If you’re having a fancy dinner party, or just want to impress some guests, there’s no better way to do so than with a cheese board. Cheese boards say, “I know about cheese and I have money to spend.” They’re basically a shortcut to being an adult.
In all seriousness, cheese boards are super delicious, but if you’re new to putting them together, you may not know what type of cheese to use. So here are some go-tos. Try to add at least one cheese from each category and you’ll be good to go!
Aged
Sharp, hard, and firm, aged cheeses have to be cured in a cave or cellar for over six months. Some of the best ones are aged cheddar, gruyere, and gouda.
Soft
Soft cheeses are exactly what you’d think: soft. This category includes the classic brie, but you can also throw in camembert or goat cheese if you want to switch things up a little.
Firm
Firm cheeses are cheeses that have been cooked and pressed, and they can have an either hard or granular texture. This category includes manchego, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Romano, and Edam.
Blue
Finally, we have the blue cheese family, which is ripened with cultures of the mold Penicillium, giving it blue or green spots or veins of mold. Don’t be grossed out; people love this stuff. Try gorgonzola, Roquefort, or stilton to fill out this category.
