CHEESE TYPES
HAND CHEESE to KOMIJINIKASS
HAND CHEESE: Also called Handkase and Harzer Kase. German and American
made. Skim-milk, semi-firm cheeses, initially molded by hand, giving way now to
machines. Highly pungent. May be flavored with caraway seeds.
HARZERKASE: German semi-soft, skim-milk cheese. Not quite as powerful
as Limburger and sometimes flavored with caraway seeds.
HAVARTI: Danish.
A mild, rich, creamy semi-soft cheese. Stronger and more aromatic than Cream Havarti,
becoming more potent with age. A dessert cheese that can be found plain or flavored
with caraway, dill or chives. Used for snacks and sandwiches. Goes with crackers,
bread and fresh fruit.
HERKIMER: A
natural Cheddar cheese from the United States. Flaky, sharp taste, and pale yellow
color, with a cloth rind.
HERRGARD: Swedish.
Yellow cheese, semi-firm. Similar taste somewhere between Gouda and Emmentaler.
HERVE: Belgian
soft cheese that is flavored with tarragon, parsley, and chives. Similar to Limburger.
HILLEROD: Danish
firm cheese, best after two or more years of aging. It is as mild as Emmentaler
with a sharp aftertaste like that of aged Cheddar.
HOLSTEINER MAGERKASE: Germany. Made from skim milk and buttermilk. Semi-firm.
HOPFENKASE: German. Often blended with beer, caraway seeds or milk.
ICELANDIC BANQUET: Iceland. Delicately flavored, firm cheese that melts easily
and is used much like Mozzarella.
IIHA: Cheddar-type
cheese produced in the Azores.
INCANESTRATO: Italy or Sicily. The curd is pressed in wicker baskets, so
the imprint of the wicker is left on the cheese. Called Pecorino Incanestrato if
made from ewe’s milk alone. Quite often it is made with a mixture of ewe’s, goat’s
and cow’s milk. Pepato Incanestrato has black pepper added.
JALAPENO: Mexican
semi-soft cheese. White and creamy.
JARLSBERG: Mild and nutty, a firm cheese. One of Norway’s best. Although
softer and sweeter, it is an excellent substitute for Emmenthal. Used for sandwiches
and snacks. Goes with fresh fruit and bread.
JOCKBERG: Made
of mixed cow’s and goat’s milk. A Tyrolean mountain cheese.
KAISERKASE: German. Mellow, firm, bright-yellow.
KAJINAK: Also
known as “Servian Butter.” A cream cheese made from sheep’s milk, soft and buttery.
Its origin is Turkey and the Balkan countries.
KANATCH OR MKLATS PANIR: The Armenian national cheese. A pleasant, sharp taste, similar
to Roquefort.
KASHKAVAL: Greek. Made from sheep’s milk or goat’s milk. Creamy when
young, when aged; grated. Smoky flavor.
KASSERI: A
Greek cheese made of sheep’s milk. Stronger tasting than the Warsawski. The American
version is flavored more like a cross between Parmesan and Cheddar, and is said
to be far superior to the Greek.
KEFALOTYRI: Greek. A hard, salty cheese made from sheep’s milk. A grating
cheese.
KLOSTERKASE: Finger-sized German cheeses. Serve with beer.
KOCHENAKASE: Luxembourg. A salt-free cheese, firm and bland.
KOMIJINIKAAS: Dutch. Contains cumin and anise seeds.
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