These cheeses can be made only in the Netherlands (although not only in the Dutch provinces of North and South Holland, in which Gouda is situated) and can use only milk produced by Dutch cows.

Comté

Comté is a French cheese made from unpasteurised cow's milk in the Franche-Comté region of eastern France bordering Switzerland and sharing much of its cuisine. Comté has the highest production of all French Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) cheeses, at around 66,500 tonnes annually. It is classified as an Alpine cheese.

The cheese is made in discs, each between 40 cm (16 in) and 70 cm (28 in) in diameter, and around 10 cm (4 in) in height. Each disc weighs up to 50 kg (110 lb) with an FDM around 45%. The rind is usually a dusty-brown colour and the internal paste, pâte, is a pale creamy yellow. The texture is relatively hard and flexible, and the taste is mild and slightly sweet.

Fresh from the farm, milk is poured into large copper vats where it is gently warmed. Each cheese requires up to 600 lites of milk. Rennet is added, causing the milk to coagulate. The curds are then cut into tiny white grains that are the size of rice or wheat which are then stirred before being heated again for around 30 minutes. The contents are then placed into moulds and the whey is pressed out. After several hours the mould is opened and left to mature in cellars, first for a few weeks at the dairy, and then over several months elsewhere.

The manufacture of Comté has been controlled by AOC regulations since it became one of the first cheeses to receive AOC recognition in 1958, with full regulations introduced in 1976. The AOC regulations for Comté prescribe:

• Only milk from Montbéliarde or French Simmental cows (or cross breeds of the two) is permitted.
• There must be no more than 1.3 cows per hectare of pasture.
• Fertilisation of pasture is limited, and cows may only be fed fresh, natural feed, with no silage.
• The milk must be transported to the site of production immediately after milking.
• Renneting must be carried out within a stipulated time after milking, according to the storage temperature of the milk.
• The milk must be used raw. Only one heating of the milk may occur and that must be during renneting. The milk may be heated up to 56C / 133F.
• Salt may only be applied directly to the surface of the cheese.
• A casein label containing the date of production must be attached to the side of the cheese, and maturing must continue for at least four months.

No grated cheese could be sold under the Comté name between 1979 and 2007. In 2005 the French Government registered 175 producers and 188 affineurs (agers) in France.

Each cheese is awarded a score out of 20 by inspectors, according to 'overall appearance' (up 1 point), 'quality of rind' (1.5), 'internal appearance' (3.5), 'texture' (5), and taste (9). Those scoring >14 points, called Comté Extra, are given a green casein label with the recognizable logo of a green bell. Those cheeses scoring 12-14 points are given a brown label and are simply called Comté. Any cheese scoring 1-2 points (out of a possible 9) for taste, or <12 overall is prohibited from being named Comté and is sold for other purposes.

Comté is well known for its distinct terroir: it is made in 160 village-based fruitières (cheese-making facilities) in the region, owned by farmers who bring their own milk from their cows; strict production rules linking place and product; and the seasonal environmental effects. Comté cheeses go through the process of "jury terroir", where panels of trained volunteer tasters from Comté supply chain and from the region discuss and publish bi-monthly in the newsletter Les Nouvelles de Comté about the taste and their results. This jury terroir was created by Florence Bérodier, a food scientist, to elaborate in response to a set of formidable challenges that Comté cheese underwent in the beginning for its unfamiliar taste and smell. "The jury terroir is there to speak of all the richness in the tastes of a Comté…" – the original member confirmed. For Comté cheese to be world-renowned, the quality improved, but the challenge stand still to create a uniform taste, which was impossible to achieve since there were 160 different fruitières specializing. But through the process of jury terroir, people came to focus on communication among the tasters, which improved their ability to perceive and gained in value. They acquired a general culture that enabled them to describe and exchange the taste of Comtés.

