Cheese Varieties

Soft and Semisoft Cheeses

Aged one week to three months, these are good melting cheeses. Soft cheeses in this group have a thin, velvety rind and ripen from the outside in. Examples include:

Livarot
This is a “smelly” cheese, with an aroma much more potent than its nutty, salty, beery flavor. It yields to the touch, but if it is sunken in the center it is overripe and too strong. Look for Livarot made by Graindorge or Levasseur.

Food pairings: Apples, walnuts.
Drink pairings: Cabernet Sauvignon, cider, brandy, beer.
Similar cheeses: French Pont-l’Eveque or Reblochon, Italian Taleggio.

Brie
Brie de Meaux is the king of cheese―benign, creamy, slightly sour.

Food pairings: Sweet pickles, baguettes.
Drink pairings: Red Burgundy, Merlot.
Similar cheeses: Italian Toma or Paglia-style cheese, French Camembert.