A selection of soft, hard and semi-hard cheeses.
Cheese is a way of preserving the milk of cows, goats and sheep. Consumed since at least 4000 B.C., the praises of cheese are sung in the Old Testament. The flavors and aromas of cheese range from bland and mild to very pungent, depending on how it's made and aged. Texture can range from creamy to semi hard to very hard. There are cheeses whose flavor is considered strong, like limburger, but not particularly flavorful. A strong cheese is memorable but is not a cheese you'd probably eat on a regular basis. Cheese with wonderful flavor are available to eat every day.
England
One of the more flavorful cheeses is cheddar, which originated in the small town of the same name in England. It has a sharp, nutty flavor when it's mature. Stilton is an English blue cheese, ivory colored with greenish blue veins. When one orders it in a restaurant it's served with a white napkin wrapped around it. Stilton is traditionally stored wrapped in cloth to keep it from drying out.
Holland
The flavor of a good Gouda cheese is also pungent. Its wax covering tells its age--a Gouda that has a black skin means it's over seven years old, and called Alt Gouda. It's almost-firm texture and sharp taste make it a good eating cheese for breakfast, and its meltability makes it good for potato gratins. Mimolette is a bright orange cheese that can be aged up to two years and has a very rich flavor. Leyden has a sharp tangy flavor and is usually dotted with caraway seeds, cloves or cumin.
France
Port Salut was originally made by Trappist monks in France and though soft, has a robust taste. Blue Roquefort is made from sheep's milk, which usually makes cheese stronger and saltier. The blue is due to Penicillium glaucous, a bacteria that lives in caves on the Cambalou plateau. The caves are still used to mature the cheese. Epoisses is a smelly cheese from Burgundy, soft on the inside with a strong earthy taste. It's aged in brine and marc, which is fermented seeds and skins of grapes left over from winemaking. Munster in the Vosges, is the national cheese of Alsace and has a strong smell and flavor. It's usually eaten with rye bred and chopped onions.
Switzerland and Italy
Swiss Emmental has large holes formed by bubbles that form during fermentation and cooling. It's flavor gets better and fuller as it ages. Italian Provolone Piccante is very sharp tasting and salty. Gorgonzola is a blue cheese made of cow's milk. The blue is given by the bacteria Penicillium mycelium. It's softer and less salty than Roquefort but delicious.
America
Brick cheese was first made in 1877 by John Jossi of Wisconsin. Jossi was a specialist in the very strong limburger cheese and discovered a different sort of cheese emerged when the curds were kept to a lower moisture content. Brick is milder than Limburger.
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