Aarewasser

Aarewasser cheese is a sweet nutty creamy semi-hard or semi-soft cheese, washed with pure fresh spring water from the River Aare, the longest river entirely within Switzerland. It rises in the Alps and flows into the Rhine. The cheese tastes good even when young and some say it reminds them of fresh meadows in Spring. It is made with unpasteurised Simmentaler cow's milk, chiefly in Oberhünigen, Emmental, Berne Canton, Switzerland. Simmentaler refers to a breed of large usually buff or dull red and white cattle of Swiss origin that are used widely throughout the world for meat and milk.

Manchego

Manchego (queso manchego) is made in the La Mancha region of Spain from the milk of sheep of the Manchega breed. It is aged between 60 days and 2 years.

Manchego has a firm and compact consistency and a buttery texture, often containing small, unevenly distributed air pockets. Colour varies from white to ivory-yellow and the inedible rind from yellow to brownish-beige. The cheese has a distinctive flavour, well developed but not too strong, creamy with a slight piquancy and leaves an aftertaste characteristic of sheep's milk.

The designation queso manchego is protected under Spain's denominación de origen regulatory classification system and the cheese has been granted Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status by the European Union.

A queso manchego must satisfy these requirements:

• produced within designated parts of the provinces of Albacete, Ciudad Real, Cuenca and Toledo, all in the La Mancha region.
• made only with the whole milk of Manchega breed sheep, raised on registered farms within the area.
• aged for a minimum of 60 days (30 days for cheeses weighing up to 1.5 kg [3.3 lb]) and a maximum of two years.
• must be produced by pressing in a cylindrical mould that has a maximum height of 12 cm (4.7 in) and a maximum diameter of 22 cm (8.7 in).

Manchego cheese can be made from pasteurised or raw milk; if the latter, it may be labelled artesano (artisan). The only permitted additives are natural rennet or another approved coagulating enzyme and salt.

The moulds in which the cheese is pressed are barrel-shaped. Traditionally, manchego was made by pressing the curd in plaited esparto grass baskets, which left a distinctive zig-zag pattern (pleita) on the rind. Today, the same effect is achieved by the mould, the inside of which has a design in relief that imparts to the finished cheese an embossed pattern similar to that of woven esparto grass. The top and bottom surfaces of the cheese are impressed with a design of a head of wheat.

During maturation, manchego develops a natural rind. The regulations permit this to be washed, coated in paraffin, dipped in olive oil or treated with certain approved transparent substances but require that it must not be removed if the cheese is to be marketed as PDO.

Cheeses that meet the PDO requirements carry a casein tab that is applied when the cheese is in the mould and bear a distinctive label issued by the Manchego Cheese Denomination of Origin Regulating Council; this carries the legend queso manchego, a serial number and artwork depicting Don Quixote de La Mancha.

A cheese that is similar to manchego and made in the same region, but from a blend of cow's, goat's and ewe's milk, is sold as queso ibérico or ibérico cheese.

Almost 60% of Spanish cheese with Denomination of Origin is Manchego, which makes it the main reference of Spanish cheese. As most is exported, it is one of the most important ambassadors of Spain’s national gastronomy. La Mancha exported 5.9 million kg of this cheese in 2017, according to the Foundation for Manchego Cheese (Fundación C.R.D.O Queso Manchego).

Queso manchego has a variety of different flavours depending on age:

• Fresco: fresh cheese is aged for 2 weeks. It has a rich but mild flavour, not a true queso manchego due to its lack of ageing. Produced in small quantities, it is rarely found outside Spain.
• Semicurado: semifirm, semicured cheese aged for 3 weeks to 3–4 months, somewhat milder than curado.
• Curado: semifirm cured cheese aged for 3–6 months with a caramel and nutty flavour.
• Viejo: aged for 1–2 years, firm with a sharper flavour the longer it is aged; it has a rich, deep pepperiness to it. It grates well, but can also be eaten on its own or on tapas.

In Mexico and Spanish-speaking areas of the USA, manchego or queso tipo manchego (manchego-type cheese) is the name given to an industrialised cow's milk cheese similar in taste to Monterey Jack. It melts well and is used as both a table cheese and for cooking. Apart from the name, this cheese has nothing in common with the Spanish variety.

