This year is a Leap Year, meaning there is one extra day in February to eat cheese! If you're stuck in the same routine, week after week, buying the same quarter pound of the same cheese, it's time to Leap into something new for 2024.
Cheesemongers are your tour guide through the cheese case, so don't be afraid to ask for their assistance. They are a wealth of knowledge and are always ready to help you find your next favorite cheese.
To help you get started on your new cheese journey, we've put together a list of some popular cheeses that can help expand your palate and horizons. The list contains some of the more popular cheeses, as well as some suggestions for new things to try that are either similar or the next step to elevate your palate and knowledge.
If you like Humboldt Fog, try an ash-ripened chèvre like Valençay, Selles-sur-Cher, or Blakesville Creamery Linedeline.
If you like Midnight Moon, try Brabander or OG Ghost.
If you like Brie, try Jasper Hill Harbison, Nancy's Camembert, or Moses Sleeper.
If you like Manchego, try Ossau Iraty, Pecorino Sardo, Zamorano, or a traditional raw milk farmhouse Manchego.
If you like Delice de Bourgogne, try Brillat-Savarin, Tulip Tree Trillium, or Nettle Meadow Kunik.
If you like fresh chèvre or goat cheese, try an aged goat cheese like Bucheron, Leonora, or Blakesville Creamery Lake Effect.
If you like block cheddar, try a raw milk block cheddar like Shelburne Farms Cheddar, or even a clothbound cheddar like Montgomery's Cheddar or Cabot Clothbound.
If you like Gruyère, try Uplands Cheese Pleasant Ridge Reserve, Comté, or Beaufort.
If you like Jarlsberg, ask to taste the original Swiss cheese - authentic Emmentaler AOP.
If you like Beemster, try L'Amuse Gouda, Jake's Aged Gouda, or OG Kristal.
If you like Stilton, try Stichelton or Bayley Hazen Blue.
If you like Roquefort, try Fourme d'Ambert or Gorgonzola Piccante.
If you like Piave, try Sapore del Piave, KM 39, or Montasio.
If you like Parmesan, try real Parmigiano Reggiano or Grand Padano.
Once you've selected your cheese and your monger has cut you a piece, it's important to properly care for the cheese once you get it home. Formaticum Reusable Cheese Storage Bags & Sheets are perfect for most styles of cheese and will keep it healthy in your fridge so that the flavor stays as fresh as the day you tasted it in the shop. If you're adventurous, you can ask your cheesemonger to teach you how to wrap like a pro with the Reusable Cheese Storage Sheets, or check out our wrapping tutorials on our website and social media. Reusable Cheese Storage Bags are a quick and easy way to store your cheese without any complicated wrapping techniques involved. Purchase a package on your next cheese shop excursion so that you always have professional cheese storage at your fingertips in the future.