What sorts of cheese do you like?

I hope that you won't take this the wrong way, because I don't intend it as a "gotcha," but rather as something that your screen name leads me to think, you might be curious to find out: the third cheese you list, Gruyere, is actually a type of Swiss cheese. Since it used to be my own favorite-- long ago, when I still ate cheese from cow milk-- I do realize that Gruyere is less sharp, more delicately flavored, and much creamier, than the capacious chunk of cheese, thought of as being the standard "Swiss," and so see your not being aware of this, as perfectly understandable.

You are echoing my own sentiment, from an earlier, wine thread of yours. But now I stick to just goat and sheep's milk cheeses. In fact, a little bit earlier this evening, I tried a delicious, soft sheep cheese. The product name, from a French producer, is "Brebicet," but my local supermarket's price label, calls it "Berbis." On the original wrapping, is also the German word, "schafsweichkäse," which I think just means "sheep's cheese." One of the sites I used to look up the word, called it sheep Feta, but this cheese seems not at all like Feta-- it is much more similar to Brie: so creamy and rich, with a fairly mild flavor, for a soft cheese, and the characteristic sweetness of Sheep's cheese, making it almost like custard. Very tasty.

The beer I had been drinking at the time, was not a good compliment, though the rum I was also drinking-- just to try out my new purchase-- the 8 year aged, Reserve Spéciale Barbancourt, Haitian Rhum ($27 for 750 ml), was similarly rich, and smooth, with a sweet caramel smokiness, that made a better pairing. I am still looking forward, though, to trying it with some wine. At present, I only have a nice red blend, which I'd also picked up today, but I'd be interested in trying it with a white, as well-- perhaps a Chenin blanc. Though I am now thinking that, if I can find one, this might be an opportunity for me to try out a Grenache/Garnacha blanc. No worries, that this small piece of cheese will not last long-- I will certainly be buying another.

 

sorry had to go there with “Wallace and Gromit”

 

At over 20 quid a kilo my all time favourite is a rare treat.
To be fair, it is so strong tasting you don't need a lot of it. Perfect for creamy blue cheese sauce and delicious on crusty French bread.


Perfect with local asparagus

 

If I could only have one type of cheese for the rest of my life it would have to be a well matured cheddar.
So versatile.

It's the one I miss if I spend a few weeks in France. The French don't really produce anything like it. Their aged cheeses tend to be more like a gruyere, hard and waxy rather than crumbly.

 

American though there are others.

 

Depends on the use.

Ham and Swiss sandwiches
Havarti with slices of a yellow bell pepper
Gouda with fried eggs on toast or an English Muffin
A mild cheddar on snack crackers or in an omelette
Fresh grated parmesan and Romano for whatever is served over pasta
Medium cheddar, parmesan, fontina and cream cheese for homemade mac n cheese

And the list goes on....

 

Mozzarella and mature cheddar. We make mozzarella and just got the correct rennet to make cheddar, but been busy making cider at the moment.

Used to like brie with grapes in a bread stick, but after having COVID, I don't like brie, goats cheese, and camembert anymore.

 

I've been eying up the crab apples for a batch of chutney.

 

I follow City Steading Brews on YouTube, an American couple making mead, cider, wine etc.. out of loads of different fruit. So I've 3 Demijohn's fermenting at the moment, one with apple juice bought from Tesco's, one with apple juice from the local Spar shop, and a one where we picked the apples off a friend's tree and I squeezed the juice out.

I'll be researching how to make cottage cheese, but I need to find a farm to buy raw milk.