Wayne Gisslen

Hard Cheeses

Appears in
Professional Cooking: 10th Edition
Professional Cooking

By Wayne Gisslen

Published 2025

  • About
These are cured cheeses with a firm texture and varying degrees of mildness or sharpness, depending on their age.

Cheddar is an English invention, but American versions are so popular in the United States that it is often thought of as a distinctly American cheese. It ranges in flavor from mild to sharp and in color from light yellow to orange. Cheddar is eaten as is and is also widely used in cooking. Colby and Monterey jack are similar to very mild cheddars. Monterey jack is usually sold when quite young. In this case, it is more like American muenster and belongs in the semisoft category.