Cheese is one of nature's great gifts. It has evolved the world over, with milk from cows, sheep, goats or buffalo being transformed into a vast array of different flavours, textures and appearances. Approaching a cheese counter can be daunting at first, but read through our guide to find out more. You're bound to find new, delicious cheeses to sample – and we've some great recipe ideas to inspire you too.

The most popular blue cheese in France, Roquefort is produced from sheep's milk and must be aged in the caves in Roquefort-sur-Soulzon in Southern France, where a naturally-occurring bacteria thrives. It gives Roquefort its distinctive taste – smooth, intensely creamy with a tang, from the blue veining. It's often used in sauces, quiche and salads. It partners well with pears, too, so check out this indulgent recipe for hot pears with Roquefort.

Get the recipe for hot pears with Roquefort here

Mozzarella is among the biggest selling cheeses in the USA, due to the vast consumption of pizza. However, mozzarella for pizza is typically mass-produced, so it has a stringy, rubbery, bland character, perfect for melting on pizza. A more expensive ball of mozzarella – which you'd use at home for salads and homemade Italian dishes – is mild, soft and silky, with a creamy flavour.

Get the recipe for easy pizza here

Epoisses, from the town of the same name in Burgundy, France, is an unpasteurised cows' milk cheese with a creamy, yet firm texture. It's washed in Marc de Bourgogne, a grappa-like spirit, which gives it its characteristic orange, edible rind. It's pretty pungent, but the taste is earthy and spicy. It's a fabulous cheese to have with bread or crackers. Just allow it an hour at room temperature before eating.

Though it's made throughout the world, the home of true buffalo mozzarella is in Campania, down in the South of Italy. Campania mozzarella, a soft, mild cheese made from the milk of Mediterranean water buffalo, has protected status, and it's much softer than standard mozzarella. It's not a cheese for cooking with. Try it on a bruschetta with tomatoes and olives.

Get the recipe for bruschetta with tomatoes, mozzarella and olives here

This semi-hard cheese originated in the city of Gouda in South Holland, the Netherlands. It's one of the oldest recorded cheeses in the world, dating back to the 12th century, and it's now mass produced all over the world. But there are still three protected Goudas made in the Netherlands, including Gouda Holland, produced in the traditional way with unpasteurised milk. Its mild taste makes the cheese a top choice for melting and sandwiches. Aged, it's full-flavoured with a slight sweetness and a crunch of salt crystals.

Although various types of Brie cheese are made all over the world, the only two protected ones are from its home region in Northern France – Brie de Meaux and Brie de Melun. Made from unpasteurised milk, matured for longer, and with a more intense, pungent and creamy texture, these are the ones for your cheeseboard. Other Brie-style cheeses tend to be very mild and are suitable for cooking, as they melt so well. Try them in our pie.

Get the recipe for Brie and roasted vegetable pie here

Traditional Greek feta has protected status within the European Union, though other countries produce their own versions. It's made from sheep's milk, or a combination of sheep and goats' milk, and the cheese is dry salted, then aged in brine. Further maturation takes place in steel bins or wooden barrels, which imparts a complex flavour and firmer texture. Feta is perfect for salads, and we love this recipe for feta omelette, too.

Get the recipe for feta, spinach and caramelised onion omelette here

Pecorino is made exclusively from sheep's milk – other cheeses named "Romano" bear no resemblance to the original. It's a hard, crumbly cheese, aged for a minimum of five months, and the Romans use it on their pasta dishes. In Tuscany and Sardinia, where the cheese can also be produced, it's less salty and used as a table cheese, rather than for grating. Have a go at this recipe for lamb stuffed with pecorino and garlic.

Get the recipe for stuffed lamb here

Originally made in Somerset, "Cheddar" is not protected, though West Country Farmhouse Cheddar is, and must come from Somerset, Dorset, Devon or Cornwall. It's the world's most popular cheese, used for grating, cooking and sandwiches. But the real deal from artisan makers is aged or vintage, with a more crumbly texture and nutty flavour, and with salt crystals from the ageing coming through. It has a long finish, meaning the taste just carries on.

Named after the Swiss town of Gruyères, this Alpine cheese has protected status. It's made from unpasteurised milk and is sweet and nutty when young, but as it matures (it's matured in temperature-controlled caves), it becomes more complex. When young, it's a wonderful cheese for cooking with. As it ages and develops tiny salt crystals, it should be eaten just as it is. It's perfect in a quiche Lorraine.

Get the recipe for quiche Lorraine here

Firm with a buttery texture, manchego is Spain's most famous cheese. It is protected, and needs to be made in the La Mancha region in central Spain with the milk from Manchega sheep. As a result, it has that citrus tang, common in sheep's cheese. It must be aged for two months, but can be aged for up to two years, allowing the flavours to become more complex. Traditionally eaten with quince paste, it also works great with chorizo in this cornbread recipe.

