11 Types Of Cheese To Elevate Charcuterie Boards, According To Experts

La Tur is an Italian soft cheese that is made with a mixture of cow, goat, and sheep's milk. Manufactured in Italy's northern Piedmont region, La Tur is similar to French brie in taste, texture, and in its production process. Melissa Lopez states that she likes to put La Tur on a charcuterie board because it "has a little funk to it" and is "creamy enough to eat with a breadstick." Perfect if you're setting up a platter with lots of crunchy dipping crackers.

La Tur's mild yet earthy flavor profile is often described as rich with a buttery creme fraiche texture, mushroom notes, and a slightly acidic, tang. Like brie, La Tur is a bloomy-rinded or mold-ripened cheese. This means that bacteria cultures are added to the cheese curds before they set and, during the 10-15 day aging process, an edible mold rind blooms and covers the cheese surface. La Tur usually has a slightly wrinkled outer texture and is molded into small, dainty wheels that fit perfectly on a sharing platter.

This tasty Italian cheese usually retails for between $15 to $33, although this price varies with size and quality. You can buy La Tur in most high-quality cheese shops and at Kroger. To keep this cheese fresh, it's best to store it in the fridge.

Noting her preference for cheeses made from "varied milk types" on charcuterie boards, Melissa Lopez recommends Valdeón – a blue cheese from North Spain that's made from a blend of cow's and goat's milk. Lopez also observes that Valdeón is a good option for sharing platters because "it's a middle-of-the-road blue cheese which makes it approachable to many people." Approachability is an excellent quality for a blue cheese as some people can be put off by the strong flavors and the visible mold that gives blue cheese its title.

Valdeón has a sticky, crumbly texture and a slightly sweet flavor that's balanced by the fresh, zingy goat's milk. Native to the Castile and Leon Spanish region, Valdeón has protected EU status and can only be produced in this area. Like other blue cheeses, Valdeón is made by introducing blue mold cultures – penicillium roqueforti – to cheese curds. As the cheese ages, the mold spreads through it creating a blue, marbling pattern.

To give Valdeón its unique look and scent, the cheese wheels are wrapped in a rind of sycamore leaves before being left to age. This rind is removed before consumption but infuses the cheese with an earthy, almost leathery aroma. If you're planning to make Valdeón the blue cheese on your charcuterie board, Lopez adds that it "goes great with charred tomatoes marinated in fresh thyme" or with "Spanish chorizo." Valdeón can be purchased at most high-quality cheese shops for around $22 to $23 per pound.

Olveha or Alvelhe is a Portuguese cheese made from a mix of cow's and sheep's milk. "It's a great addition to a board," Melissa Lopez tells us. According to Lopez, this cheese has a "creamy, grassy, and buttery" flavor that pairs well with salty snacks, like olives and Iberico ham.

Portugal has a historic cheesemaking tradition and produces a wide range of local, farmyard cheeses. Olvehia or Alvelhe is made by Martins and Rebello – one of Portugal's oldest cheese producers — which is based in Ossela near the small town of Alvelhe in northern Portugal. You can also find pasteurized Portuguese brands of this unique cheese, however, it may be necessary to shop at delicatessens or specialty cheese shops to reliably source it. A small wheel will generally cost around $16 to $17.

Alvelhe is a soft cheese and has a smooth texture that's ideal for spreading on crackers or crispbreads. It can be stored in the fridge or a cool, dry room. For an ideal tasting experience, remove the wheel from the fridge and from its packaging around 30 minutes before serving to allow the cheese to breathe and warm up slightly.

Melissa Lopez describes Midnight Moon as an "easygoing hard cheese that everyone loves," making it a perfect addition to any charcuterie platter. Described by Lopez as an "aged goat cheese," Midnight Moon is a Dutch cheese that "goes great with all types of charcuterie accouterments." It's manufactured in Holland and distributed in the U.S. by the Cypress Grove dairy farm.

Midnight Moon has a pale, whitish paste and a mild, slightly sweet, almost nutty flavor. The texture is firm with a slight crunch due to protein crystallization that occurs during aging. This makes it great to pair with a soft, creamy cheese for balance on a charcuterie board. It's aged for at least six months and is sold in small wheels that are wrapped in black wax rind.

Midnight Moon is available to buy from Cypress Grove and other cheese retailers online for around $29 to $30 for a 1-pound block. If you're looking for cured meat to pair it with, Lopez recommends a "prosciutto" as "the saltiness of the ham goes great with the creaminess of the cheese."

If you love Italian food, you may have tasted Parmigiano Reggiano sprinkled over pasta or spaghetti dishes. However, Matthew Rose also recommends Parmigiano as a hard cheese option on a charcuterie board. According to Rose "high-quality Parmigiana Reggiano is a highly accessible delight" that features "flavors of chicken broth, fried almonds, and dried fruits and is one of the absolute best cheeses to serve alongside cured meats like prosciutto or sopressata."

Parmigiano is a cow's milk cheese that originates from northern Italy and is closely related to parmesan cheese. However, unlike parmesan, Parmigiano Reggiano has Protected Designation of Origin status and must be made in specific regions and only using certain techniques. In Europe, parmesan is considered interchangeable with Parmigiano Reggiano and must also come from Parmagiano regions.

Parmigiano Reggiano's deliciously complex flavor comes from its bespoke manufacturing process, which involves coagulating milk in copper pots and cutting the separated curds until they form into tiny granules. These granules are then collected into wheels, immersed in a salt bath, and aged for anywhere between one year and 40 months.

The final product is firm, rich, and salty and can be purchased in blocks from artisanal cheese sellers or grated in tubs from outlets like Kroger. For premium Parmigiano Reggiano that you want to serve in slices, you will usually have to pay at least $22 for a piece. Parmigiano Reggiano also goes up in price the longer it is aged.

If you love Spanish manchego, malvarosa — manchego's richer, creamier cousin — is a must-try addition to your charcuterie board. Melissa Lopez describes malvarosa as "similar to a manchego, but much richer in flavor" and notes that it "goes amazing with fruit condiments (fig jam or even a marmalade)" and with "Iberico ham."

Malvarosa is a semi-hard sheep's cheese and is made in Valencia on Spain's east coast. Traditionally, it is made exclusively with milk from rare Guirra sheep, which are only bred for this purpose. The milk is pasteurized before use and the cheese is wrapped in a cheesecloth and aged for at least three months. The end product is buttery and smooth with creamy toffee notes.

When storing your malvarosa cheese at home, it's a good idea to treat it the way you would manchego. This means keeping it in the fridge — wrapped in paper, ideally, not plastic — and placing it in a sealed container if it is near foods with strong odors to prevent these from interfering with the cheese's delicate aroma. To serve, you should take it out of the fridge an hour or two beforehand and let it come to room temperature. Malvarosa can be bought online and at various cheese delicatessens and costs approximately $14 to  $24 per pound.