Cheese Comparison

Name	Taste	Taste Stands Alone?	Texture	Tasting Notes
American	Mild cheesy flavor	Yes, but additions optional	Very smooth, melts well	Another classic taste. Not as much flavor as Cheddar, but smoother texture
Asiago	Rich, nutty with a tang	Yes, or blend with others	Fairly smooth	Rich flavor, could be too much by itself, but great for mixing with other cheeses
Boursin®	Lots of flavor, garlic & herbs	Yes, Don´t add anything	Smooth	Great as a side dish, but probably too rich for a full dinner
Brie	Distinctive, not too strong	Yes, Don´t add anything	Ultra creamy	Good if you like the taste of Brie. Probably best for adults
Canned Cheese Spread	Not Much	No	Thin	Thin in all respects. Not recommended
Cheddar (sharp yellow)	Classic, full flavor	Yes, but additions optional	Can be grainy	The classic mac flavor. Dish is more colorful than with white cheeses
Cheddar (Vermont white)	Classic, very rich	Yes, but additions optional	Creamy	Better texture (less grainy)than sharp yellow Cheddar
Chèvre	Mild , but distinctive	Best with additions	Very Smooth	Smooth and good foundation for other flavors. Probably best for adults.
Cream Cheese	Very little	No. Add flavorings	Smooth	Texture is good, but little taste. Could use it with other cheeses, but doesn't work well by itself.
Emental	Swiss flavor, milder than Gruyere	Yes, but additions optional	Not very creamy, somewhat stringy	Good Swiss flavor. Very buttery, leaves pool at bottom of dish
Feta	Fairly sharp, tangy	Yes, but addition optional	Smooth	Very distinctive and flavorful. Try as a side dish with other Mediterranean n flavors
Fontina	Mild and pleasant	Best with additions	Smooth	Mild, unobjectionable flavor, goes well with added flavorings or mixed with other cheeses
Gorgonzola	Strong blue cheese flavor	Yes. Don't add anything	Creamy	Works well as a side dish, for people who like blue cheese. Too much for a main curse. Other blue cheeses would work well.
Gouda	Smooth, not strong	Yes, but additions optional	Smooth, not grainy or stringy	Nice flavor and texture, overall smoothness
Gruyere	Sharp flavor, like cheese fondue	Yes, blend with others	Cheese is very thick	Strong flavor, could be cut by mixing with milder cheese
Havarti	Very smooth & mild	Best with additions	Creamy	Mild, smooth flavor. Buttery, leaves pool at the bottom of dish
Jack	Bland	No. Add flavorings	Smooth, non-grainy	Not much flavor by itself, but goes well with other cheeses or flavorings
Mozzarella	Very bland	No	Stringy and thin	Little flavor and unusual texture. Not recommended, except for kids who like stringy cheese
Muenster	Medium-mild flavor, not to strong	Yes, but additions optional	Thick and smooth	Works by itself, but would go well with other flavorings,too
Pecorino Romano	Full flavor, fairly sharp	Yes, but additions optional	A bit thin, not as smooth as some	Very full flavored, really stands out. Works well combined with milder cheeses too
Pepper Jack	Hot & spicy - strong pepper taste	Yes, blend with others	Smooth	Not a lot of cheese flavor, but plenty of pepper. Too much of a main course, but mix with another cheese, or use as a side dish
Port wine cheese spread	Odd taste, a bit alcoholic	No	A bit sticky	Very strange, Not recommended
Provolone	Very mild	No	A bit sticky	Not much flavor on its own, but could mix with another cheese or add flavorings
Ricotta	No flavor	No	Gritty	Not recommended
Swiss (standard, American pkg.)	Milder than Gruyere or Emmental	Yes, but additions optional	Smooth	Smoother consistency and milder flavor than Emmental or Gruyere
Velveeta	Full flavor, similar to American	Yes, but additions optional	Smooth, but sticks to your mouth and teeth	Melts well and has a lot of flavor, but very sticky to eat. You may love it or hate it.
Wisconsin farmer´s cheese	Very mild	No. Add flavorings	Smooth	Not much flavor, but could combine well with other cheeses