Nine Cheeses - You Need To Try Before You Die!

Boerenkaas is a Dutch farmhouse cheese that is made from unpasteurized cow's milk. Semi-hard in texture, this cheese is a Gouda type cheese that is typically made by small manufacturers by hand. The amber outer rind covers a creamy tan-colored cheese with a smooth texture containing only a few holes from air. Aged for several months, this cheese provides a rich nutty flavor that becomes stronger and somewhat fruity as it matures. The longer the Boerenkaas is aged the better it gets. When they are 3 years and older they are amongst the best semi-hard cheeses in the world.

St. André is a soft cheese made in the tradition of Brie and Camembert. It is produced at the St. André Creamery in Villefranche de Rouerque, France. The St Andre cheese debuted 40-some years ago. This soft-ripened cheese is one of the few triple-cream cheeses. This cheese has a worldwide reputation as one of the perfect bries, mixed with equal parts of thick, sour cream and whipped sweet cream. St. André is made from cow's milk and enriched with pure cream. St. André is considered rare.

English Farm House Cheddars originated near Somerset county and today traditional farmhouse production continues in over 20 farms throughout Western England. The process of “cheddaring” , which involves scalding the cow's milk curd twice, then blocks of curd are repeatedly stacked and then turned to facilitate draining, thereby making the curd much smoother. It's this exclusive process which makes a true farmhouse cheddar. Farmhouse varieties will always be made in 60-70 lbs. drums that stand 16 inches high with the traditional chalky-gray cloth wrapping. Never orange or white in color, farmhouse cheddars will appear tan to cream in color, with a tight smooth texture that will rarely crumble. With a full, applewood, buttery flavor you'll appreciate the handmade attention that gives English Farmhouse Cheddar layers and layers of flavor character. Look for English Farmhouse Cheddars at no less then one year of age. Cheddar is probably the most widely produced cheese today and sadly enough very few people have ever tasted the real “farmhouse” product.

Chevrot comes as a small drum of lightly aged, pasteurized goat cheese from Poitou, southwest of the French Loire. The edible rind is soft and wrinkled, covering a runny slick of liquidy cheese. The center is moist, dense and clay-like with a sweet, tangy flavor in youth that becomes increasingly piquant and nutty with age. Pairs beautifully with the crisp Sauvignon Blancs of the Loire or grassy Spanish Albariño. A dream of a goat cheese.

Parmigiano Reggiano Bonatti Riserva Specialeis a semi-fat, hard cheese made from raw cow's milk. The cheese is encased within a yellowish-golden and slightly oily rind on which the brand name Parmigiano Reggiano is stencilled in small dots. This very flaky and highly soluble cheese is very finely grained and ranges in colour from ivory white to straw-yellow. A chief feature of Parmigiano Reggiano is the presence of small white crystals which are indicative of the lengthy ripening period of minimum 24 months. The taste is delicate, fragrant and very savoury with a nutty and creamy aroma. Nothing better than a glass of wine, some fresh bread, good olive oil and a few pieces of Bonatti that are broken out of the cheese, never cut!

Roquefort Papillion Black Label, is made from raw ewe's milk and aged in the famous caves of Cambalou. Its paste is bright white with distinct penicillium roqueforti green needle markings. The green mold started out on huge rye breads baked specially for that purpose, then was dried, ground up and sifted before being added to the cheese. The cheese itself is formed, turned, salted, pricked with long needles to encourage bluing, and aged for at least three months on special oak planks. All of this care and attention results in the worlds best blue cheese that is complex, intensely creamy. Try it on pears, or drizzled with honey. My cheese of choice with a glass of Chateau d'Yquem!

Reblochon derives from the word 'reblocher' which when literally translated means 'to pinch a cow's udder again'. During the 14th century, the landowners would tax the Savoie mountain farmers according to the amount of milk their herds produced. The farmers would therefore not fully milk the cows until after the landowner had measured the yield. The milk that remains is much richer, and was used to make the Reblochon cheese. It is made from the milk of three breeds of cattle, the Abondance, Montbéliarde and the Tarine. The Reblochon is incredibly delicate and subtle. The paste is smooth and ivory coloured, with a very creamy texture. The natural rind varies from yellow to orange and usually has a light covering of white mould.

Cave Aged Swiss Gruyere is made entirely from raw, whole cow's milk. It is aged for 12-14 months produces an enormous 80 pounds wheel that is dense, creamy and immense in flavor. Saline, beefy, fruity sharpness pervades the firm paste of this Swiss gem; small crunchy bits serve as evidence of careful, patient aging. They are the beginnings of amino acid clusters, and offer an unexpected respite from mouthfuls of smooth, savory cow's milk.

Vacherin Mont d'Or first was recorded in 1845. In the more than 150 years since, it has become a holiday tradition in Alpine Switzerland. It can only be made for a few select weeks in the late fall, and must be entirely produced the Vallée de Joux and the Jura foothills in the Canton of Vaud. The Vacherin is a classic bloomy rind made of double cream from raws cow's milk. It's wrapped in Alpine spruce, which adds wonderfully to its complexity of flavour. It's considered at its peak at Christmas time and is so creamy and oozy that it is eaten with a spoon, having been left to sit for at least an hour after coming out of the fridge.