Describing Cheese Like a Pro

By
Jennifer Meier
Jennifer Meier
Jennifer Meier
Food writer, cookbook author, and recipe developer Jennifer Meier specializes in creating healthy and diet-specific recipes.
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Updated on 07/4/19

Walking into a cheese shop can be like trying to decipher a secret language. Cheesemongers throw around words like "barnyardy", "yeasty", "grassy" and "nutty" as if we all know exactly what they're talking about. Describing the flavor and aroma of cheese can be challenging for cheesemongers; you can't just keep saying, "it tastes good" or "the flavor is strong." That's why creative adjectives are so important.

Below is a list of the most common adjectives used to describe the flavor and aroma of cheese. Some words appear in both mild and strong categories. Keep in mind that strong aromas and flavors are not necessarily a bad thing. It all depends on your personal taste.

Following the descriptive words is a brief explanation to help you conjure up what the cheesemonger might be talking about regarding your next cheese platter. 

  • 01 of 04

    Mild Aroma

    St. Pat Cheese

    Jennifer Meier
    • Floral: the scent of jasmine, lavender, etc
    • Perfumed: similar to floral, but a bit stronger
    • Earthy: like walking through a meadow or forest after a rain or stepping into a cellar
    • Fresh: the crisp, clean morning air, a light aroma
    • Fruity: cut open an apple, peach or melon and inhale deeply
    • Nutty: have you ever walked by a stand selling roasted nuts? Or eaten a hazelnut?
    • Sweet: think about salted caramel and toffee, or biscuits baking in the oven
    • Grassy: freshly mowed grass, freshly cut hay
    • Yeasty: the aroma of baking bread, or the smell of a wine cellar
  • 02 of 04

    Strong Aroma

    Scharfe Maxx Raw Milk Cheese

    Jennifer Meier
    • Barnyardy: means exactly what it says, the aroma of a barn filled with animals
    • Earthy: a pile of wet leaves, wet dirt, a cellar
    • Gamey: a meat-like aroma that is a little bit off, or could be an aroma similar to salami
    • Garlicky: just like smelling cut garlic
    • Oniony: milder than the garlicky aroma
    • Funky: stinky, pungent, not unlike a pair of gym socks
    • Musty: opening an old book, walking into a cellar
    • Ammoniated: acrid, bitter, stinging, (usually a negative descriptor meaning the cheese is past its prime)
    • Funky: pungent but in a good way, bold, unique, aggressive
    • Sour: ever smell sour milk?
    • Ripe: a noticeable but pleasant aroma
    • Fermented: old fruit, wine, beer
  • 03 of 04

    Mild Flavor

    Mozzarella

    Jennifer Meier
    • Fruity: pleasantly acidic, slightly sweet
    • Citrusy: like a squirt of lemon
    • Butterscotch: hard butterscotch candy, sweet, buttery,
    • Buttery: cheese that basically tastes like eating a stick of delicious butter
    • Clean: light and pleasant
    • Creamy, Milky: tastes like sipping whole cream
    • Herbal, herbaceous: a grassy flavor, or a flavor not unlike a fresh herb
    • Sweet: sweet cream or a butterscotch quality
    • Nutty: a little sweet, often similar to the flavor of hazelnuts
    • Green, spring-like: think about asparagus
    • Rustic: often a cross between earthy and sharp
    • Yeasty: the aroma of baking bread, or the smell of a wine cellar
    • Metallic, soapy: like biting into tinfoil or sucking on a bar of soap. While unpleasant, these sort of flavors are usually faint and not overpowering
  • 04 of 04

    Strong Flavor

    Gorgonzola

    Jennifer Meier
    • Meaty, bacon-y: tastes like pot-roast or bacon
    • Tangy, acidic: citrus-like, makes the sides of your mouth salivate (some fresh goat cheese is like this)
    • Caramelized: intensely sweet, like sucking on a piece of salted caramel candy
    • Complex: every bite tastes a little different, a strong but very pleasant flavor
    • Full-flavored, robust: an intense flavor you'll notice immediately
    • Explosive: watch-out, the flavor just might knock you out
    • Goaty: tastes like a goat smells
    • Barnyardy: like walking into a barn filled with animals
    • Mushroomy: funky and earthy, not quite in gym sock territory but getting close
    • Spicy, peppery, piquant: some types of cheese have a flavor that reminds a person of black pepper, paprika, and other spices. Some types of cheese literally have pepper in them.
    • Rich: usually means super-creamy
    • Ripe: full-flavored in the best way, eat it now or tomorrow it might be too intense
    • Sharp: noticeable flavor, sometimes acidic
    • Smokey: a cheese might literally be smoked (like smoked cheddar) or it might just have a flavor reminiscent of something that has been smoked
    • Wine-y, fermented: the cheese might have actually been soaked in wine (like Drunken Goat) or it might just have an acidic bite to it
    • Bitter: the opposite of sweet