In Costa Rica, three companies produce a manchego-type cheese, which can come with a drawing of Don Quixote on the labels. One company also makes a manchego-type cheese with basil added. These cheeses can come dipped in paraffin wax, and some have the pleita pattern pressed on the side.

Jarlsberg

Jarlsberg is a mild cheese made from cow's milk, with large, regular eyes. It originates from Jarlsberg, in Norway and is produced in Norway, and by license, in Ieland and Ohio, USA. It is classified as a Swiss-type cheese.

It has a yellow wax rind and a semi-firm yellow interior. It is a mild, buttery cheese. The flavour has been described as "clean and rich, with a slightly sweet and nutty flavour". It is an all-purpose cheese, used for both cooking and eating as a snack. It has a characteristic smooth, shiny-yellow body and a creamy, supple texture. It is aged a minimum of three months and is distinguished by medium to large holes. Some variations are aged a minimum of 9, 12 or 15 months. It is usually produced in 10-kilogram (22 lb) wheels with an approximate diameter of 330 millimetres (13 in) and a height of 95 to 105 millimetres (3.7 to 4.1 in). The characteristic "eyes" are the result of the action of the bacteria (Propionibacterium freudenreichii) which naturally occurs in milk and is added back into the cheese during production according to a closely guarded secret formula.

The history of this cheese can be traced back to the middle 1850s. Anders Larsen Bakke (1815–1899), a farmer and pioneer in Norway's dairy industry, produced cheese in the village of Våle in what was then the county of Jarlsberg and Larviks Amt (now Vestfold), 80 km (50 mi) south of Oslo. The cheese shares similarities with Emmental, introduced to Vestfold by Swiss cheese makers during the 1830s. The cheese was first noted in the annual county report of Jarlsberg and Larviks Amt in 1855. After several years of popularity marked by a large volume of production Jarlsberg disappeared from the market.

Modern Jarlsberg cheese was developed in 1956 by Ole Martin Ystgaard of the Dairy Institute at the Agricultural University of Norway. Ystgaard's interest was sparked by the thesis of a dairy sciences student, Per Sakshaug, on the cheese historically made in Vestfold. It was named for a Norwegian nobleman, Count Wedel Jarlsberg, who owned land near Oslo in an area where an earlier version of the cheese was produced in the early 1800s, or for the eponymous county. The recipe was developed from formulae originating with Swiss cheesemakers who moved to Norway at that time.

"Jarlsberg" is a trademark first registered by Tine SA in 1972, and the exact nature and formula for the process of making Jarlsberg cheese is a trade secret. The largest producer of Jarlsberg is Tine SA. Tine is the largest Norwegian dairy product cooperative. Jarlsberg accounts for 80% of Tine's total exports. Tine's US subsidiary, Norseland, has sold 150 million 22 lb (10 kg) wheels of Jarlsberg in the US as of 2004.

Jarlsberg cheese was introduced in the US in 1964. Imports to the US in 1965 were 25 million pounds (11,000,000 kg). Since 1979 imports have been limited to 15 million pounds (6,800,000 kg). Jarlsberg is the most popular imported cheese in the US. As of 2004, 5-10 million pounds (2,300,000-4,500,000 kg) of Jarlsberg was made in Ohio. It is also produced in Ireland by Dairygold.

Annual sales of Jarlsberg in the UK are £6.9m as of 2013. Jarlsberg is also popular in Australia. Jarlsberg is used as the topping of the Grandiosa, the best-selling frozen pizza in Norway.

Snowdonia Truffle Trove

The Snowdonia Cheese Company was established in 2001 with the aim of creating a luxury range of Welsh cheeses. The colourful wax-coated truckles are attractive and easy to spot and have won numerous awards. Based in North Wales and the rugged beauty of Snowdonia, the company uses only the finest (pasteurised) milk and additional ingredients to produce a distinctive range of cheeses. Options range from Black Bomber – an extra-mature Cheddar – through to Red Devil, a classic Red Leicester warmed with a hit of chilli. There is also the award-winning Pickle Power – a mature Cheddar with a pickled onion tang and Ruby Mist – another mature Cheddar with warming hints of Port and Brandy. Confronted by a limited choice on a recent trip to Wales I went for Truffle Trove, which is a mature cheddar embedded with small pieces of black truffle, an excellent compliment to the cheese.