Get the recipe for cornbread with chorizo and manchego here

Parmesan, or Parmigiano Reggiano, is a protected cheese, produced in northern Italy in specific provinces. It's made from cows' milk, and is pale yellow with a hard rind. The longer it has been aged, the more granular and crystallised it becomes, with a crunch from salt crystals. When young, around 18 months, it is the perfect cheese for cooking. As it ages, try it on its own with a glass of Asti Spumante or white wine.

Learn more about Parmesan here

This soft cheese, with a soft, edible rind, is made in Normandy, northern France. Only one is protected, Camembert de Normandie, which is made from unpasteurised milk – and when young, it has a chalky texture through the centre. To eat it on its own, you can mature it at room temperature over night, or slowly in the fridge, where it develops a more creamy texture and depth of flavour. You can also melt the whole cheese in its wooden box in the oven, great as a dip with toast or bread sticks.

Stilton can only be produced in the three counties of Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, and has been made since the early 18th century. A blue, slightly crumbly, creamy cheese, it has to be made from pasteurised cows' milk – some are creamier than others, too, so it's usually worth a trip to a cheese specialist to try some out. It's great eaten with pears or celery, but it's also a good cooking cheese. Try our recipe for Stilton tartlets.

Get the recipe for ham and Stilton tartlets here

This semi-hard cheese from Switzerland has a creamy, mild taste. Some are protected, and are made from raw milk and aged for at least 14 months, when the flavours become more complex. The mass-produced cheese is great for cooking as it melts so well, and has a tangy, slightly nutty taste. It's often used for fondue, on burgers and in macaroni cheese. 

Get the recipe for macaroni cheese here

Edam, with its signature red wax coat, originates from North Holland (a province in the northwest of the country). It's a very mild cheese, with a light, nutty taste, and it barely has any discernible smell. It is also quite soft, much softer than a Cheddar, for example – however, you may find some aged Edam, which is much drier. Everyday Edam is often a hit with kids, as it's so mild, though you can combine it with other cheeses in cooking.

Find more comforting cheese recipes here

A mild, nutty cheese with a yellow wax rind, Jarlsberg comes from Norway, though it has gained in popularity throughout the world. It's a multipurpose cheese, good for snacking and cooking, and it's pretty good on a cheeseburger too. You can also find aged Jarlsberg, which has more depth of flavour.

Get the recipe for a classic cheeseburger here

Taleggio is made from cows' milk and comes from the valley of the same name in northern Italy. It's a washed rind cheese, constantly brushed with sea water during the maturing process. It smells more pungent than it tastes, though – buttery, soft and oozy, it's quite addictive. Allow it an hour at room temperature before eating with bread. It also melts very well.

Get the recipe for chicken with pesto, Taleggio and roasted tomatoes here

Halloumi originates from Cyprus, and is made from sheep and goats' milk, or occasionally cows'. It's a brined cheese, semi-hard and quite salty, which is perfect for cooking, as it holds its shape to give a crisp exterior and melting centre. You can fry, bake or grill it and serve it with salads and roasted vegetables. It makes the most wonderful fries, too, but watch out, they are very moreish.

Get the recipe for halloumi fries here

This semi-hard, full fat cheese with its distinctive shape is mainly produced in the Po Valley in northern Italy. It's made from cows' milk and is protected. It is aged for a minimum of four months to be provolone "piccante", which has a sharp flavour. The "dolce" variety, meaning soft, is a milder, younger cheese. You can also find it smoked, usually pre-sliced, to put on pizzas and in sandwiches. 

Produced in northern Italy in the Lombardy region, this blue cheese made from cows' milk is creamy, rich and tangy, and named after the town of Gorgonzola. Younger Gorgonzola is known as "dolce", milder than "piccante" which has a more pronounced strength and acidity. Just take it out of the fridge for 15 minutes before eating, or try it with broccoli in a quiche.

Get the recipe for broccoli and Gorgonzola quiche here

Goats' cheese is made the world over. It varies from young and fresh, almost like a curd cheese, to soft, then semi-soft, to aged. As it ages, it becomes more "goaty", with the pungent aromas more pronounced. Some are rolled in ash, some in herbs or pepper. There are hundreds to choose from and it's also a favourite with cooks. Our recipe with chicken and sweetcorn makes a great midweek meal.

Get the recipe for chicken, goats' cheese and sweetcorn bake here

Cotija, named after the town of the same name, is a Mexican cheese from cows' milk which is handmade. It's dry, firm and very salty, and is used on soups, tacos, grilled corn and burritos. The saltiness improves its keeping quality. It doesn't really melt, so you can use it in similar ways to feta cheese, as in our stuffed potato skins recipe.

