Generic Cheese Preferences

In the supermarket dairy aisle (not the gourmet cheese aisle), there are limited choices of the most popular cheeses. These usually include cheddar, Swiss, mozzarella, American, Colby, and Monterrey Jack. For plain munching, I've always like sharp cheddar (not extra sharp). Around here that usually means NY State sharp cheddar, and they never disappoint. It's good in mac & cheese, grilled cheese sandwiches and paired up with sliced pepperoni on Triscuits. Swiss is my least favorite for munching, but I like it on French onion soup (topped with Romano). American is my least favorite, however, I've often bought a white Swiss-American blend that is great for cheeseburgers or steak & cheese subs. It tastes similar to provolone but melts nicer. It usually is only available in 5 lb. packages - pre-sliced. I prefer whole milk mozzarella (Sorrento - made in Buffalo) on my pizza and Colby or Jack on tacos. I was thinking about this last night and thought it might be worth discussing.

For basic cheese, I go with either sharp or extra-sharp cheddar. There are a couple of supermarket brands here that are consistently decent for almost any application that cheddar tastes good in. I think we usually buy Tillamook.

Otherwise, we go with cheese made by smaller concerns.

I also like sharp cheddar, or extra-sharp for that matter, and Monterey Jack. Gjouda, preferably smoked, gruyere and emmentaler, provolone, buffalo mozzarella, brie and camembert, and...
Well LOL, as am doing this off the top of my head, guess I like cheeses and am not exactly particular about which ones!

I don't do basic cheese.

We're lucky to have a fine cheese stall on the market and for the amount we buy, just getting a generic slab of cheddar just doesn't work for me.

They do a stonking gruyere which is surprisingly compatible with good wines, which if I were pushed, would say that is my 'go to' cheese.

Best cheeses tasted recently are the very creamy goudas from Borough Market nr. London Bridge. Chasing artisan products doesn't always deliver a noticeable improvement, but this is a transformation of what young & aged gouda can / should taste like.

regards

Ian

[Jenise]

Howie, I usually have a chunk of sharp Tillamook in the fridge for tacos, etc. That's about as 'generic' as I get--the unbranded varieties here on the west coast are usually rather dull in flavor and rubbery in texture. I also buy Jarlsberg swiss in large hunks occasionally--but again, that's branded, not generic.

Howie, I usually have a chunk of sharp Tillamook in the fridge for tacos, etc. That's about as 'generic' as I get--the unbranded varieties here on the west coast are usually rather dull in flavor and rubbery in texture. I also buy Jarlsberg swiss in large hunks occasionally--but again, that's branded, not generic.

Mmm... Tillamook sharp (and extra sharp!). My Oregonian relatives take pity on me every Xmas and send me a 5 lb block of the stuff. It lasts about a month around here.

Mark Lipton

We don't get Tillamook in these parts, but we get as we are sure Howie does Hellava Good Cheddar. It comes from upstate New Yawk.

We don't get Tillamook in these parts, but we get as we are sure Howie does Hellava Good Cheddar. It comes from upstate New Yawk.

There are a few good makers of Cheddar located in the area of Western NY, south of the Thruway between Rochester and Buffalo. Heluva Good is one. Others include Cuba and Yancy's Fancy. I believe Kraft Foods started out in the upstate NY area and their Cracker Barrel cheddar is not bad, but no better than the generic NY State cheddar sold in supermarkets. I've never seen Tillamook either.

I like most of the "supermarket varieties" as long as they're real cheese and not some processed cheese product. My favorite, and most used, is sharp cheddar (or extra sharp, super sharp, etc. - the sharper the better). I use this for my mac & cheese, Mexican dishes, and the goulash (American Chop Suey) that I'm making tonight. Usually runs $4-5/lb.

I love American for sandwiches and burgers. Again, natural cheese slices, not the processed stuff. I also use cheddar, colby jack and pepper jack slices.

Others include Cuba and Yancy's Fancy.

Had some Yancy's and bacon on a half pound burger at Uno Chicago Grill today. Mmmmmm good!

I like Tillamok cheddar, and Kerrygold from Ireland. I love to sample unfamilaiar cheeses of all kinds at the local Whole Paycheck, and have to limit my trips there because I tend to overspend.

Okay...after reading the entire thread, I think maybe it's appropriate to define the word 'generic'.
"Relating to, or common to, or descriptive of all members of a genus or entire group or class".
So, generic doesn't necessarily mean "bad" and branded doesn't necessarily mean "good".
For example, Camembert and Brie, both of which have received 'protected designation of origin' status are generic as long as the Camembert is from the Normandy region and the Brie from the Province of Brie.
Swiss cheese is as generic as you can get but it includes emmental, gruyere and several hundred other cheeses.
Velveeta and Cheez Whiz are "brands", and I'll leave it to the individual as to whether they're gourmet or not...
So all this long-winded rhetoric is for the purpose of saying that I'll continue to enjoy my 'generic' cheddar or Swiss or Gouda or Brie if it comes from your generic supermarket, or from Whole Foods or the Beverly Hills Gourmet Cheese Shop!
Oh yes, some will be better than others, but you can't (or generically, "one" can't) eat caviar or lobster or foie gras every night of the week because it becomes so..."common"!

