The Best Cheeses For A Cheese Board

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Sales in the United States of naturally produced cheese (meaning, no artificial additives) nearly hit $12.1 billion in 2021 while the nation ranked as the second largest producer of cheese in the world (per Statistica). So it's pretty safe to say that we love cheese. When paired with a glass of wine or port, cheese is one of the few edibles that's perfect as an appetizer or a dessert. One of the most popular ways of serving cheese is arranging a cheese board, but you may have wondered what is the best cheese to serve other than cheddar, gouda or brie, which, by the way, are all great choices.

Wisconsin is famous for being a state of obsessive cheese lovers, and according to Wisconsin Cheese, a cheese board should be composed of four to six cheeses of different textures. Good Housekeeping recommends three to five, but it's really up to you, based on the size of the board you're using and whether you're also serving condiments, like fruit, preserves, and nuts. As to the types of cheese, it's recommended that a cheese board should have a hard cheese, a semi-firm cheese, a soft creamy cheese, and, if it's to your taste, a blue cheese. 

No cheese board would be complete without a chunk of cheddar, arguably the most famous cheese in the world. Cheddar hails from Somerset, England, and gets its name from the market town, Cheddar, where the cheeses were first made and matured in the caves of the Cheddar Gorge (via The Courtyard Dairy). Although there is some evidence that cheddar cheese dates as far back as the 12th century, the cheddar that we know and love today originated in the 1800s. The cheddaring process involves stacking blocks of cheese curds on top of each other, which squeezes out moisture and allows for acidification. That is what creates the unique texture of the cheese. Depending on where the cheese is made, annatto (a flavorless, naturally occurring orange-red additive) is added to the curds to give cheddar its distinctive color.  

The longer the cheddar matures, the sharper the flavor. Old Croc Extra Sharp is an Australian cheddar, made from non-GMO milk from grass-fed cows that has been aged for over 18 months. It's a white Cheddar (Old Croc doesn't add annatto) with a crumbly consistency when sliced, which makes it great for a cheese board since you want chunks and not a slab of it when tasting various cheeses. As expected, the flavor has quite a tang to it but also a note of sweetness. Old Croc is a favorite among Reddit cheese-lovers, who claim it's on par with other more expensive cheddars.

Another unusual and aesthetically pleasing addition to your cheese board would be the Isigny Ste Mère Mimolette. Mimolette is a hard French cheese with a neon-orange hue and pitted rind that, when whole, resembles a cantaloupe. According to Academy of Cheese, it was created in Flanders in the 17th century when Holland and France were at war, and the Dutch refused to export their beloved Edam cheese. In response, the French made their own version and dyed it bright orange with annatto to distinguish it from Dutch Edam. Mimolette's aging process also caused controversy in 2013 when the Food and Drug Administration banned it from the U.S. because shipments were apparently crawling with cheese mites, which are necessary to create the distinct cheese (per Washington Post). The ban was lifted a year later when it was determined that the harmless "bugs" were necessary for the cheese's natural maturation. 

Per French food expert David Lebovitz, who toured Isigny Ste Mèere, once the Mimolette is formed, it's aged six to 24 months, during which time its outer crust develops with the help of the cheese mites. Isigny Ste Mère Mimolette is readily available in the U.S. and is usually sold pre-cut into slices, which is a good thing, since a whole, fully aged cheese can be a challenge to cut with a knife. Its taste, according to one Redditor, is nutty and similar to aged Gouda.

Dubbed the "King of Cheeses," Parmigiano-Reggiano is Italy's most famous export. According to Wine Enthusiast, Parmigiano has been used as an aphrodisiac, loan collateral, ice cream flavor, and baby-weaning food. Parmigiano-Reggiano has protected status, and its manufacture is strictly regulated by a consortium to ensure that each 90-pound wheel is authentic. All Parmigiano-Reggiano is aged for one year, after which it's tested by the consortium to determine whether it's deemed worthy enough for the official stamp. If so, it can then be sold or aged six to 12 months longer. 

