Just for Amanda!

Are you baffled by the dozens of different cheeses in your local grocery store? Here's a guide to choosing the right cheese for snacking, slicing, grating, and more.

Cubing
Cuts nicely into chunks for salads and cheese trays.

• American
• Jarlsberg
• Monterey Jack
• Muenster
• Provolone
• Scamorze
• Swiss

Shredding
Produces long, narrow strips for use as a topping and in cooking.

• American
• Cheddar
• Colby
• Colby-Monterey Jack
• Gruyere
• Jarlsberg
• Monterey Jack
• Mozzarella
• Muenster
• Provolone
• Scamorze
• Swiss

Slicing
Cuts easily into slices and generally melts well for use in sandwiches.

• American
• Brick
• Cheddar
• Colby
• Colby-Monterey Jack
• Edam
• Gjetost
• Gouda
• Gruyere
• Jarlsberg
• Monterey Jack
• Mozzarella
• Muenster
• Provolone
• Scamorze
• Swiss

Snacking
Can be spread on crackers or cut into cubes and slices for eating out of hand.

• American
• Asiago
• Bel Paese
• Brick
• Brie
• Camembert
• Cheddar
• Cheshire
• Colby
• Colby-Monterey Jack
• Edam
• Feta
• Fontina
• Gjetost
• Gouda
• Gruyere
• Jarlsberg
• Limburger
• Monterey Jack
• Mozzarella
• Port du Salut
• Scamorze
• Swiss

Cooking
Generally melts smoothly and combines with other ingredient flavors for use in sauces, casseroles, and other entrees.

• American
• Asiago
• Blue
• Brick
• Brie
• Cheddar
• Colby
• Colby-Monterey Jack
• Edam
• Feta
• Fontina
• Gouda
• Gruyere
• Monterey Jack
• Mozzarella
• Muenster
• Parmesan
• Provolone
• Romano
• Scamorze
• Swiss

Grating
Can be grated into very fine pieces for use as a topping and in cooking.

• Asiago
• Parmesan
• Romano
• Sapsago

Crumbling
Breaks easily into small pieces for potato or salad toppings or for use in fillings, dips, and dressings.

• Blue
• Cheshire
• Gorgonzola
• Roquefort

AMERICAN TO FONTINA

American
Best for cubing, shredding, slicing, snacking, in cooking.
Description: Smooth, semisoft texture; orange; mild, milky flavor.

Asiago(ah see AH go)
Best for grating, snacking, in cooking.
Description: Semifirm to hard texture, depending on length of curing; light yellow; sharp flavor.

Bel Paes (bel pa AY zuh)
Best for snacking.
Description: Smooth with texture of firm butter; creamy yellow with gray surface; rich and sweet to moderately robust flavor.

Blue
Best for crumbling, in cooking.
Description: Crumbly texture; blue- and green-streaked white interior; sharp, tangy flavor.

Brick
Best for slicing, snacking, in cooking.
Description: Semisoft texture; creamy white; mild and sweet to pungent and slightly tangy flavor.

Brie(bree)
Best for snacking, in cooking.
Description: Creamy to runny texture with soft, thin, edible rind; cream-colored interior; mild yet robust flavor.

Camembert(KAM uhm bear)
Best for snacking.
Description: Soft, almost fluid inside texture with gray-white edible crust; cream-colored interior; slightly tangy and earthy flavor.

Cheddar
Best for cubing, shredding, slicing, snacking, in cooking.
Description: Firm, smooth texture; white to orange; mild to sharp flavor.

Cheshire
Best for crumbling, slicing, snacking.
Description: Hard, crumbly texture; made in red, white, or blue; intense tangy, salty flavor.

Colby
Best for shredding, slicing, snacking, in cooking.
Description: Firm body and open texture; light yellow to orange; mild to mellow flavor.

Colby-Monterey Jack
Best for shredding, slicing, snacking, in cooking.
Description: Firm, smooth texture; a blend of orange Colby and white Monterey Jack with mottled appearance, often called co-jack; mild, milky flavor.

Edam(EE duhm)
Best for slicing, snacking, in cooking.
Description: Semisoft to hard texture with small holes; light yellow; mild, nutty, and sometimes salty flavor.

Feta(FEHT uh)
Best for crumbling, snacking, in cooking.
Description: Soft, crumbly texture; white; sharp, salty flavor.

Fontina(fon TEE nuh)
Best for snacking, in cooking.
Description: Semisoft to firm texture, depending on the age, with small holes; ivory with a wax rind; pleasant aroma with a delicate to full flavor.

GJETOST TO MUENSTER

Gjetost(YED ost)
Best for slicing, snacking.
Description: Hard texture; light brownish yellow; sweet caramelized flavor.

Gorgonzola(gor gun ZOH luh)
Best for crumbling.
Description: Softer, creamier than most blue cheeses; made from cow's milk and streaked with greenish veins; less pungent flavor than most other blue cheeses.

Gouda(GOO duh)
Best for cubing, slicing, snacking, in cooking.
Description: Semisoft to hard texture, smooth, with small holes; yellow; mild and nutty to sharp flavor.

Gruyere(groo YEHR)
Best for shredding, slicing, snacking, in cooking.
Description: Firm texture with small holes; ivory; mild, nutty flavor.

Jarlsberg(YARLS berg)
Best for cubing, shredding, slicing, snacking.
Description: Smooth, firm, with small holes; white to light yellow with natural rind covered with yellow wax; very mild flavor.

Limburger
Best for snacking.
Description: Soft, creamy texture; pale yellow; very pungent aroma and robust flavor when aged.

Monterey Jack
Best for cubing, shredding, slicing, snacking, in cooking.
Description: Smooth, semisoft to hard texture; creamy white; mild to mellow flavor.

Mozzarella(maht suh REHL uh)
Best for cubing, shredding, slicing, snacking, in cooking.
Description: Smooth, semisoft, chewy texture; creamy white; mild, delicate flavor.

Muenster(MUHN ster)
Best for cubing, shredding, slicing, snacking, in cooking.
Description: Smooth, waxy texture; creamy white with orange-red exterior; mild to pungent flavor.

PARMESAN TO SWISS

Parmesan
Best for grating, in cooking.
Description: Hard, dry texture; pale yellow; sharp, salty flavor.

Port du Salut(por duh suh LYOO)
Best for snacking.
Description: Smooth, semisoft texture; creamy yellow with orange rind; mild to robust flavor.

Provolone(proh vuh LOH nee)
Best for cubing, shredding, slicing, in cooking.
Description: Firm, smooth texture; creamy yellow; mild to sharp with a light, smoky flavor.

Romano
Best for grating, in cooking.
Description: Hard, dry texture; light yellow; sharp, piquant flavor.

Roquefort(ROHK fert)
Best for crumbling.
Description: Made from unskimmed sheep's milk and aged in rustic limestone caves — exclusively produced within the city of Roquefort, France; very rich with pungent, salty flavor.

Sapsago(sap SAY go)
Best for grating.
Description: Hard, dry texture; light green; tangy and spicy with an herb flavor.

Scamorze(ska MORD zo)
Best for cubing, shredding, slicing, snacking, in cooking.
Description: Semisoft texture; light yellow; delicate, nutty flavor.

Swiss
Best for cubing, shredding, slicing, snacking, in cooking.
Description: Smooth, firm texture with large holes; creamy, pale yellow, mellow, nutty flavor.