What Does Aged Gouda Taste Like? How About Triple Creme + Clothbound Cheddar? Here's Your Guide to the Fancy Cheese Aisle

Have you ever walked into a food store, walked up to the cheese counter and….. DARTED, because you were just too intimidated by the glorious display of delicious, aromatic dairy treats flown in from all around the world?

Well, be afraid no more, friends!

Thanks to Liz Thorpe — who literally wrote the book on cheese (aptly titled The Book of Cheese) — we've got the scoop on three fancy cheeses that you may have avoided until now.

But you definitely won't after this!

Triple-Crème Cheese

Tastes: Buttery, because it's a cream-enriched cheese

For fans of: Brie (which is also soft and buttery, and who doesn't love butter!)

Liz's final word: "You have more butter, fat and salt, so more ooziness." (Um, yes.)

Clothbound Cheddar

Tastes: Sharp — it's got a BIG flavor

For fans of: Regular cheddar (and people who generally enjoy food with a taste that packs a punch)

Liz's final word: "It's more aged, with a more complex flavor. It's still a big flavor, but not as sharp as [regular cheddar]."

Aged Gouda

Tastes: Like butterscotch and toast

For fans of: Parmesan (which also boasts a nutty taste, and shares triple-crème's crunchy texture)

Liz's final word: "I call it cheese candy." (Sign us up!)

Now, if you're setting one of these bad boys up for a party, remember this:

—If you have a soft cheese, choose a thin knife witLOL! Thanks, Liz! h holes in it, that way the cheese doesn't stick to the knife.

—If you have a hard cheese, use a wide blade — like a chef's knife — to slice through its toughness.

—And last but not least, never put out a cheese plane for a party. "[People] have to manhandle the whole piece of cheese to use it!"

And this is how Rach feels about that:

via GIPHY

LOL! Thanks, Liz!