Great Cheese Choices - Big Y® World Class Market®

HARD ASIAGO (ah-see-AH-go)
Appearance and texture: Contains tiny "eyes," is light yellow and may be coated with paraffin. It can range from a softer firm to a hard granular texture depending on aging. When grated, it melts quickly over heat.

Flavor: Piquant, sharp tasting cheese with a nutty, pleasantly-salty flavor. Asiago blends well with cheddar, Parmesan or mozzarella.

Accompaniments: Pasta, figs, grapes, apples and pears; red wines, cider, cranberry juice, and sparkling red grape juice.

CHEDDAR
Appearance and texture: Hard, smooth, firm, it can be crumbly and have a white or orange color. Cheddars that are more mild melt well under direct heat whereas a sharper Cheddar will not melt as well and will perform better shredded and incorporated in a sauce.

Flavor: Ranges from mild to sharp, becoming sharper with age.

Accompaniments: Apples, pears, pumpernickel and rye breads, mushrooms and tomatoes; red wines, beer, apple cider or Port. Try this great recipe!

COLBY (khol-bee)
Appearance and texture: Hard cheese, although softer with a more open texture than Cheddar. It is light yellow to orange, has tiny holes and melts well when grated.

Flavor: Ranges from mild to mellow, lightly sweet to sharp and tangy and is often sold in longhorn shape.

Accompaniments: Apples, pears, pumpernickel and rye breads, mushrooms and tomatoes; red wines and beer, apple cider or Port.

COLBY JACK
A combination of Monterey Jack and Colby cheeses.

GRUYÈRE (grü-'yer)
Appearance and texture: It is a shiny yellow, hard, smooth small-eyed cheese that melts well without separating and is often used for sauces, with grilled meats, poultry and fish.

Flavor: Mild and slightly sharp.

Accompaniments: Prosciutto or thinly-sliced ham or salami, apples, figs, melon, dates, walnut halves; full-bodied red wine, beer or ale, tomato juice, cranberry juice and cider.

PARMESAN (PAR-mah-zahn)
Appearance and texture: Very hard and granular; good for grating, it browns quickly when it is heated.

Flavor: Sharp, robust and piquant with nutty characteristics.

Accompaniments: Pears, red grapes, nuts, raisins, figs and fruit breads; red wine, cappuccino and champagne. Try this great recipe!

ROMANO (ro-MAH-noh)
Appearance and texture:: Creamy white, it is granular with a hard rind. Grated Romano browns quickly when heated.

Flavor: Similar, yet slightly richer, than Parmesan, it has a sharp, piquant flavor.

Accompaniments: Apples, pears, walnut halves, dried fruit, thinly sliced prosciutto, ham and salami; hearty red wine, dark beer, cran-raspberry juice and tomato or vegetable juice.

SWISS
Appearance and texture: Swiss has a firmer texture than baby Swiss and is known for being shiny, pale yellow with large holes.

Flavor: Mild, sweet and nut-like.

Accompaniments: Apples, pears, grapes, and thinly-sliced prosciutto, ham and salami; fruity white wine, aged red wine, cran-raspberry juice, tomato or vegetable juice. Try this great recipe!