Cheese is one of the most beloved and versatile ingredients in the culinary world. With hundreds of varieties, each offering distinct flavors, textures, and aromas, cheese can be enjoyed on its own or used to enhance a wide range of dishes. Whether you love the creamy richness of Brie, the sharp tang of Cheddar, or the crumbly texture of Feta, understanding different types of cheese and how to use them can elevate your cooking. Here’s a guide to some of the most popular types of cheese and their best culinary applications.

Soft and Creamy Cheeses

Soft cheeses have a smooth, spreadable texture and mild flavors, making them perfect for snacking, appetizers, and creamy dishes.

Brie

Brie has a buttery, mild, and slightly nutty flavor with a soft, creamy, and spreadable texture. It is best served with crackers, fruits, and nuts on a cheese board, melted into baked dishes like Brie en Croûte (Brie wrapped in puff pastry), or spread onto toasted baguette slices with honey or jam.

Camembert

Camembert has an earthy, mushroom-like taste and is slightly stronger than Brie. It has a soft and gooey texture when ripe. It is best when baked whole and served with bread for dipping, paired with apples, pears, and walnuts in salads, or spread on warm, crusty bread.

Goat Cheese (Chèvre)

Goat cheese is tangy, slightly citrusy, and fresh, with a soft and crumbly texture. It works well crumbled over salads for a creamy texture, spread on toast with honey and nuts, or mixed into pasta or risotto for added richness.

Semi-Soft and Washed Rind Cheeses

These cheeses have a smooth, slightly elastic texture and often develop bold, complex flavors.

Havarti

Havarti has a buttery, slightly tangy, and mild flavor with a smooth and semi-soft texture. It is ideal for slicing for sandwiches and burgers, melting into grilled cheese sandwiches, or serving with fruit and nuts on a charcuterie board.

Fontina

Fontina has a nutty, creamy, and slightly earthy flavor with a semi-soft texture that makes it excellent for melting. It is best melted into cheese sauces and fondues, layered in paninis or baked pasta dishes, or used in potato gratins and risottos.

Semi-Hard and Hard Cheeses

These cheeses have firmer textures and often develop more complex flavors with age.

Cheddar

Cheddar is sharp, tangy, and nutty (depending on aging) with a firm and crumbly texture when aged. It is great for slicing for sandwiches and burgers, melting into macaroni and cheese, or shredding over baked potatoes or nachos.

Gouda

Gouda has a buttery, caramel-like, and slightly nutty flavor with a smooth and dense texture. It is best served with apples, pears, and nuts on a cheese platter, used in grilled cheese sandwiches or paninis, or shaved over roasted vegetables.

Parmesan (Parmigiano-Reggiano)

Parmesan is salty, nutty, and umami-rich with a hard and crumbly texture. It works well grated over pasta, risotto, and soups, shaved onto salads for extra depth, or eaten as a snack with balsamic vinegar and olives.

Blue Cheeses

Blue cheeses are known for their bold, tangy flavors and characteristic blue veins caused by mold cultures.

Gorgonzola

Gorgonzola is creamy, tangy, and slightly sweet with a soft and spreadable texture (when young) or crumbly (when aged). It is best melted into sauces for steaks or pasta, crumbled over salads with pears or walnuts, or spread on crackers with honey.

Roquefort

Roquefort has a strong, salty, and intensely tangy flavor with a crumbly and moist texture. It pairs well with honey, figs, and nuts on a cheese board, is used in salad dressings and dips, or crumbled over steak or burgers for a bold flavor.

Stilton

Stilton is sharp, rich, and slightly creamy with a crumbly but slightly creamy texture. It is best served with pears or apples for contrast, crumbled into creamy soups for depth, or mixed into mashed potatoes for an indulgent side.

Fresh and Crumbly Cheeses

These cheeses are typically mild and soft, making them ideal for salads, tacos, and light dishes.

Feta

Feta is salty, tangy, and slightly briny with a crumbly and moist texture. It works well sprinkled over Greek salads or Mediterranean dishes, crumbled into omelets and scrambled eggs, or mixed into dips like whipped feta with olive oil.

Ricotta

Ricotta is mild, creamy, and slightly sweet with a soft and spreadable texture. It is best used in lasagna and stuffed pasta dishes, spread on toast with honey and fruit, or mixed into pancake or cake batters for moisture.

Queso Fresco

Queso Fresco has a mild, slightly salty, and fresh flavor with a crumbly and soft texture. It is perfect for sprinkling over tacos, enchiladas, and salads, crumbling into soups for a creamy finish, or using in stuffed peppers or empanadas.