There is an old saying that goes “age doesn’t matter, unless you’re a cheese”. Besides its funny connotation, there is also a slight truth in it. Aging in cheese, also known as ripening, is actually the most crucial part of cheese making.

Cheese are laid to rest in particularly controlled situations where they are allowed to develop the look, the texture, the flavor, as well as the aroma properties that make them unique. With aging, the bloom blossoms on Camembert, the holes magically turns into Swiss, and the veins burst through Gorgonzola.

While the cheese ages, microbes and enzymes grow inside, breaking down the proteins and milk far into several complex amino acids. The result, a rich texture and an intense flavor.

In order to have their own unique characteristics, most cheeses are aged between the periods of two weeks to two or more years. Therefore, the longer the cheese is aged, the firmer, sharper and more distinctive its texture becomes.

Cheeses like the Stravecchio Parmigiano Reggiano for example, are ripened for 24 to 36 months, giving it a nutty-fruity taste and a hard, gritty texture. Some cheeses are eaten fresh right away and not ripened at all, just like the ricotta, cream, and cottage cheeses.

But, some cheeses are ripened “half way through” these cheeses are known as semi aged cheese for about 5 to 10 weeks only. And one of the greatest tasting semi aged in the market today is the Bucheron Soignon cheese.

Bucheron is made from pure goat’s milk and is a native delicacy of Loire Valley in France. is a very favorite ingredient for salads and sandwiches because of its rich taste and is widely available as well. It has a soft, creamy center that has almost the same texture as a typical chevre (goat cheese), but typical is the last word that would describe this particular cheese.

One unique feature of the Bucheron cheese is its packaging it is made in short logs and aged before it is cut into smaller rounds. Its creamy center is surrounded by a much harder and tangier cheese that has a sharp and complex taste that, a lot better than your typical chevre.

A very interesting characteristic of the Bucheron cheese is its structure it has a layer of gooey cheese around the large chalky core, and a thin bloomy layer of mold like that or brie cheese. Softly ripened cheeses age from the outside in, that is why they have an interesting center.

Thanks to the natural magic of mold, you get two cheeses in one block: a creamy, mushroomy center with a dry and clay-like and mildly tangy fresh goat milk cheese at the crust. It tastes perfectly with Bordeaux’s or any other dry. Get some Bucheron cheese today and sink slowly into heaven.

Learn more about Bucheron Cheese.

Believe me, aside from having four legs, something else is common among a cow, a sheep, and a buffalo. No, it is not their skin. But, a pie.

If you are also crazy over white sauce piazzas, then you will agree that the mere thought of melting cheese on a pizza can turn any tomato sauce devotee into a white sauce fanatic in no time. But the interesting about white pizzas is that, it is the cheese that makes it tastier and not the pie itself usually a hefty combination of Due Latte, Fontina, and Buffala Mozzarella.

Every home has a pizza box stashed somewhere. It is one of America’s favorite dinners and has already saved thousands of people’s dinner problems. Knowing that you can just dial a pizza for dinner while you are busy are work or while waiting for your kids from schools is a breath of fresh air.

Ask any chef and you will get the same answer the key to making an exceptional pizza is the cheese.

Have you ever wondered what pizza would be like if it were not for the cheese? Perhaps it will just be plain tomato sauce and flatbread.

Putting the right cheeses on your pizza are just as important as making sure that your oven is at the right temperature. So if you want to have a great tasting pizza, use only the best of cheeses.

Fontina – cow

A kind of Italian cheese, Fontina cheese can be semisoft or firm depending on where it is from and how long it has been aged. It can be mild and creamy, as well as pungent and intense. It is a very popular cheese for Italian cuisines.

All Fontina cheeses are made only from cow’s milk. The milk has to be raw, and be as fresh as possible. . And because it is great for melting without ruining its flavor, Fontina cheese is a must for any pizza. Check out cow’s milk cheese.

Due Latte – sheep

This cheese is from the south of Alba in Northern Italy. Most of the Due Latte cheese that we find today is a combination of cow’s and sheep’s milk. Although the blend is fine, traditionally Due Latte is made only from unpasteurized sheep milk.

This type of cheese is not salty or intense, but is mild and creamy instead perfect for pizzas. Check out Due Latte.

Buffala Mozzarella – buffalo

Saying that a pizza should have mozzarella cheese is an understatement. However, not just any mozzarella cheese will make a pizza taste great mozzarella cheese made from buffalo’s is milkier in taste and has higher moisture content compared to mozzarella from cow’s milk. It is richer and is sweeter than cow mozzarella too!

The Due Latte, Fontina, and Buffala Mozzarella are the three best cheeses to use in your pizza. Perhaps they are all melt well, or perhaps they have varying fat content that creates a perfect balance. Either way, the combination of these three cheeses on a pizza is just plain heaven.

Buy these three cheeses at your favorite gourmet cheese shop.