Get the recipe for feta and spring onion-stuffed potato skins here

Made in the French Alps region of Haute-Savoie since the 13th century, reblochon is a smooth, creamy cheese with an edible rind and a slightly earthy, nutty taste. The cheese is protected, and there are two varieties – "fermier" (farmer), which has to be made by hand from the milk from one herd, and "laitier" (dairy), which can be made from any approved, always unpasteurised, milk. Eat it on its own, or in tartiflette – a gratin of potatoes, crispy lardons, shallots and cream, with a whole cheese on top.

Imagine pulling open a fabulous mozzarella, only to find a rich, thick cream in the centre. That's burrata, which means buttery in Italian. Made from cows' milk or buffalo, it's an artisan cheese from Puglia, right down in the south of Italy, though it's now made in other countries. Mozzarella is filled with cream and mozzarella curds, and the result is stunning. It's not to be cooked with, just served naturally with olive oil, salads, or in our roasted peppers recipe.

Get the recipe for roast peppers with burrata here

This rich Italian cream cheese is more like eating thick, buttery cream since it's made with that, rather than milk. It's used to enrich pasta sauces, risotto, cheesecakes and, most famously, in tiramisù – a favourite the world over with its boozy, creamy coffee flavours.

Get the recipe for tiramisù here

Made in the Franche-Comté region of eastern France, this nutty, fruity hard cheese is protected, and can only be made there to specific criteria. When young, it's often used in cooking, just as you would with Gruyère or Cheddar. As it ages, the flavours become more complex, and this is when it deserves a place on your cheeseboard. It's aged for a minimum of four months to anything up to 24.

Learn more about Comté here

Paneer is a fresh, unsalted firm cheese from India, originally made from buffalo milk, though now it's the norm to add cows' milk. It's widely available in other countries, and is quite easy to make at home, as it doesn't contain any rennet. It keeps its shape during cooking, so is often fried with spices, added to curries, and marinated then skewered for the barbecue.

Learn more about paneer and how to cook with it here

An American cheese which originated in California, it's a white, semi-hard cheese made from cows' milk. It's mild and slightly sweet, and is commonly used as a melting cheese in cooking. There are a few spin-offs from the original – Dry Jack, which is aged for four months, where it takes on more of a Parmesan style, and Pepper Jack, to which chillies, peppers and herbs are added. Use it in recipes where you would add Cheddar.

Cashel Blue is a multi award-winning, cows' milk blue cheese made in County Tipperary, Ireland, by Louis and Jane Grubb. When young, it's firm, creamy and tangy, with a blue cheese character. As it ages (up to six months), it becomes creamier and richer. It is full of character, but it's not strong, and it's great to cook with. In the US, it's known as Kerrygold Cashel Blue. Try it in our pasta recipe with saffron.

Get the recipe for butternut squash and saffron pappardelle here

Made in the French Pyrenees, in Basque Country, just on the Spanish border, this semi-hard cheese made from sheep's milk is smooth, creamy, nutty and grassy when young, with a floral hint. As it ages, it develops naturally-occurring salt crystals, and becomes more crunchy and complex. It's been a protected cheese since 1980. This is a cheese for eating, not cooking, and works best with ripe figs or grapes, and perhaps a glass of red wine.

High up on the Swiss-French border by the mountainous peak of Mont d'Or, comes this rich, full cream, extraordinary cheese. It's only made in the winter months from pasteurised milk in Switzerland, and raw milk in France, from traditional breeds of cows. It's wrapped in spruce bark, the plentiful local wood. The cheese is protected and normally sold at four weeks' maturity. Simply served with a spoon, it's so creamy. Or you can bake it in the oven and dip bread or potatoes into it, fondue style.

One of the oldest recorded cheeses in British history, Cheshire is a dense, semi-hard white cheese, though red and blue versions are made, in much smaller quantities. It has a crumbly texture and a mild, salty taste. Traditionally served with Christmas cake as the saltiness balances the sweetness of the cake, but it's just as good with a crunchy apple or pear. 

Raclette originated in Switzerland. It not only refers to the easy-melting rich cheese, but also to the dish it is served as. Traditionally this large cheese would be cut and melted over the fire, then the melted cheese would be scraped on to plates, to be served with salami, gherkins and potatoes. Now in France and Switzerland, they have table-top electric raclette melters. A true raclette cheese is made with raw milk and is protected in Switzerland. This is real cold-weather Alpine food.

Caerphilly was originally made around the town of Caerphilly in Wales. Now, production has moved predominantly to Somerset and Wiltshire, though it must be made with milk from Welsh cows to be designated as Traditional Welsh Caerphilly. It's a hard, milky, crumbly white cheese, with a distinct citrus taste and a pleasant buttery flavour. Our recipe for a risotto with leeks shows it up to great effect.

Get the recipe for squash, leek and lemon risotto with Caerphilly here