With the World Championship Cheese Contest being postponed to 2022, we decided it was only fitting to dig deep into our hearts for the cheeses that mean most to us. Be it muenster, be it gouda, be it a highly specific blend of multiple cheeses with highly specific spices, we love cheese. We went through some of our favorite cheeses and rated them, wrote love letters to them and critiqued them as we saw fit.
Metro Market Mozzarella Sticks: 2/10 – (Adam)
For the $6 these cost, they were absolute trash. Premade and chilled mozzarella sticks from your local Pick n’ Save should be of the highest quality, fit to appease the appetites of royalty, but I was not impressed.
After reheating in the oven, they feel stale still. The cheese inside has little to no taste and if you heat them until the mozzarella is actually melted all the way through, the breading bursts.
You’d have better luck buying mozzarella sticks in the frozen foods aisle. Or you could just buy a deep fryer and make your own.
Widmer 4-year Aged Cheddar: 9/10 – Adam
A basic cheese for a basic charcuterie board anyone can make at home. A nice sharp cheddar is a staple of any smattering various cheeses and this one certainly fits the bill. On first bite, this one feels almost hard, but quickly melts into a smoother consistency with a distinct sharpness immediately following. I think this could have been a little sharper considering the age, but it was delicious nonetheless.
BelGioioso Sharp Provolone: 7/10 – Adam
Provolone is another popular pic for charcuterie boards and this one can certainly fit the bill, but I would keep searching if you’re looking for the best cheese sharp provolone out there as this one just doesn’t have the sharpness to cut it. While the flavor is certainly all there, it just doesn’t have a sharpness that cuts through like other sharp provolones.
Gouda – 10/10 Brianna Schubert
As some know, I gave up dairy for the month of October. The first bite of cheese that I had today was gouda. Oh sweet, savory, beautiful gouda. There is no comparison. Whether it is paired with a cracker or eaten alone, it makes my taste buds sing. One time I had the honors of having gouda on a burger with mushrooms. It was single handedly the best burger I have ever had, and I attribute that to the gouda. A fantastic choice for any occasion.
Fresh Mozzarella – 9/10 Brianna Schubert
Fresh mozzarella is so versatile and so delicious. On pizza, in bruschetta, in caprese, on a salad – even eaten alone – it adds an incomparable freshness to any dish. Some say it is too watery, but isn’t that the point? It is a moist, creamy, fresh and delectable cheese that really pairs well with so many dishes, whether it’s warm or cold.
Cream Cheese – 9/10 Richa Karmarkar
There is simply no cheese as versatile as cream cheese. Cheesecakes, bagels, jalapeño poppers, frosting and crab rangoons. Can your average *gouda* be a vital component to such a vast array of foods? No, it can’t. Sweet treats and salty snacks alike rely on the blank canvas of velvety texture that cream cheese so graciously provides. The beauty of cream cheese lies in its ability to mean so much to so many. Cream cheese transcends boundaries and forces us to reevaluate our understandings of what cheese can truly be. This cheese deserves to win over any other cheese in this competition because frankly, it’s in a league of its own. Vote cream cheese to support diversity in the cheese world.
So, we leave it up to you. Go out into the world and try the cheeses here, taste our beloved choices for yourself. And while we wait for the 2022 World Cheese Contest Championship, don’t be surprised if you see us making weekly charcuterie boards full of our favorite delicious cheeses.