The Main Classifications of Natural Cheese

               The natural cheeses are grouped into five main classifications: 

 1. FRESH - is exactly that, a fresh cheese that is very soft to soft, moist, and normally has a shorter shelf life than most soft cheeses.  View Fresh Cheeses

 2. SOFT - the majority of cheeses fall into this category, from all milk types and family kinds such as blue or cheddar. This category also includes all the Brie and Camembert cheeses. View all Soft Cheeses

 3. SEMI-SOFT & SEMI-HARD cheeses are divided into the 3 categories of: 
            a. Washed-rind Cheeses,
            b. Interior- ripened Cheese and
            c. Blue Cheeses
       View all Semi-soft and Semi-hard Cheeses

 4. HARD- these types include cheddars and Swiss types of cheese.  These are drier and firmer cheeses, but not hard like your grating cheeses.  View Hard Cheeses
      
 5. VERY HARD - this includes the hard grating cheeses, that are usually cooked and pressed and aged for months to years.  View Very Hard Cheeses

 Fresh Cheese [and for shipping purposes - creams]:
 The two most popular kinds of fresh, un-ripened cheeses are cottage cheese and cream cheese.  These are not true cheeses since they are made without rennet, are not cooked or ripened and have no visible rind or mould growth.

 Other fresh cheese types includes curds, ricotta and all similar cheeses.  We've included fresh creams used for cooking such as Fromage Blanc and Créme Fraiche [sour cream types].  They are not cheeses, but rather creams used in cooking.

 Soft-White Cheese:
 The typical mark of the soft cheese is its supple interior [pâte], which is a direct  result of its high water content.  As a rule, soft cheeses will have a creamy inner-consistency with a slightly harder, white rind.  Called a 'Bloomy Rind'.

 This classification is typically for Bries, Camemberts and other cheeses from all milk types that have the white bloomy rind, that fall into this family.  They are somewhat firm white rinds on the outside with a softer paste [pâte] on the inside.  These may also have a more creamy color exterior and paste as well.

 Semi-Soft/Semi-Hard - Three Categories:
 Theses cheeses are divided into the 3 categories of:  [1] Washed-rind Cheeses, [2] Interior-ripened Cheese and [2] Blue Cheeses:

 Semi-Soft, Cheese with Washed Rind:
 This type cheese making process can be found here. This is one of the larger groups of cheese because of the basic three categories that they fall into.

 Typical examples of semi-soft cheeses with washed rind are: Brick, Carré de l’Est, Celtic Promise, Chambertin, Chaumes, Cîteaux, Colby, Epoisses, Limburger, Livarot, Munster, Pont L'Évêque, Trappist and Reblochon.

 Semi-Soft, Interior-ripened [Natural Rind] Cheese:
 This type cheese making process can be found here.  Examples of semi-soft, interior-ripened cheeses are: Aisy Cendré, Bel Paese, Edam, Fontina, Harvarti, Monterey Jack, Morbier, Oka, Port Salut, and Raclette.

 Semi-Soft, Blue Cheese:
 The blue-veined Blue, Roquefort, Stilton and Gorgonzola cheese are interior-ripened cheese that can belong to the semi-soft cheese family.  You can find more on making cheese here.

 Other examples of semi-soft, blue cheeses are: Roquefort, which is only made from sheep’s milk.  Blue d’Auvergne, Bleu de Gex, Danish Blue, Gorgonzola and Stilton are made with cow’s milk.

 They're some great American Blues from both cow and sheep's milk, be sure and try them!

 Hard Cheese:
 This type cheese making process can be found here.  These hard types include cheddars and Swiss types of cheese.  They are drier firmer cheeses.

 Hard cheeses contain not more than 56% moisture, and can be divided into two categories:

a.     Solid Hard Cheeses: 
 Examples are Cheddar and Cantal, Raclette, etc.

b.     Hard Cheeses with Holes:
 Examples are Emmental, Gruyere and Jarlsberg, etc.

 Very Hard Cheese:
 This type cheese making process can be found here.  These are the Very hard cheeses are usually cooked, and are aged for as long as two years.  These cheeses, which contain less than 30% moisture [such as hard Manchego Curado, Parmesan, Grana Padano and Romano], are often used as grating cheeses  because of their textures.