I am giggling with glee. This is gonna be fun! Thanks y'all.

Years ago, you didn't buy cheese in neat little cryovac 4oz packages. For many cheeses there was a wheel of say an Emmenthaler or a gouda or a chedder or blue or Roquefort....and the guy behind the deli counter would cut of a smidgen and offer it on the point of the knife...then you could choose to buy a chunk or not. That's how I learned to like many strong cheeses. And of course our kids loved blue at first taste....when they were old enough to pull up to the coffee table when there was cheese and crackers out. they loved it probably because we so obviously did. Wonder why that didn't work for green beans?

I was going to suggest what Coconut suggested, to tell the personnel at the shop what you like and don't like, and let them help you. They'll more than likely give you samples to try. DH and I went to a cheese shop in Fredricksburg, a little tourist town in the Hill Country of Texas. We had so much fun trying out the cheeses. I actually don't remember what we ended up buying, but we were able to enjoy a nice wine and cheese picnic lunch later that day. (We also visited a winery.) Now that I think about it, that was the trip we took down to San Antonio to meet Sharon during her trip across the U.S on route 66. What fun that trip was. But I digress.

I hope you have as much fun as we did when we visited that cheese shop in Fredricksburg.

Sally

I'm easy to please--Colby, provolone & smoked provolone.

I go along with a few others.

I use a Semi Hard - Sharp Provolne .

Boars Head is the brand I use, unless I get to the market on 9th St. in Philly.
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for Pizza.

I use, NY Brand, Slicing Provolone or Boars Head.

At times I will mix it with Mozzerella and Cheddar.

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for Hoagies ( Subs )and Philly Cheese Steaks,
I use Boars Head brand , slicing Provolone.
It has a bit of a bit of sharpness.
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When making a Salad,
I put in a Combo of Sharp Provolone , Feta and Cheddar,
sometimes just Feta.

Ci: Colby is good too.

LOU

This is an unorthodox classification, but it works for me:

In the cheddar family: Double Gloucester. Also extra sharp white Vermont or NY cheddar.

In the creamy/gooey family: Gourmandise.

In the 'grate over something' family: Asiago and real Parmesan.

In the 'cut into little cubes and put toothpicks in them for appetizers' family: Havarti.

In the 'smelly stuff you'd smear on hot French Bread' family: most chevres, Stilton.

On a cheeseburger: anything but American Process. I'd rather eat the plastic wrapper it came in. Ick.

Sorry, but I don't like Brie or Camembert. Chacun a son gout.

I 20th the rec for Cambazola. If you like brie this will be a good stepping stone to work your way into the blues.

My market has a great cheese selection with something on sale every week. I should take advantage of it more often and expand my repetoire. This week it's French brie, cantal, and comte, and Italian taleggio. Aside from the brie I have no idea what they are.

Arley - I doubt I'll change your mind about American "cheese" and there's no need to, but I might suggest that your reference to the plastic wrapper is half the issue. Deli sliced makes a world of difference.

Gorganzola is like a mild blue cheese. I use a little on pizza or any Italian dish. Gives it a little pizzazz without being over-bearing.

I also like Havartii and Dubliner - at room temp.
Makes great grilled sandwiches, too!

-Gloria

gorgonzola is hardly a "mild blue cheese"...it can be very assertive. Perhaps you have only had the dulce rather than the picante sorts.

Favorite cheese.... Impossible to pick. I'd be hard pressed to come up with a cheese I don't like although some variations of type are better than others. I even love limburger and was pleased to read that the liederkranz (sort of an American limburger) culture has apparently survived and the cheese is now being made again. Can't wait to try it.

Back in the eighties I managed a cheese shop. Fun job. As others mentioned, tell them what you like and ask for samples. Giving out samples is part of the biz and fun for the seller because they get to talk about the cheeses with their customers.

Gardengal:
The Gorganzola that you use, must be a softier one, if it is mild.

