Say cheese...200 times! We offer over 200 varieties of fresh delectable cheeses, imported from around the world. It's an impressive variety that is sure to satisfy any palate!

Serving and Storage Tips:

A bit of background:

Cheese is a nutritious food usually made from the milk of cows.
However, there are also many delicious varieties made from the milk of other mammals including sheep, goats, water buffalo, even reindeer, camels and yaks!

Born approximately 4,000 years ago when people first began to process the milk from their animals, cheeses are generally classified by the type of milk used to make them (raw, skim or pasteurized), and by the animal from which the milk came (cow, goat, sheep, etc.). Oftentimes though, a description of the taste or texture (sharp, mild, sweet, creamy...) is the best way to identify a cheese. Click here for a sampling of cheeses sold in GIANT Specialty Cheese Case.

Serving and Storage Tips

• Unpasteurized cheese with a range of flavors should not be sliced until purchased, or it will start to lose its subtlety and aroma.
  
• Make sure to completely wrap blue cheeses because mold spores spread readily to other cheeses and anything else nearby.
  
• Chilled cheeses should be taken out of the refrigerator one and a half or two hours before serving. This makes the cheese easier to cut or slice and allows the flavors to bloom.
  
• Cheeses contain living organisms that must not be cut off from air, yet it is important not to let a cheese dry out. We suggest loosely wrapping cheese in a breathable wrap like wax paper or cheesecloth.
  
• Do not store cheese with other strong-smelling foods. As a cheese breathes, it will absorb other aromas and may spoil.
  
• Wrap soft cheeses loosely. Use waxed or greaseproof paper rather than cling film.

Assembling a Cheese Board

A cheese board is one of the best ways to sample a variety of cheeses and determine your preferences. It's a popular dish at parties and an easy, delicious dish to bring to potlucks and picnics. They key to making a great cheese board is choosing a variety of complementary cheeses that will allow everyone to experience various textures and flavors. Here are a few tips:

• Cheese trays can be served as appetizers, snack trays at parties, palate cleansers between courses or sophisticated dessert alternatives.
  
• There are several ways to organize a cheese tray. You can choose a selection ranging from soft to hard. Or, try a variety of flavors ranging from mild to sharp and pungent. Many people enjoy showcasing cheeses from a variety of countries such as Spain, England, France and America (many of the tags in our cheese department feature the flag of the country they come from). You can also highlight a variety of types of milk: sheep, cow, goat, etc. You can even choose several varieties of one cheese.
  
• The general rule is to purchase 2 oz. of cheese per person. Sometimes you can serve less than this if you're planning on serving a lot of foods to accompany the cheese.
  
• It's often enjoyable to taste cheese with other foods. Complement your plate with crackers, crusty bread, grapes, thinly sliced apples and pears, dried fruit and toasted nuts. We also sell some delicious fruit pastes that complement tangy cheeses, such as blue, nicely.
  
• Allow your cheese to reach room temperature before you serve it as this is when the cheese's flavors will be the most intense. Cut hard cheeses into slices to make them easier for guests to pick up and enjoy.
  
• Label the cheeses you place on the tray so guests know what they're eating.

Have fun and experiment! All the rules above are simple guidelines. Feel free to make your cheese plate your own and discover some new favorites.

Click here for a sampling of cheeses sold in GIANT Specialty Cheese Case.