Hafod Cheddar

Hafod is an unpasteurised Cheddar made by hand at Holden Farm Dairy on Bwlchwernen Fawr, Wales’ longest certified organic dairy farm. Sharp but subtle, Hafod has a rich texture and a complex and earthy flavour – perfect for adding to Welsh rarebit or eating with a slice of apple. The Hafod recipe was developed by Sam and Rachel Holden in 2005 after they were inspired by a recipe from Dora Saker’s 1917 book Practical Cheddar Cheese-making. The 75 Ayrshire cows on the farm produce a milk that is perfect for high quality cheesemaking due to its rich and buttery texture.

Hafod cheese started life in 2007 when farmer Patrick Holden joined forces with his son, Sam and daughter-in-law Rachel, who moved back to West Wales from London with the dream of making a truly special cheese. The origins of Hafod go back further, to the late Dougal Campbell, a close friend of Patrick’s. Dougal learned to make cheese in the Swiss Alps before moving to West Wales in the early 1980s, where he started making a cheese called T’yn Grug using milk from both his own herd and from Patrick’s. He went on to teach cheesemaking to several people and his recipe formed the starting point from which Sam and Rachel eventually developed Hafod.

The cheese is made with raw milk. Ayrshire milk is rich in butterfat and protein and is widely regarded as being ideally suited to cheesemaking. Although the recipe for the cheese is very similar to that of a Cheddar, Hafod has distinctive rich, buttery, nutty flavours – indicative of the Swiss origins of the original recipe. The cheese is made in 10kg rounds, cloth bound and matured to 12 months, during which time it develops a traditional mould rind.

Caerphilly

Caerphilly is a hard, crumbly white cheese that originated in the area around Caerphilly, S Wales and is thought to have been created for local coal miners. It has subsequently been suggested that the cheese's salt content helped manual workers and can be cut into wedges and does not dry out in the conditions underground. Caerphilly in that period had a greater moisture content and was made in local farms. At the start of the 20th Century, competition for milk in the local area saw production decline and Caerphilly production was gradually relocated to England.

During World War II production was stopped and diverted to Cheddar in English factories. Post-war, those factories began to produce Caerphilly as it could be made more quickly than Cheddar and so was more profitable. The majority of Caerphilly is now produced in Somerset and Wiltshire. Artisan cheesemakers still make Caerphilly in pre-war style and have been successful at the British Cheese Awards.

Caerphilly cheese, originally a moist curd made in local farms, has since been replaced with a much drier version produced on an industrial scale. However, some cheesemakers still produce Caerphilly in the old style on an artisan basis. Farmhouse Caerphilly production died out during World War II as it did not keep as well as Cheddar from English factories. Post-war those factories started making their own versions of Caerphilly, which matured very quickly and thus required less financing. Over time, the public forgot the difference between the old and new Caerphilly cheeses.

There was a resurgence in farmhouse-produced Caerphilly in the 1980s in Wales, as a result of the work of Cenarth Cheese. Milk quotas imposed at the time meant milk was being thrown away so Thelma Adams decided to make a business out of producing cheese from the excess milk.

By the late 1990s, no cheesemakers in Caerphilly made the cheese for which the town is known. Realising this, Castle Dairies began making it, shortly after they opened in the town. Rather than using factory methods, they use pre-war production techniques by hand and won a gold and a bronze award at the British Cheese Awards, 2000. In July 2015 Caerphilly cheese was one of nine Welsh products considered by the government as candidates for name protection under the geographical indications and traditional specialities in the EU rules, the only cheese considered as a candidate on the list.

Caerphilly is a light-coloured (almost white) crumbly cheese made from cow's milk, and generally has a fat content of 45%-55%. It has a mild taste, with a tang of lemon. A traditional Caerphilly must be made with pasteurised or unpasteurised milk produced by Welsh farms. It comes in organic and non-organic varieties.