I have had the soft and the harder, crumbly one, which is aged more and has a lot of pizzazz.

Something like the soft creamy Provolone and the harder, aged, Sharp Provolone.

LOU

My favorites are soft ripe cheeses. A brie or better yet a d'Affinois. I also like parmesans and goudas.

I like almost all cheeses, but those are what I reach for at the shop.

Cantal (almost identical is Salers) and Comte are firm cheeses. Cantal comes from, well the part of France called Cantal, and they have some fabulous, rib-sticking dishes. Aligot is basically mashed potatoes, garlic and grated Cantal cheese melted into it. Beat it hard
Another is Truffade. Boil a few potatoes and slice them. Fry them in some olive oil. When they start to colour, add some crushed garlic, and slices of Cantal. Press the potatoes to crush them and help the cheese to melt. Serve straight away. These are usually served with a steak and salad. YUM!
Comte is a great cheese for cooking too but they're both delicious to eat. I find it's much tastier in dishes than Gruy�re or Emmental. I have some kilos to loose after a trip eating round France! We've just been to the Auvergne where they make some great cheese.(Cantal)

American - individually wrapped slices. Kidding!!

I like Roquefort, Stilton and lately St. Andre. I like strong cheddar but have had trouble finding it. Cheese had gotten so friggin' expensive. I hate to spend $10 on a chunk of cheese and then not like it.

Gorganzola and feta are my favs. I use both in salads a lot and munch on them in the process of making the salad.

LindaC gifted me with a wheel of Maytag blue and I order more when I finished with her generous present.

The tour of the Tillamook Cheese Factory in Oregon was fun--and expense. After all the samples I just had to follow up with purchases.

Have fun Robin and report back.

Manchego, Saint-André, aged Gouda. Humboldt Fog is fantastic, too, but very expensive.

Humboldt Fog -- a cheese course all in one.

For a somewhat mild and creamy blue, try maybe a Fourme d'Ambert, from the Auvergne.

IF you can get a good, rew milk brie . . . well. For a nice, rich and gooey Italian soft cheese, try a two or three milk robiola.

But there are hundreds of good cheeses -- cow's milk, goat's milk, aged or fresh, hard or soft. French, Italian, English, Spanish, American artisanal, etc., etc.

When DH and I were dating he took me on a picnic at a nearby historical park. His basket included red Shiraz wine, a French boule, butter, celery sticks, and Stilton. Never having such luxury offered to me before, he proceeded to prepare a feast. A lavishly buttered slice of French bread, a generous slather of Stilton, a sip of peppery wine, and the crunch of celery. OMG. Felt the arteries literally swelling shut. Who cared? Tomorrow, another day. After ten years married I can tell you that those taste sensations are still there. Because we love each other so much, it will never be repeated - but if you are young and vigorously healthy - try it.

Nancy

Nancy, How sweet!! My DH bought Velveeta and a Mountain Dew for me once--no lie.

Nancy:
If you love each other so much it may never be repeated but
you have substituted other sensations.

I did try it, that happened to me, years ago, not with the Cheese. LOL !!!
We would have been married 55 years.
LOU

I remember when I first started to expand my tastes in cheese. Start first with the milder less odoriferous cheeses. Some of my favorites were already mentioned, at the top is Gruyere, which you already like, then Fontina, Asiago, some hard Italian type goat cheeses, mostly artisanal but can found in cheese shops. I think they are often milder than the usual goat cheeses and can be very similar to Swiss and Manchego, both of which have also been mentioned. Most cheese places will let you try a piece of what you are considering so explain your situation and what you like and don't like and see what they suggest. I would try to pick a time when they are not at their busiest and they will be able to spend more time giving you suggestions and samples. If it is a new shop they are eager to expand their customer base, so an even better time to encourage someone like you. Then whatever you purchase consider stopping to get a wine to go with it! Sounds like fun!