I haven't found a cheese I did not like....I love Maytag Blue, Tillamok sharp and extra sharp, and many others. For my everyday cheese I keep Kraft 2 % milk Cheddar and Jack. They taste fine at room temp. and melt beautifully. In tacos and casseroles, no one can tell the difference. Swiss is probably my least favorite unless I go with Gruyere. I actually love Velveeta but will not keep it around....too tempting. All cheeses seem to have their place. I try different ones all the time and while I may like them, I may never repeat buy. There is a smoked cheddar that I really like called Hoffman's I think, but it may be a cheese food.

Okay...after reading the entire thread, I think maybe it's appropriate to define the word 'generic'...

From my original post

In the supermarket dairy aisle (not the gourmet cheese aisle), there are limited choices of the most popular cheeses. These usually include cheddar, Swiss, mozzarella, American, Colby, and Monterrey Jack.

I don't find Brie, Camembert, Roquefort, aged Parmesan, etc. in the dairy aisle. So, the original intent was for store brands or national brands, but there's nothing wrong with a little thread drift. I love all those cheeses you mentioned, but I generally reserve them for something special and find them in the gourmet section of the supermarket or specialty cheese shops.

Okay...after reading the entire thread, I think maybe it's appropriate to define the word 'generic'...

From my original post

In the supermarket dairy aisle (not the gourmet cheese aisle), there are limited choices of the most popular cheeses. These usually include cheddar, Swiss, mozzarella, American, Colby, and Monterrey Jack.

I don't find Brie, Camembert, Roquefort, aged Parmesan, etc. in the dairy aisle. So, the original intent was for store brands or national brands, but there's nothing wrong with a little thread drift. I love all those cheeses you mentioned, but I generally reserve them for something special and find them in the gourmet section of the supermarket or specialty cheese shops.

I think there was a fair amount of thread drift before it got to my post and thought I was just adding to the fondue pot.
Perhaps we're having a slight geographical discontinuity as many of the supermarkets out here have all the cheeses mentioned in one section, kinda a generic free-for-all.

Howie
If you like sharp, then keep an eye out for 'Lincolnshire Poacher' (the county being not too far away from us). It certainly has quite a bit of 'grip' Potentially big enough production to see it exported, albeit probably to specialist cheese shops rather than supermarkets.
regards
Ian

I'm surprised Tillamook has such a wide distribution! I always have a hunk of sharp in the reefer, usually extra sharp, too. Their butter is a good, reliable everyday butter, too. I keep the Rogue blue around on a regular basis, too. Pretty good cheese availability around here.

Okay...after reading the entire thread, I think maybe it's appropriate to define the word 'generic'.
"Relating to, or common to, or descriptive of all members of a genus or entire group or class".
So, generic doesn't necessarily mean "bad" and branded doesn't necessarily mean "good".
For example, Camembert and Brie, both of which have received 'protected designation of origin' status are generic as long as the Camembert is from the Normandy region and the Brie from the Province of Brie.
Swiss cheese is as generic as you can get but it includes emmental, gruyere and several hundred other cheeses.
Velveeta and Cheez Whiz are "brands", and I'll leave it to the individual as to whether they're gourmet or not...
So all this long-winded rhetoric is for the purpose of saying that I'll continue to enjoy my 'generic' cheddar or Swiss or Gouda or Brie if it comes from your generic supermarket, or from Whole Foods or the Beverly Hills Gourmet Cheese Shop!
Oh yes, some will be better than others, but you can't (or generically, "one" can't) eat caviar or lobster or foie gras every night of the week because it becomes so..."common"!

After you been havin' steak for a long time, beans, beans taste fine...

Usually store brands of real cheese: sharp or extra-sharp cheddar, mozzarella and sometimes swiss. Expensive brands if they go on a good sale. And the occasional wedges of blue cheese, brie or real parmesan. BTW, I just finished a jar of Danish blue in oil and spices. Yummy!

[Jenise]

Beverly Hills Gourmet Cheese Shop!

Now there's a piece of heaven--best cheese shop in America. My forays to it always took hours because It's divine to just stand there and SMELL.

Beverly Hills Gourmet Cheese Shop!

Now there's a piece of heaven--best cheese shop in America. My forays to it always took hours because It's divine to just stand there and SMELL.

Yep, worth setting aside a lot of time for as they're also selling imported charcouterie, truffles, wines, caviar etc...could take all day!

Tillamook or a Vermont extra-sharp cheddar.

My baseline generic cheese is Pecorino Romano because it's usually well-priced and so salty that it can be forgiving if it is not the ultimate best in quality. I believe Locatelli is the brand I see in most stores across the U.S. where I shop.

I guess my baseline cheese is usually grated or shredded domestic parmesan, because my primary use for "baseline" cheese is tossed with pasta and olive oil.

For snacking, I just cannot resist an American cheese that is just amazing. Even though I have been given a "talking to" for bringing it to work, I LOVE LOVE LOVE Petaluma California's Cowgirl Creamery Red Hawk.