Cheeses for cheese boards

Served on its own, sliced or cut at the table, with bread, fruit and something to drink.

A cheese board serves cheese for its own sake, cut at the table and eaten with bread, fruit and something to drink. In France it comes after the main course and before dessert; in Britain and Ireland, often after dessert with a glass of port; in Spain and Italy, as tapas or antipasto. A good board balances styles, milks and strengths, so that each cheese shows off the others.

Building a board

Three to five cheeses are plenty for most tables. A common pattern is one of each kind: a soft bloomy or fresh goat cheese, a firm aged cheese such as Comté or Manchego, a blue, and perhaps a washed rind. Mixing cow's, goat's and sheep's milk adds variety. Allow about 30 to 50 grams of each cheese per person after a meal, and more if the board is the meal. Take the cheeses out of the fridge an hour before serving.

Order and cutting

Taste from mild to strong, so that a blue or a washed rind comes last. Cut each cheese so that everyone gets a fair share of rind and centre: wedges from the middle of a round, long slices along a wedge of hard cheese. An old rule of etiquette says never to cut the point off a wedge of Brie, which leaves the next person with only rind. Use a separate knife for blues and strong cheeses, so their flavour does not travel.

What goes with it

Bread and plain crackers, fresh and dried fruit, nuts, honey and fruit pastes are the usual partners. Spain serves Manchego with membrillo, quince paste; Britain serves Stilton with port; France eats its board with bread and red wine. In India, cheese boards from the country's growing number of artisan dairies set Bandel, Kalimpong and hill-farm cheeses beside chutneys, fresh fruit and roasted nuts.

Worth knowing

Comté: A firm, nutty anchor for any board
Brie de Meaux: The classic soft cheese
Stilton: Blue served with port
Manchego: Served with quince paste
Roquefort: Sheep's milk blue for the end of the board
Crottin de Chavignol: A fresh goat note
Époisses: A strong washed rind to finish
Kalimpong cheese: A mild Indian hill cheese

Sources and further reading

About this page

Original text by the EveryCheese desk, written with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Customs are described as tradition, not as advice. If we have something wrong, tell us.

Cheese boards on EveryCheese

The cheeses written up so far, best known first.

🇮🇹 ItalyCastelrosso A rare semi-hard cow's milk cheese from Piedmont with a gray rind and mild lactic flavor.Cow · Semi-hard · Buttery and creamy 🇦🇺 AustraliaCheer A mature cheddar cheese made in Australia by Warrnambool Cheese and Butter.Cow · Semi-hard · Sharp and tangy-aged 🇳🇴 NorwayNøkkelost A Norwegian cow's-milk cheese flavoured with cumin and cloves, aged for three months.Cow · Semi-hard · Savoury and brothy 🇸🇪 Sweden and 1 moreBondostbond-ost A firm Swedish cow's-milk cheese aged in brine for six to eight weeks.Cow · Semi-hard · Salty 🇦🇹 AustriaLüneberg A saffron-tinted cow's-milk cheese from the Austrian Alps, bridging Swiss and German styles.Cow · Semi-hard · Nutty 🇮🇪 IrelandWicklow Farmhouse Cheese A range of handmade cow's milk cheeses from Arklow, Ireland, spanning soft bries to hard cheddars.Cow · Bloomy rind · Nutty 🇬🇧 United KingdomHereford Hop A firm cow's-milk cheese with a rind coated in toasted hops, made in Herefordshire.Cow · Semi-hard · Savoury and brothy 🇮🇪 IrelandBay Lough Cheese A self-taught Irish cheddar-style cheese aged in waxed wheels.Cow · Semi-hard · Savoury and brothy

🇳🇱 Netherlands and 5 moreEdamEdammer A semi-hard Dutch cow's-milk cheese aged in distinctive red wax spheres.Cow · Semi-hard · Nutty

🇧🇬 Bulgaria and 5 moreKashkavalkaşkaval A semi-hard yellow cheese from cow, sheep, or goat milk, popular across the Balkans and Turkey.Cow · Semi-hard · Milky and fresh

🇫🇷 FranceComté A hard, cooked-pressed cow's milk cheese from eastern France, aged up to three years.Cow · Semi-hard · Nutty