If your palate is adventurous, try St. Albray (not to be confused with St. Andre). It's like Brie, but taken up a notch or two. It's thicker than Brie, and the taste is stronger. If it's more aged, it's even stronger, so it depends on what is available at the store. When you see the entire wheel, it's like a large flower, but you buy just a section of the "flower" (I'll link a pic). St. Albray is delectable on a baguette. I first tasted it as a student in France a very long time ago, and it has in the last few years become more available in the U.S. Every time I eat it (rarely, cause it's so fattening), I am transported back to being a carefree teenager in the southwest of France.

Here is a link that might be useful: St. Albray Cheese

Nancy, that is so wonderful. Great story :)

For my first run, I bought:

Cambozola (how could I say no to a brie?!)
smoked Gouda
Parrano

I haven't had any of them yet because I was trying to figure out how best to try use them. I think I know what I am going to do, but not yet. Actually, I got side-tracked on my run. There was a display of local chocolate artisans in Whole Foods? And the peaches smelled so good from the Farmer's Market and the corn, well, it was so fresh, I HAD to stop and coook it, then eat some of it. Then eat some more... and before I knew it, Saturday was over.

:)

Thank you, I'll be using this list in an on-going way.

I love the Dutch Edam and English cheddars, in addition to many of those mentioned above.

Islay_Corbel - Thanks for your response about the French cheeses. I looked up recipes for Truffade and they were slightly different from what you posted (no garlic, yes bacon) so I went with one of them for the first run tonight and it was a success. A nice, mild melting cheese, I could see using Cantal in many dishes. Not bad on its own, either.

There's something so good about potatoes and cheese - I love a raclette for that reason too.

LOL, and thanks for inadvertantly solving a mystery: This Tuesday I had to make a rare appearance in the office and as I was ironing my clothes the iron broke. I knew I had an old one somewhere but couldn't find it. I also remembered last time I used it, it was for an unconventional purpose but for the life of me I could not remember what. Now I do. I tried to use it as a raclette melter!

It didn't work. And unfortunately I still don't know where the iron is.

I haven't found a cheese that I didn't like. LOL
But by far French Brie is my all time favorite.
Let warm to room temp and scoop it on a cracker or with pears, wonderful.
In case it in puff pastry after covering the top with brown sugar and chopped (roasted) walnuts
and bake in oven until oozy and serve with crackers or pears. Yummy!!!

Linda

Thank you Justin. More than a decade later, and I have tried bleu more than once. My sense of taste is greatly diminished after billions of sinus infections, so I don't get subtleties. It just tastes like mold. Sigh.

Colston-Bassett Stilton has been my favorite for several years.

Danish blue cheese has been my fave forever - it's creamier and seems slightly sweeter than other types.

I think if I went to "heck" I'd have to eat meals made entirely of beets, olives and bleu cheese. I just cannot like them. Olives I can handle if they're very chopped up and in something. I have had bread with olives I like and shakshuka with a tapenade of olives.

Pear, blue cheese and walnut muffins that taste moldy, just will never appeal.

I get it. Point Reyes blue is better, tasting like funky cheese rather than mold, and I can deal with it, and like it in tiny quantities and in cooking or baking. I even love the blue cheese shortbread cookies (Chloebud?) when made with it. Also the kind they crumble in salads (cheap?) are tolerable when combined with strong flavors. I'm not sure it's the sinus infections, though. It may be that you're a better taster on this—rather than missing subtlties, you may just have your taster overwhelmed.

“Pear, blue cheese and walnut muffins that taste moldy, just will never appeal.”

That was literally my dinner last night. Except a salad, not muffins. It was delicious!

moon pie

Ah, food. I meant it'll never appeal... to me. I want to like it, I just can NOT. You enjoy it enough for the both of us

Can't do blue. Also can't do kimchi. I'm sure it tastes delicious, but I can't get past the garbage truck smell.