It is created by adding rennet to buttermilk, resulting in curd production. This is then formed and cut, before being pressed lightly into a cylindrical mould. These rounds are then submerged in a bath of brine for 24 hours to cause the production of a rind. Rice flour is used to dust the outside, affecting the colour of the rind. The cheese ripens quickly, in as little as two weeks. Acid production is initially slow but builds up. This and the low temperature used during production mean that the acid naturally dries out the curd, causing the crumbly texture. The cheese is nicknamed "The Crumblies".

Traditional Welsh Caerphilly and Traditional Welsh Caerffili are both protected by European Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status.

A Chicago Sun-Times article in 1987 extolled the virtues of Caerphilly cheese, describing it as having a "mild, salty, buttermilk" flavour and being halfway between ricotta and cheddar.

Bee Wilson, in The Daily Telegraph on 9 October 2011, praised the old style of Caerphilly now made by small-scale producers such as Gorwydd Farm, comparing it to French cheeses and calling it "buttery" in comparison to the post-war mass manufactured type which she called "young and flavourless, with the texture of chalk".

An annual three-day festival to celebrate the cheese, entitled The Big Cheese (Y Caws Mawr) takes place in Caerphilly. Also there is a sculpture of a cheese. A best Caerphilly cheese category forms part of the annual British Cheese Awards. In 2004, Gorwydd Caerphilly won both the Caerphilly prize and the overall award for best traditional British cheese. It was made by brothers Todd and Maugan Trethowan at their family farm in Tregaron, Ceredigion. However, they failed to win Best Welsh Cheese. They have now moved to Somerset.

Brie

Brie is a soft cow's-milk cheese named after Brie, the French region from which it originated (roughly corresponding to the modern département of Seine-et-Marne). It is pale in colour with a slight greyish tinge under a rind of white mould. The rind is typically eaten, with its flavour depending largely upon the ingredients used and its manufacturing environment. It is similar to Camembert, which is native to a different region of France. Brie typically contains between 60% and 75% butterfat, slightly higher than Camembert.

"Brie" is a style of cheese, and is not in itself a protected name, although some regional bries are protected. It may be produced from whole or semi-skimmed milk. The curd is obtained by adding rennet to raw milk and warming it to a maximum temperature of 37 °C (98.6 °F). The cheese is then cast into moulds, sometimes with a traditional perforated ladle called a pelle à brie. The 20 cm (8 in) mould is filled with several thin layers of cheese and drained for approximately 18 hours. The cheese is then taken out of the moulds, salted, innoculated with cheese culture (Penicillium candidum, Penicillium camemberti or Brevibacterium linens), and aged in a controlled environment for at least four or five weeks.

If left to mature for longer, typically several months to a year, the cheese becomes stronger in flavour and taste, th e pâte drier and darker, and the rind also darker and crumbly, and it is called Brie noir.Overripe brie contains an unpleasantly excessive amount of ammonia, produced by the same microorganisms required for ripening.

A 30 gramme serving of brie contains 101 calories (420 kJ) and 8.4 grams of fat, of which 5.26 grammes are saturated fat. Brie is a good source of protein; a serving of brie can provide 5-6 grammes of protein. Brie contains a good amount of vitamins B12 and B2.

There are now many varieties of brie made all over the world, including plain brie, herbed varieties, double and triple brie and versions of brie made with other types of milk. Indeed, although brie is a French cheese, it is possible to obtain Somerset and Wisconsin brie. The French government officially certifies only two types of brie, Brie de Meaux and Brie de Melun. Some varieties of brie cheese are smoked.

Gruyère

Gruyère is a hard Swiss cheese that originated in the cantons of Fribourg, Vaud, Neuchâtel, Jura and Berne. It is named after the town of Gruyères in Fribourg. In 2001, Gruyère gained the appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC), which became the appellation d'origine protégée (AOP) as of 2013.