🇮🇹 Italy and 4 moreProvolone A semi-hard Italian stretched-curd cheese aged for at least four months.Cow · Semi-hard · Sharp and tangy-aged

🇳🇱 NetherlandsMaasdam A semi-hard Dutch cow's milk cheese with holes, aged for one to three months.Cow · Semi-hard · Nutty

🇮🇹 Italy and 4 moreCaciocavallo A stretched-curd cheese from southern Italy shaped like a teardrop and aged to develop a hard rind.Cow · Stretched curd · Nutty

🇫🇷 FranceAbondance A semi-hard raw cow's milk cheese from Haute-Savoie aged on spruce boards.Cow · Semi-hard · Savoury and brothy

🇨🇭 Switzerland and 1 moreTête de Moine A semi-hard Swiss cow's milk cheese shaved into rosettes with a special tool.Cow · Semi-hard · Savoury and brothy

🇬🇧 United KingdomDouble Gloucester A semi-hard cow's-milk cheese from England with a savoury flavour and natural rind.Cow · Semi-hard · Savoury and brothy

🇫🇷 FranceFourme d'AmbertForma d'Embèrt A narrow cylindrical blue cheese from the Auvergne region of France.Cow · Semi-hard · Savoury and brothy

🇳🇴 NorwayGamalostgammelost A firm, sour Norwegian cheese made from skimmed cow's milk and aged for several weeks.Cow · Semi-hard · Tangy and lactic

🇫🇷 FranceLaguioleLa Guiòla A semi-hard pressed cow's milk cheese from the Aubrac plateau in southern France.Cow · Semi-hard · Nutty

🇵🇹 PortugalSão Jorge CheeseQueijo São Jorge A hard cow's-milk cheese from the Azores with a spicy aroma and protected origin status.Cow · Semi-hard · Savoury and brothy

🇸🇾 Syria and 5 moreAkkawiجبنة عكاوي A white brined cow's milk cheese from the Levant named after Acre.Cow · Brined · Salty

🇫🇷 FranceSalersSalèrn A semi-hard cow's-milk cheese from the Auvergne, aged in caves for up to four years.Cow · Semi-hard · Savoury and brothy

🇳🇱 Netherlands and 1 moreLeerdammer A Dutch semihard cow's-milk cheese with holes and a sweet nutty taste.Cow · Semi-hard · Sweet and caramel

🇳🇱 NetherlandsLeyden cheeseLeidse kaas A semi-hard Dutch cow's-milk cheese flavoured with cumin and caraway seeds.Cow · Semi-hard · Savoury and brothy

🇸🇰 Slovakia and 1 moreKorbáčikkorbáčik (Slovak), korbacz (Polish) A braided string cheese from the Orava region of Slovakia and Poland.Cow · Stretched curd · Salty

🇫🇷 FranceTome des Bauges A pressed cow's-milk cheese from the French Alps with a grey-brown rind and hazelnut aroma.Cow · Semi-hard · Nutty

🇪🇸 SpainMahónformatge de Maó / queso de Mahón A cow's-milk cheese from Menorca that ranges from soft and mild to hard and sharp.Cow · Semi-soft · Buttery and creamy

🇬🇧 United KingdomSage Derby A semi-hard cow's milk cheese from England with a mottled green rind and sage flavour.Cow · Semi-hard · Herbal and grassy

🇬🇧 United KingdomCornish Yarg A semi-hard cow's milk cheese from Cornwall wrapped in nettle leaves.Cow · Semi-hard · Tangy and lactic

🇮🇹 ItalyMonte Veronese A semi-hard cow's-milk cheese from Verona with fresh and aged varieties.Cow · Semi-hard · Sweet and caramel

🇸🇪 SwedenPrästost A semi-hard Swedish cow's-milk cheese with a mild, nutty flavour and a washed rind.Cow · Semi-hard · Nutty

🇨🇭 Switzerland and 1 moreVacherin Fribourgeois A Swiss semi-hard washed-rind cheese from the canton of Fribourg with a resiny taste.Cow · Semi-hard · Tangy and lactic

🇫🇷 FranceTomme des PyrénéesToma de Pirenèus A rustic pressed cheese from the French Pyrenees, made from cow, sheep or goat milk.Cow · Semi-hard · Salty 🇮🇹 ItalySalvaSalva cremasco A washed-rind cow's milk cheese from Lombardy, aged for several months.Cow · Washed rind · Savoury and brothy

