I'm a bit uneducated when it comes to cheese because unfortunately the scene here is a bit lacking, meaning we don't have specialty cheese shops. All we get here are the processed ones you can get in grocery stores but at least there is still some sort of variety in choices there. I've so far gotten to taste Camembert along with some of the more well known ones like cream cheese, cheddar, and Parmesan. Any other cheeses you guys could recommend that hopefully would be easy to find? Also would love to hear what to pair them with if you have any ideas.
I'd recommend Danish Blue cheese. From smell alone, you'd never guess it tasted so delicious! It's this semi-soft, creamy and maybe crumbly cheese that you can crumble onto salads, eat with savoury crackers or use as a sandwich filler. You should be able to get it in good delicatessens anywhere. Failing which, I'm sure most supermarkets anywhere in the world will carry it.
I would like to recommend cottage cheese because they enhace the taste of food but of course avoid using them as substitute sandwich spread. As foodies would tell you, this type of cheese has a bad reputation. When you add it to your good old casserole, lasagna and favorite pita pizza, you'll be astounded at how absolutely delicious the dishes have turned out to be. Don't forget emmental, mozzarella and blue cheese (which is no different from cottage cheese).
If you go and ask your deli guy he can probably recommend a few good ones to try. Also if you live near a specialty store like whole foods or something similar with a cheese section they'll let you sample a bunch. For starter cheeses I'd look for a crumbly, aged, wisconsin cheddar, a good bleu or goat (cheap/easy to get a nice one) and something creamy like a triple brie. all pair great with fruit or some salty meats.
With so many different cheeses out there which go with greatly different foods, some basic pairings I would recommend that you try are strong blue cheese with some bread, and fresh mozzarella with salad greens.