Mitica 24-month Parmigiano-Reggiano has thousands of fans who rave about the cheese's authentic taste and texture. Mitica is the trademarked brand of Forever Cheese, a renowned food importer based in the Astoria neighborhood in Queens, New York. Forever Cheese sources Parmigiano-Reggiano from meticulously curated farms in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. All Mitica's Parmigiano-Reggiano is aged 24 months, which gives the cheese a crumbly texture and a grainy feel on the tongue. This long aging process also affects the cheese's flavor with a balance of sweetness and saltiness. Surprisingly, for such a superb cheese, Mitica Parmigiano-Reggiano is less expensive than some of its competitors. 

Saint André Triple Crème looks like a brie, but at 75% butterfat, it's much creamier. Coutances, France, where Saint Andre is made, is blessed with a temperate climate and frequent rainfall, which allows the manufacturer's cows to graze all year long, resulting in very rich and tasty milk and cream. Triple crème cheeses are required by law to have 75% butterfat, and so Saint André infuses the grass-fed milk with full-fat cream to bring it up to code (per New England Cheesemaking Supply Company). Saint André has a short ripening period during which time the white and velvety (and completely edible) rind blooms. 

As you might expect, Saint André is decadently rich with a consistency of softened butter. Technically, Saint André is not a brie, but it does taste like brie, only more intense. This is a luscious cheese that spreads easily on crackers or bread (as one enthusiastic Redditor posted) and is sold by the slice. As with brie, a slice of Saint André won't ripen, but you can purchase a mini, whole Saint André that will ripen when brought to room temperature, and its small size fits snugly and neatly on a cheese board.

Blue cheese is definitely a love-hate thing. We've sampled blue cheeses and have often found them to be dry and too sharp. But then there's a Colston Bassett Stilton, a buttery, sweet, creamy confection that should be on your cheese board. Colston Bassett Dairy has been in existence for over 100 years and still produces cheese from farms within a 1.5-mile radius. Only four cheesemakers since 1913 have supervised the proprietary recipe for Colston Bassett Stilton, one of whom works exclusively with Neal's Yard in Covent Garden, London. Neal's Yard imports Colston Bassett Stilton to the U.S. and can be found in cheese shops and specialty food markets.

Colston Bassett Stilton has won multiple awards and has even been deemed the best British cheese in the world (per Specialty Food Magazine). This wonderful mellow blue cheese has a creamy exterior with characteristic blue veins, but it doesn't have the sharp bite of other blue cheeses. One Redditor praises Colston Bassett Stilton as perfect for a cheese board, especially during the holiday season. Stilton does tend to dry out and get brittle after 12 weeks of being sliced, so do check the label to see when the Stilton you buy was packaged. If you fear blue cheeses, the Colston Bassett Stilton will melt those fears away as this cheese melts on your tongue.

Gouda is one of Holland's most famous cheeses that's been around since the 12th century, which makes it the one of the oldest cheeses that's still produced the same way today (via History of Cheese). Its name comes from the town of Gouda, where cheesemakers would gather to sell their wares. As with other countries who protect their beloved cheeses, Holland limits production to around 300 farmers who make Gouda in the traditional way. Artikaas has been making Gouda with the original recipe for about 200 years and has an array of Goudas, including its Youngsters Smoked Gouda. 

It's true that a smoked cheese isn't essential to a cheese board, and many are flavored artificially or overly smoked. But a good smoked cheese will add a nice balance to richer, more pungent cheeses. The Artikaas smoked gouda is naturally cold smoked with hickory and involves infusing smoke around the cheese while keeping the heat that's causing the wood to smoke under 90 degrees Fahrenheit (per Fix Blog). The result is a toasty-flavored Gouda that isn't overpowered by the smoking process. Reviewers on Amazon praise the Artikaas smoked gouda as buttery and creamy and great for nibbling or topping a burger. Best of all, the Artikaas smoked gouda is reasonably priced and definitely worth trying.