There are many different ways that cheese can be classified. We have broken it down into several categories below, so you can categorize your favorite cheeses.

By type of milk: Goat, sheep and cow's milk are most common, but cheese can also be made from the milk of water buffalo, yaks and camels.

By texture: This is related to the water content of the cheese: the softer the cheese, the higher the water content.

Very Soft (80% water) - Spoonable cheeses, including almost all fresh cheeses, except Feta.

Soft (50-70% water) - Spreadable cheeses, including Brie, Camembert, Pont l'Eveque, Reblochon and Taleggio

Semi-hard (40-50% water) - Sliceable cheeses with a slightly rubbery texture, including Gouda.

Hard (30-50% water) - Firm and slightly crumbly or dense, including Cheddar, Gruyere and Emmenthal, Parmesan and aged Pecorino.

By rind: The rind controls the progression of water from inside the cheese to the outside.

It also regulates the release of gases from the cheese.

Bloomy White Rind: This edible white fuzzy mold is found commonly on soft cheeses such as Brie and Camembert.

Washed Rind: A washed rind cheese has been brushed with a liquid of some sort during ripening. This can be a brine, or a liquor-based solution. The rind is typically orange-hued and damp to the touch.

Dry Natural Rind:These rinds are formed by the curds at the edge of the cheese drying out. They may be brushed, bandaged to make them coarse and grainy, or oiled to become slick and smooth. They are generally tough, hard, and thick, and are usually not eaten. Examples include Stilton (brushed), Cheddar (bandaged) and Emmenthal (oiled).

Organic Rind: These are added by the cheesemaker and include herbs or leaves. They are often added after the cheese had ripened. Examples include some goat cheese (herbs) and Banon (leaves).

Artificial Rind: These, too, are added by the cheesemaker and include ash, wax and plastic. Examples include some goat cheese (ash), Edam (wax) and some Cheddars (plastic).

By Age:

Fresh Cheese: Cheeses which are not ripened at all or for only a few days. Some may be lightly pressed or molded; others are simply packed into crocks or tubs. Examples include Mascarpone, Feta and cream cheese.

Unpressed Ripened Cheese: The curds are cut as little as possible and allowed to drain naturally. They may be quick-ripened with surface molds or bacteria, or slow-ripened with starter cultures up to three months. Examples include Brie and Camembert (surface mold) and Stilton (starter culture).

Pressed Ripened Cheese: These are lightly or heavily pressed before ripening from two to eighteen months. Examples include Cheddar and Manchego.

Cooked, Pressed and Ripened Cheese:The curds are heated or "cooked" in the whey before being milled, molded, and heavily pressed.