From the 1967 Betty  Crocker’s Hostess Cookbook. If you are a cheese lover like me, this chart will come in handy for describing some of the more common cheeses.  I highly recommend finding a really good cheese shop who will let you try different varieties before buying.  Then again, it is fun to just buy cheese based on a whim to see if you like it.  I’ve found many great cheeses that way.

Soft Cheeses

Brie – Creamy ripened cheese with an edible thin brown rind and white crust.  Mild to strong flavor.

Camembert – Soft, ripened cheese with a creamy yellow interior and edible crust. Pleasantly pungent.

Cream – White, smooth, mild; unripened type. Available plain and as pimento, pineapple, and other varieties.  Also comes whipped–plain and flavored. An unripened cheese, serve slightly chilled.

Liederkranz – Soft, creamy yellow. Pungent in flavor, similar to a mild limburger.

Neufchatel – Soft, white, mild. Similar to cream cheese. An unripened cheese; server slightly chilled.

Semisoft Cheeses

Bel Paese – Light yellow Italian cheese; mild and smooth.

Blue – Blue veined, white and crumbly; robust flavor. A first cousin to Roquefort.

Brick – Mild Flavor; creamy yellow with tiny holes.

Gorgonzola – Italian blue-veined cheese, sharp flavor.

Gruyere – Nutlike flavor; light yellow color. Similar to Swiss cheese but with smaller “eyes” and sharper flavor.

Port du Salut – Mild flavor; creamy yellow. Cheese made by Trappist monks in France.

Roquefort - French blue-veined cheese; sharp flavor.

Stilton – English blue-veined cheese; sharp flavor.

Hard Cheeses

Cheddar - Mild to very sharp flavor

Edam or Gouda – Firm, mild, red-coated rounds; a colorful addition to the cheese tray.

Fontina - Round Italian cheese with mellow flavor

Swiss - Mild, nutliek flavor and distinctive holes or “eyes”.

In the photo, from left to right…

Top row: Cream, Neufchatel, Camembert, Brie, Liederkranz.
Second row: Roquefort, Port du Salut, Blue, Brick, Gorgonzola.
Third row: Stilton, Fontina, Bel Paese, Gruyere, Swiss.
Bottom row: Gouda, Cheddar, Edam