Our Fresh Markets are just the place for true cheese aficionados. From mouthwatering European classics to traditional American favorites, our global selection will serve you well. Read some of what we’ve learned about cheese on this page, then visit a Yoke’s Fresh Market near you and put your newfound wisdom to work.

Putting together a cheese tray? The trick is to showcase different cheeses. Create variety and contrast in terms of texture, flavor and shape. Three or five is a typical selection of cheeses to serve in any assortment.

Planning a cocktail party? Figure on 4 ounces (1/4 lb.) of cheese per person.

It's best to use a separate serving knife for each cheese, especially when serving cheeses with very different flavors. If you don't have cheese knives, provide knives that are not sharp, such as a small butter knife.

For the best fruit and cheese pairings—experiment. Some like Cheddar and apples or Dry Jack and pears. But you may discover your own favorites. One pairing to avoid would be cheese and citrus flavors.

It's typically safe to pair cheese with plain crackers, but for a richer experience, try European-style crusty bread. Serve sliced and whole so guests can tear off their own portions.

There are few if any rules for pairing beverages with cheese. Wine goes great with cheese, but so does beer. Try serving milder drinks with the softer, more delicately flavored cheeses. As the cheeses become stronger and more flavorful, so should the beverages.

To best maintain both the flavors and aromas of unpasteurized cheeses, they should be sliced when you purchase them, and eaten soon after. Softer cheeses usually keep from one to three weeks. Hard cheeses may be fine for several months.

Store hard, semi-hard and semi-soft cheeses at 35° F to 40° F, but remove them 1 to 2 hours before serving. The flavor of cheese is best when eaten at room temperature. Fresh cheese, on the other hand, should be treated just like milk–don't let it set out too long, either before or during an event.

The organisms in cheese are alive, so cheese will continue to ripen, no matter how you store it. Cheeses need air, but you also need to maintain their humidity. Wrap them in waxed or greaseproof paper and use loose, airtight food containers so they don’t absorb strong aromas from other foods.

And be especially sure to keep blue cheeses in separate containers. Blue cheese mold spores are alive and active, and will migrate to other foods.

• Aged Goat Gouda
• Applewood Smoked Provolone
• Asiago
• Black Diamond Extra Old
• Cahills Irish Porter Truckles
• Cambazola German
• Cantare Baked Bries
• Vermont Crème Fraiche
• Double Gloucester
• Goat Cheese Crumbles
• Gruyere
• Kerrygold Irish Swiss
• Malt Whiskey Cheddar English
• Myzithera
• Port Salut
• Reggiano
• Smokey Blue Rogue
• Vella Dry Jack