11 Worst Rated American Soft Cheeses

Cup cheese is an American cheese made with raw cow's milk. It originates from Pennsylvania, where it has been made by the Amish and Mennonites for centuries. The texture of cup cheese is soft and similar to molasses, and its flavors are strong and sour. The cheese is quite fatty, but there are some fat-free versions available in supermarkets. The name cup cheese refers to the method of storage – it is traditionally stored or sold in a cup or a pot.Expand

Provel is an American cheese made from pasteurized cow's milk. It is produced by combining different cheeses such as Cheddar, Provolone, and Swiss cheese. Its texture is supple, creamy, and gooey, while the flavors are buttery and slightly spicy. Provel is often used in cheese soups and St. Louis-style pizza due to its low melting point.Expand

Hoop Cheese or Red Rind Hoop Cheese is a traditional cheese hailing from Wisconsin. This soft cheese is made from pasteurized cow's milk, and the whey is completely drained out before it's placed in a round mould known as a hoop. The cheese comes with a waxy red coating which is why it's also called Red Rind Hoop Cheese. The texture is springy and soft, but the cheese spoils fast because it's not aged. The flavors are typically mild, salty, and slightly nutty. Due to its very short shelf life, Hoop Cheese is nowadays usually found at gas stations and small restaurants in the southern parts of the United States.Expand

Mt Tam is an American cheese hailing from California, where it's produced by Cowgirl Creamery. This soft triple-cream cheese is made from organic cow's milk with the addition of cream. It has a bloomy rind and the texture is firm, smooth, dense, and creamy. The flavors are rich and buttery with earthy, mushroomy, and grassy hints. Mt Tam is named after the majestic Mt. Tamalpais in Northern California. It's recommended to pair the cheese with a glass of Sancerre.Expand

Purple Haze is an American cheese produced in California by Cypress Grove. It dates back to the 1970s, when Mary Keehn found herself with excess goat milk and invented the cheese in the process. Nowadays, the milk is pasteurized in vats with coagulants and cultures, and the mix is then placed into a curd press to drain. The curd is combined with salt and shaped into disks which are dusted with wild fennel pollen and lavender. Without aging, the cheeses are sent to markets where they can be sold and consumed. This aromatic, fresh, soft cheese has no rind, and its texture is crumbly, smooth, creamy, and spreadable. The flavors are earthy and herbaceous. It's recommended to pair Purple Haze with Riseling or Sauvignon Blanc. Try it with bacon-wrapped dates or finocchiona salami.Expand

Hooligan is an American cheese produced in Connecticut by Cato Corner Farm. The cheese is made from raw milk of Brown Swiss and Jersey cows. Its rind is washed in brine, and underneath it, there is a chalky, soft, creamy, and slightly runny texture of the body. The aromas are pungent and stinky due to the washed orange rind which contains surface-ripening bacteria and yeasts. Hooligan is aged for 2 months, resulting in flavors that are grassy, vegetal, intense, mushroomy, and savory. The cheese melts very well, so it can be used in (fabulously stinky, in this case) grilled cheese sandwiches. It's recommended to serve Hooligan with hot pepper jelly, caramelized pecans, cranberry walnut bread, and honey. Pair it with sweet white wines and Belgian-style ales.Expand

Pimento cheese is a combination of grated cheddar, pimento peppers, mayonnaise, and a variety of seasonings or special ingredients that vary regionally. Although pimento cheese is nowadays a staple of the American South, some claim that it actually got its start in New York when cream cheese was first starting to be made by mixing cream with Neufchatel curd. At the same time, red peppers that were imported from Spain started to become available in the Americas, and it was just a matter of time before these two ingredients were combined. Nowadays, pimento cheese is usually served as a spread on crackers, tortilla chips, and hamburgers, but sandwiches with pimento cheese are especially popular.Expand

Point Reyes Bay Blue is an American cheese hailing from California. The cheese is made from pasteurized cow's milk and it's left to age for 90 days. Underneath its natural rind, the texture is crumbly and creamy with blue-green veining running throughout the paste. The aromas are strong and earthy, while the flavors are creamy, sweet, mushroomy, salty, and buttery, with hints of caramel at the finish. It's recommended to pair Point Reyes Bay Blue with toasted nuts or grilled peaches. The cheese also melts well, so it's often used in risottos and pasta dishes or on steaks and burgers.Expand

Oma is an American cheese produced on Jasper Hill Farm in Vermont by the Von Trapp family (yes, the descendants of the family from The Sound of Music). The cheese has a washed rind and it's made with raw milk coming mostly from Jersey cows. The body is soft and supple, yet never runny. The aromas are nutty and earthy, while the flavors are rich, creamy, meaty, barnyardy, pungent, and slightly sweet, with notes of chocolate, butter, and cured meat. It is recommended to pair this cheese with Belgian ales, IPA beer, and fig jam. The name Oma is actually a German word (or a term of endearment) meaning grandmother.Expand

Harbison is an American cheese that's produced in Vermont, at Jasper Hill Farm. It is made from cow's milk and has a bloomy rind. The cheese is traditionally wrapped in strips of spruce. It has a creamy and soft texture, the aromas are fruity, rich, floral, and mushroomy, while the flavors are best described as sweet, woody, and lemony. The cheese is named after Anne Harbison, who originally contributed to its production. It is recommended to serve Harbison with baguettes, mostarda, and barrel-aged sour beer.Expand