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Having lived in Europe now for nigh on 20 years, I find it very amusing retyping these very American views on cheese from the 1960’s, enjoy

• American Cheese: is a mild, processed, cheddar-type cheese that is often sold in slices. It is a staple of the all-American burger.

• Cheddar Cheese: is a firm, white-to-orange cheese (only white in the UK, and I think the people that live in / near Cheddar Gorge would have quite an issue to think people describe it as orange), named after an English village, with a flavour ranging from mild to sharp. It is often shredded of a salad or melted over fresh, green vegetables to add extra flavour.

• Cream Cheese: is a spreadable, unripe, fresh cheese made from cow’s milk. Neufchâtel is the low-fat, and usually softer, version. Cream cheese is a popular cheesecake filling and bagel topping.

• Monterey Jack Cheese: gets its name from Monterey, California. It is a mild, buttery, semisoft cheese made from cow’s milk. It is sometimes flavoured with peppers and garlic, and it is often used in Tex-Mex cooking.

• Muenster Cheese: is a pale yellow with very small holes and an orange rind. American Muenster is mild in flavour, whereas European Muenster is more pungent. Kids love it as a snack or as a sandwich topping.

• Parmesan Cheese: is an Italian hard cheese that is usually aged to a dry, crumbly texture. Parmesan is pleasantly sharp with a salty flavour. It is excellent for grating over pasta sauces or salads.

• Swiss Cheese: is a generic name for a group of pale-yellow cheeses with large holes. They have a mild, nutty flavour and a firm, slightly dry texture. Swiss is often used in cooking and is a dearly loved sandwich topping. (and I have never found it here in the UK, the closest I have found is Edam)

Now there are a TON of cheeses from Europe that should be listed here – UK: Stinking Bishop, Stilton or Cornish Yarg, France: Mont D’Or just to name my personal favourites but… I can’t wait to see the comments of cheeses people would like to cover (Zoey and I had a hard white cheese, like Parmesan, with black truffles inside that was the best I have ever had during one of our anniversary meals). So please comment and share your favourite cheeses or items missed

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