🇪🇸 SpainSan Simón da Costa A pear-shaped, smoked cow's milk cheese from Galicia with a smooth brown rind.Cow · Semi-hard · Salty 🇮🇹 ItalySpressa delle Giudicarie A semi-hard cow's milk cheese from the Giudicarie valley in Trentino-Alto Adige.Cow · Semi-hard · Nutty

🇬🇷 GreeceMetsovoneΜετσοβόνε A semi-hard smoked pasta filata cheese from the Greek village of Metsovo.Cow · Semi-hard · Savoury and brothy

🇮🇹 ItalyCacioricotta A southern Italian cheese made from milk and whey using a hybrid method.Sheep · Semi-hard · Savoury and brothy

🇳🇱 NetherlandsBoerenkaas A Dutch semi-hard raw milk cheese with TSG protection, often spiced and farm-made.Cow · Semi-hard · Salty

🇪🇸 SpainCasín cheesequeso Casin A semi-hard cow's-milk cheese from southern Asturias with a protected origin status.Cow · Semi-hard · Savoury and brothy

🇧🇷 BrazilCanastra cheese A raw cow's-milk cheese from Brazil's Serra da Canastra highlands.Cow · Semi-hard · Savoury and brothy

🇺🇾 UruguayColoniaQueso Colonia A semi-hard Uruguayan cheese with pale yellow paste and small eyes, inspired by Emmental.Cow · Semi-hard

🇮🇹 ItalyCaprino An Italian goat's-milk cheese made in fresh or aged styles across several regions.Goat · Fresh · Tangy and lactic

🇮🇹 ItalyPallone di Gravina A firm pasta filata cow's milk cheese from southern Italy, aged for at least a year.Cow · Stretched curd · Nutty 🇳🇱 Netherlands and 1 moreMaaslander A mild Dutch cow's milk Gouda with reduced salt and distinctive striped rinds.Cow · Semi-hard · Salty 🇬🇧 United KingdomLittle Derby A semi-hard cow's milk cheese from England with a washed red wine rind.Cow · Semi-hard · Savoury and brothy

🇨🇦 CanadaFriulano A rindless Canadian cow's-milk cheese with a salty hazelnut flavour, aged to improve its character.Cow · Semi-hard · Salty

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

Sage Derby: Jon Sullivan, Public domain, source
Tome des Bauges: Mit-Mit, Public domain, source
Salers: Coyau, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Friesian Clove: Takeaway, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Akkawi: Paul Joseph, CC BY 2.0, source
Double Gloucester: Jon Sullivan, Public domain, source
Gamalost: Quick fix, CC BY 2.0, source
Laguiole: Myrabella, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Leerdammer: M.Minderhoud, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Cornish Yarg: Tristan Ferne, CC BY 2.0, source
Monte Veronese: La Casara Caseificio Dal 1920, CC BY 2.0, source
São Jorge Cheese: VulcaoAtlantico, CC BY 4.0, source
Prästost: Nordelch, CC BY 3.0, source
Tomme des Pyrénées: Julie333411, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Korbáčik: Mariuszjbie, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Comté: Myrabella, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Edam: Yvwv, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
San Simón da Costa: Tamorlan, CC BY 3.0, source
Tête de Moine: The original uploader was Stucki at French Wikipedia ., CC BY-SA 1.0, source
Vacherin Fribourgeois: Tombat24, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Abondance: Coyau, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Fourme d'Ambert: Coyau, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Provolone: Lenore Edman, CC BY 2.0, source
Caciocavallo: Peachyeung316, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Caprino: Number55, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Kashkaval: Nnikolce, Public domain, source
Maasdam: Arz, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Leyden cheese: Edwtie, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Metsovone: C messier, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Pallone di Gravina: Antucco at Italian Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Casín cheese: Shalbat, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Cacioricotta: Andrew Green, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Canastra cheese: [https://www.flickr.com/people/8100764@N03 Marcelo Costa ], CC BY 2.0, source
Colonia: Coquimbo58, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Friulano: VerifiedCactus, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Mahón: Slastic, Public domain, source