Gruyère is classified as a Swiss-type or Alpine cheese and is sweet but slightly salty, with a flavour that varies widely with age. It is often described as creamy and nutty when young, becoming more assertive, earthy and complex as it matures. When fully aged (five months to a year), it tends to have small cracks that impart a slightly grainy texture. Unlike Emmental, with which it is often confused, modern Gruyère has few if any eyes, although in the 19th century, this was not always the case. The small cracks that can develop in Gruyère cheese are often referred to as "eyes." These eyes are round or irregularly shaped holes that are formed during the aging process. It is the most popular Swiss cheese in Switzerland and in most of Europe.

It  is used in many ways in countless dishes. It is considered a good cheese for baking because of its distinctive but not overpowering taste. For example in quiche, Gruyère adds savoriness without overshadowing the other ingredients. It is a good melting cheese, particularly suited for fondues, along with Vacherin Fribourgeois and Emmental. It is also traditionally used in French onion soup, as well as in croque-monsieur, a classic French toasted ham and cheese sandwich. Gruyère is also used in chicken and veal cordon bleu. It is a fine table cheese and, when grated, it is often used with salads and pastas. It is used, grated, atop le tourin, a garlic soup from France served on dried bread. White wines, such as Riesling, pair well with Gruyère. Sparkling cider and Bock beer are also beverage affinities.

Double Gloucester

Gloucester is a traditional, semi-hard cheese made in Gloucestershire since the 16th century. There are two varieties, Single and Double; both traditionally made from milk from Gloucester cattle. Both types have a natural rind and a hard texture but Single Gloucester is more crumbly, lighter in texture and lower in fat. Double Gloucester is allowed to age for longer periods than Single and has a stronger and more savoury flavour. It is also slightly firmer. The flower known as lady's bedstraw (Galium verum) was responsible for the distinctively yellow colour of Double Gloucester cheese.

In the UK today, Double Gloucester is more widely sold. Both types are produced in round shapes but Double Gloucester rounds are larger. Traditionally whereas the Double Gloucester was a prized cheese comparable in quality to the best Cheddar or Cheshire and was exported out of the county, Single Gloucester tended to be consumed within Gloucestershire.

Most Double Gloucester sold in UK supermarkets is slab cheese made in large creameries operated by major dairy companies such as Dairy Crest. Supermarkets normally sell Double Gloucester under their own store brand. This version of the cheese is pasteurised but not processed.

Manufacture of traditional Gloucester cheeses from the Gloucester cow died out in the 1950s along with most of the Gloucester cattle. However, in 1973 Charles Martell managed to gather three Old Gloucester cows from the herd of less than 50 left in the county. A BBC TV series A Taste of Britain filmed his successful attempt to revive the tradition of farmhouse Double Gloucester that year. In 1978 Martell went on to revive the lost Single Gloucester cheese. Traditionally produced Gloucester cheese is supported by the Slow Food movement since 2004. Single Gloucester has PDO status and can only be made in Gloucestershire on farms with Gloucester cows. As of 2010 six cheese makers produce it.

The reason for the two types of Gloucester cheese being called 'double' and 'single' is unknown. The main theories are

• the creamy milk had to be skimmed twice to make the double variety
• cream from the morning milk was added to the evening milk
• a Double Gloucester cheese is typically twice the height of a Single Gloucester

Double Gloucester cheese is used every spring for the Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake. Competitors chase a cheese down a steep Gloucestershire hillside; the first person to reach the bottom of the 50% gradient, 200 yards (180 m) slope wins the cheese.

Blue Stilton

Stilton is produced in two varieties: white and blue. Blue has penicillium roqueforti added to generate a characteristic smell and taste. Both have been granted the status of a protected designation of origin (PDO) by the European Commission, requiring that only such cheese produced in the three counties of Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire may be called Stilton. The cheese takes its name from the village of Stilton, now in Cambridgeshire, where it has long been sold. Stilton cheese cannot be made there because it is not in any of the three permitted counties.

