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Cheese
France produces the greatest number of cheeses in the world and in French cooking it is always enjoyed at the end of a meal. The cheese trolley is often regarded as a mark of a restaurant's quality - begin with the mildest in flavour and work your way around. Basic categories include: a) White and red mould (washed rind) - brie de meaux, camembert, livarot and munster b) Chevre - cabecou, pouligny saint-pierre, crottin de chavignol c) Blue vein - Roquefort, fourme d'ambert d) Hard cheese - gruyere, beaufort e) Medium-firm - saint-nectaire, morbier, cantal. In Spanish cooking cheese (queso) is associated more with the northern regions of the country where the main dairy producing area is located. There are many types of cheese produced in Spain including blue and soft cheeses, made from cows, sheep or goats milk. Two of the more popular ones are: a) Manchego - a hard, dense sheep milk cheese with similar characteristics of parmesan cheese. This is probably the most popular cheese in Spain. b) Mahon - a semi-hard cow's milk cheese. It has a piquant flavour. In Portuguese cuisine, mild goats' cheeses are the most popular.
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