@Judi, if you want to eat kimchi, for the good for you reasons, try smelling the fresher, store bought ones, like Wildbrine. Cabbage and ginger smells, but not garbage truck. And only mild heat. Great in sandwiches.

plllog, so the smell won't smack me in the face when I open a jar? I'll look for it.

@Judi I can't speak to smack on first opening, but for Wildbrine I haven't noticed it as more than any other fermented pickle, and it's not unpleasant. I'm partcularly sensitive to sulphur, which is prevalent in a lot of cabbage related stuff (can't get Brussels sprouts into my mouth). I think the ginger helps a lot. I also like Salt and Savor (brand) red cabbage and ginger saurkraut, and I usually can't deal with regular saurkraut. There are other kimchi brands which are similar, if you can't find Wildbrine. Basically, hipster kimchi, rather than like the Korean lady with the special fridge just for making kimchi kind. Maybe not authentic to the original, for the hipster kind, but good as what it is.

So, on topic, I totally get the issue with molds, but I do like ripe cheeses. I wrap and keep soft cheeses which are shipped lightly aged but still firm, and try to catch them when they're just right, but I'll even go for it when they're gone acidic and crumbly. The best is when the rind is still which, and the cheese has gone runny.

Now see? I can eat a Brie rind all day long. There are lots of cheeses I like, I just wanted to try something new. But I tried a billion blues after this thread and I just don't like it each and every time. I'm more than open to try some other suggestions. What stinky smelly cheeses do you like plllog?

Delice de Bougogne is one of my favorites; Trader Joe’s carries it here. It’s a cow’s milk triple-creme cheese. Roquefort is my favorite blue; I serve it drizzled with honey.

Trader Joe's also has had a goat milk brie - not sure if they still do, but I thought it was really yummy.

It wasn't smelly, tho - unless you count the goat milk aroma.

Their cave-aged blue is one of my faves. Hubby says it smells vomitous, which I find amusing, since his fave salad dressing is blue cheese 😄

Hm... I'm not that big on stinky/smelly cheese, so much as runn py ripe. One of the best, in the soft with rind category, is Brillat-Savarin, but it's very sour and not for everybody. My old favorite is Delice d'Argental, but with ordering in, I haven't had it in years. I'll buy something local and age it. There's one with bits of black truffle, which is great, ripened, and truffly-funky. I'm more about pungent, though, like a strong, complex Emmenthaler. Cousin of rubbery ”Swiss cheese”, but oh, so different! Nutty and complex, with just a hint of funk, and so good! But I do miss going to the cheesemonger and sniffing trhough the packaging to find something to try which I may never see again.

I've found Gruyere to be very strong-smelling - Asiago is a bit unpleasant to my nose as well.

Love both of those! While I use them mostly for cooking, I always nibble some while grating. Both quite pungent, but not “stinky”, IMO. There are so many cheeses, but my tired mind can't come up with their names, and lists seem to give the ones you can get at a good supermarket, the ones no one's ever heard of which are useless without tasting, and nothing in the middle. Sorry, Rob, for letting you down. It's rather unfortunate that there are so many nutritious vegetables which I can't get past my nose without great force of will, and there are so many funky cheeses whose smells are a problem for the fridge but not for me, and in a land of plenty, cheese is not nutrutionally necessary. I can't remember what it was, but not so long ago I had a bit of a cheese leftover, well wrapped and in the fridge to stop it from maturing much further, and when I opened the fridge, I thought something had died in there! Aired out a little, the cheese was still good, and the fancy filters in the fridge took care of the stench. :) But I can't think of the name of the cheese at all...

I love havarti with dill

No one has let me down. No worries!

@Judi, if you want to eat kimchi, for the good for you reasons, try smelling the fresher, store bought ones, like Wildbrine. Cabbage and ginger smells, but not garbage truck. And only mild heat. Great in sandwiches.

plllog, thanks for the recommendations! I bought Wild Brine Korean Style Kimchi. No funky smell and it tastes pretty good.