Frances Pawlett (Paulet), a cheese maker of Wymondham, Leicestershire, has traditionally been credited with setting up the modern Stilton cheese shape and style in the 1720s but others are named. Early 19th-century research published by William Marshall provides logic and oral history to indicate a continuum between the locally produced cheese of Stilton and the later development of a high turnover commercial industry importing cheese produced elsewhere, under local guidance. A recipe for a Stilton cheese was published in 1726 by Richard Bradley, later first Professor of Botany, Cambridge University.

Another early printed reference to Stilton came from William Stukeley in 1722. Daniel Defoe in his 1724 work A Tour thro' the Whole Island of Great Britain notes, "We pass'd Stilton, a town famous for cheese, which is call'd our English Parmesan, and is brought to table with the mites or maggots round it, so thick, that they bring a spoon with them for you to eat the mites with, as you do the cheese."

According to the Stilton Cheesemaker's Association, the first person to market Blue Stilton was Cooper Thornhill, owner of the Bell Inn in Stilton, Huntingdonshire (now in Cambridgeshire). Tradition has it that in 1730, Thornhill discovered a distinctive blue cheese while visiting a small farm near Melton Mowbray in rural Leicestershire – possibly Wymondham. He fell in love with the cheese and made a business arrangement that granted the Bell Inn exclusive marketing rights to Blue Stilton. Soon thereafter, wagonloads of cheese were being delivered there. The village stood on the Great North Road, a main stagecoach route between London and the north, so Thornhill could promote sales and the fame of Stilton spread rapidly.

In 1936 the Stilton Cheesemakers' Association (SCMA) was formed to lobby for regulation to protect the quality and origin of the cheese. In 1966 Stilton was granted legal protection via a certification trade mark, the only British cheese to have received that status.

Blue Stilton's distinctive blue veins are created by piercing the crust of the cheese with stainless steel needles, allowing air into the core. The manufacturing and ripening process takes some 9-12 weeks.

For cheese to use the name "Stilton", it must be made in one of the right county and use pasteurised local milk. PDO was grabted in 1996. The cheese remains protected by its PDO even after Brexit. Some six dairies are licensed (three in Leicestershire, two in Nottinghamshire, one in Derbyshire).  Four are based in the Vale of Belvoir.

On average, finished Stilton cheese has a typical fat content of 35% and protein content of 23%.

Red Leicester

Belton Farm is west of Leicestershire via Staffordhsire in Shropshire. An independent family-run business, cheese has been made there by the Beckett family since 1922.

Red Leicester (also known simply as Leicester or Leicestershire) is an English cheese similar to Cheddar but crumbly in texture. It is typically aged 6-12 months. The rind is reddish-orange with a powdery mould on it. Since the eighteenth century, it has been coloured by adding annatto extract during manufacture. It is made with cow's milk and is named after the Midlands city of Leicester or the county it is in.

Traditionally made wheels are fairly firm and dry, with a friable texture and a slightly sweet, mellow flavour that becomes stronger as the cheese matures. Block-made cheeses are moister and have a slightly sweet aftertaste and a creamy texture. The cheese has a slightly nutty taste. Versions sold in supermarkets are typically coloured with annatto, though it is possible to obtain Red Leicester without it.

It is aged anywhere from four-nine months. "Young" Leicesters, at the beginning of that range, will be very mild; it is usually after six months that a Leicester begins to develop enough of a tang to be classified as "old". The modern industrial method for aging is the Vac pac method. Smaller "farmhouse" makers usually still use the traditional way of maturing it in cloth, for a better flavour development.

Originally made on farms in Leicestershire with surplus milk, once all the Stilton desired was made, it was originally coloured with carrot or beetroot juice.

It used to be called Leicestershire Cheese but came to be called Red Leicester to distinguish it from "White Leicester," which was made to a national wartime recipe in the 1940s due to rationing. When fresh, the fat content of Red Leicester is generally 33 or 34%. Regulations require minimum fat levels be stated in terms of the "fat in dry matter" or FDM. This is because moisture levels decrease as cheese ages. FDM measures the amount of fat present in the solids, which includes protein, minerals, vitamins and salt. The minimum FDM listed for Red Leicester is generally 48%.