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I'm not sure what's local to you, but Aldi sells a goat cheese spread that's mixed with blueberries.
She's put it out for guests and people are drawn to it, it's pretty delicious, and goes well with just crackers.
Cambozola, a blue cheese for people who 'don't like blue cheese'. As someone who loves blue cheese, Cambozola is really good. It's mild, creamy, fantastic mouthfeel. It's like how Thai Massaman curry works for people who think Thai curries are too strong. I've never met anyone who doesn't like it.
Beaufort, the king of French cheese. Same family of alpine cheeses as Gruyère, fantastic. A firm cheese that is nutty and buttery.
Crottin de Chavignol, a goat cheese that ranges from mild when fresh through to aged, when it smells like a gym sock left under a chicken coop in August. Just sublime in all its variations.
Roaring Forties Blue, from a small island in Australia. Get it while you can, they were bought by a multinational (gfy Saputo) , tried to sell it, and are now shutting it down. All the cheeses from King Island Dairy are good, the blue is really a standout though.
Paski Sir, Pag Cheese. Firm sheep's milk cheese from a wind blasted island in Croatia. The sheep forage on grasses and herbs like sage, oregano, and thyme, amongst many others. A firm cheese that is great out of hand, or in cooked dishes. In Autumn during truffle season it's the cheese you grate over your fresh pasta with truffle cream.
If you’re into Manchego or similar, this one is pretty good. Found it a couple weeks ago at the grocery store. Ossau Iraty
I don't know that it's really unusual, but I love Shropshire Blue cheese.
LOVE this. Great suggestion!
Lactose actually breaks down as cheese ages, so the older the cheese the smaller the amount of lactose. I think anything over 12 months would be basically lactose-free but better to ask an expert. Parmigiano Reggiano, seaside cheddar, robusto, or an aged Gouda would all meet that, and are delicious.
Other cheeses I love(some of which would only be available in the US);
Taleggio - washed-rind softer cheese from Italy St Nuage - Brie-style soft cheese Midnight Moon - Gouda-style goat cheese Pleasant Ridge Reserve - alpine-style aged cheese Barley Hazel Blue Cheese - best tasting blue cheese I’ve ever had
While you’re at it grab some grapes, candied nuts, honey, and some kind of fruit jam and add those to the board. Those things all pair really well with cheese.
These are wonderful suggestions! I'm not a fruit jam guy, so it didn't even occur to me, but others obviously love that stuff. Cornichons too I guess?
Oh totally - anything goes really! Olives, capers, marcona almonds whatever you like. At a Whole Foods or a cheese shop they have a thing called mostarda you might like better - it’s a fruit jam made with mustard seed so it’s kind of spicy
Mostarda?!
I know so much abut food, and it is so wonderful that there is so much more yet to learn
Shropshire blue, which is amazing, has already been mentioned, so here are two other favorites of mine:
Laphroaig Cheddar - I don't even like whisky, but this thing is divine. Fantastic flavour profile, I love it with wine or on lightly toasted baguette. https://www.scotcheese.com/product/iok-laphroaig/
Mont d’Or - a little wooden box stuffed full of creamy goodness. Perfect on its own, or oven baked with some garlic and white wine. https://thegoodlifefrance.com/mont-dor-cheese-of-france/
Outside of cheese, I'm a huge fan of Zibibbo raisins: they look great, smell great and taste great. I always get ones on the bunch, looking like this: https://www.italybite.it/en/zibibbo-raisins-on-the-bunch.html Saw them being sold in jars too, but I prefer them on the bunch.
I LOVE it all. Y'all are killing it so far!
Rosey Goat - one of my favorites
Red Dragon Cheese With Mustard and Ale - also a nice choice for a charcuterie board
I'm ill-equipped to suggest any good cheeses, but if any of your friends are lactose intolerant, maybe include some of the dairy-free slices? They're not as good as real cheese but they're better than no cheese (or the pain of "I'll just have some cheese anyway and deal with it" lol).
Well, I'M lactose intolerant, so I welcome these suggestions. Which ones do you like?
I mostly get the shredded style to use as toppings which probably wouldn't work for the charcuterie board. For those, I like the Simple Truth brand since they don't feel like cheese-flavored plastic strips when they're not melted (e.g. avoid the Daiya shred style unless they've changed in the last ~6 months).
For slices, I usually go with the Daiya slices. Those go great with party crackers and such.
If you want to put out cheese cubes, Daiya makes "block" style as well.
They have other varieties, but I usually stick with cheddar style when making a charcuterie board: