Few foods offer the versatility of cheese: you can cook and bake with it, sprinkle it on all sorts of dishes, or simply enjoy it on a cracker. With all the different varieties and specialty cheeses becoming readily available, it’s helpful to know more about the savory world of cheese.

Cheese starts as milk, whether it’s from a cow, sheep or goat. Then the milk is allowed to thicken — the way that thickened milk is aged determines the type of cheese it becomes. Not all cheese is aged, or ripened. Examples of unripened or fresh cheeses are cottage cheese, cream cheese and ricotta.

Ripened cheeses are what most of us think of when we want to snack on cheese or serve it as an appetizer with fancy breads or crackers. Ripened cheeses are categorized by their texture:

• Hard, dry cheeses such as parmesan, Romano and pecorino (made from sheep’s milk) are generally used for grating
• Semi-firm cheeses such as cheddar and edam are firm but not crumbly
• Soft-ripened cheeses such as brie and camembert can range from semi-soft to creamy and spreadable
• Semi-soft cheeses such as gouda and Monterey Jack are soft but can still be sliced
• Blue-veined cheeses such as blue, Roquefort and gorgonzola are rich and strongly flavored

You may be wondering where favorites like provolone and mozzarella fit into the world of cheese. They’re both known as “stretched curd” cheeses made by a special process. Mozzarella cheese is great for melting, while provolone is a perfect sandwich cheese.

If you’re planning to serve cheese to guests, pair the cheese with these delicious fruits and breads:

• Cheddar — dates, melons; sourdough bread
• Edam — peaches, melons, apricots, cherries; whole-grain crackers
• Brie — apples, grapes, pears, berries; croissants
• Camembert — apples, pears, melons, grapes, sweet berries, sun-dried tomatoes; croissants, French baguettes
• Gouda — apples, grapes; dark breads such as pumpernickel
• Monterey Jack — apples, grapes, melons; sourdough, rye breads and tortillas
• Blue, Roquefort and Gorgonzola — apples, pears, figs; French and Italian breads

Serve the cheeses that appeal to you and your family, but try a new one now and then. You’ll discover all sorts of new flavors and possibilities