#categorycountdown

This pizza favorite was first introduced after World War II when American soldiers brought home a taste for Italian pizza. It is now the second most popular cheese in America (after Cheddar). As a Pasta Filata cheese, Mozzarella is made when curds are dipped in hot water and then stretched into strands, giving it the ability to stretch and melt perfectly.

Fresh Mozzarella skips the curing and aging process, and instead is submerged in water. It has a mild, milky flavor that is best to eat after only being a few days old.

Which Mozzarella will reign supreme in 2013?

Winners will be announced Friday, Aug. 2 at the 30th Anniversary ACS Conference & Competition. Can’t make it to Madison? Follow @CheeseSociety for live results.

Blue Mold Cheeses are ripened with either penicillium roqueforti or glaucum. The origins of Blue Mold Cheeses are unknown, but it is thought that they were first discovered when mold from the penicillium  family mistakenly transferred from bread to a nearby piece of cheese.

The flavor can range from mild to pungent. Common styles are Roquefort and Gorgonzola.

Which Blue Mold Cheese will reign supreme in 2013?

Winners will be announced Friday, Aug. 2 at the 30th Anniversary ACS Conference & Competition. Can’t make it to Madison? Follow @CheeseSociety for live results.

The American Made/International Style category is divided into five subcategories: Dutch-style all milks, Emmental-style with eye formation made from cow’s milk, and three open categories (based on milk type) for cheeses such as Havarti, Butterkäse, English Territorials and Monastery.

Dutch-style Gouda and Edam were first made in Holland more than 800 years ago. Both are known for their rich, buttery, slightly sweet flavor that develops caramel notes with age.

Better known as Swiss cheese, Emmental-Style cheese has a yellowish color and a buttery, slightly sharp taste. Eye formation refers to the holes formed by gas bubbles that have been released by bacteria used to make the cheese. Because it melts so well, Emmental-Style cheese is your best friend for the perfect grilled cheese sandwich.

Which American Made/International Style cheese will reign supreme in 2013?

Winners will be announced Friday, Aug. 2 at the 30th Anniversary ACS Conference & Competition. Can’t make it to Madison? Follow @CheeseSociety for live results.

Teleme was first produced in the San Francisco Bay Area before World War I. It’s a semi-soft cheese with a tangy flavor. After several weeks, Teleme becomes runnier with a stronger flavor. It is a signature favorite for pizza and risotto.

Which Teleme will reign supreme in 2013?

Winners will be announced Friday, Aug. 2 at the 30th Anniversary ACS Conference & Competition. Can’t make it to Madison? Follow @CheeseSociety for live results.

Just two days until the the 2013 ACS Conference & Competition begins. Judging is already underway! Today and tomorrow, we will be wrapping up our Cheese Category Countdown, starting with Sheep's Milk Cheeses.

There are dozens of varieties of Sheep’s Milk Cheeses; all known to have a distinctive flavor. Since sheep’s milk is high in butterfat, Sheep’s Milk Cheeses tend to be very rich.

Sheep’s Milk Cheese will be judged according to three categories:

OO: Fresh Rindless Sheep’s Milk Cheese Aged 0 to 30 Days

OT: Sheep’s Milk Cheese Aged 31 to 60 Days

OU: Sheep’s Milk Cheese Aged Over 60 Days

  Which Sheep’s Milk Cheese will reign supreme in 2013?

Winners will be announced Friday, Aug. 2 at the 30th Anniversary ACS Conference & Competition. Can’t make it to Madison? Follow @CheeseSociety for live results.

From cows, to sheep, to goats, the ACS Judging & Competition includes cheeses from across the farm. Goat’s Milk Cheese is one of the earliest made dairy products and is now made in a wide varieties of styles, from fresh to aged. Goat’s Milk Cheese will be judged according to four categories:

NO: Fresh Rindless Goat’s Milk Cheese Aged 0 to 30 Days

NS: Fresh Goat’s Milk Cheese Aged 0 to 30 Days

NT: Goat’s Milk Cheese Aged 31 to 60 Days

NU: Goat’s Milk Cheese Aged Over 60 Days

  Which Goat’s Milk Cheese will reign supreme in 2013?

Winners will be announced Friday, Aug. 2 at the 30th Anniversary ACS Conference & Competition. Can’t make it to Madison? Follow @CheeseSociety for live results.

Served as a popular appetizer, Marinated Cheese can be submerged in a variety of liquids. These marinades can include oils, vinegar, wine and spirits. For ACS Judging & Competition, Marinated Cheese will be divided into three categories:

PC: Open Category – Cheeses Marinated in Liquids and Ingredients – made from cow's milk

PG: Open Category – Cheeses Marinated in Liquids and Ingredients – made from goat's milk

PS: Open Category – Cheeses Marinated in Liquids and Ingredients – made from sheep's or mixed milks

Which Marinated Cheese will reign supreme in 2013?

Winners will be announced Friday, Aug. 2 at the 30th Anniversary ACS Conference & Competition. Can’t make it to Madison? Follow @CheeseSociety for live results.

This broad category includes all cheeses based on the recipes of the Azorean, Brazilian, Central American, Colombian, Cuban, Guatemalan, Hispanic, Latino, Mexican and Portuguese communities.

Which Hispanic & Portuguese Cheese will reign supreme in 2013?

Winners will be announced Friday, Aug. 2 at the 30th Anniversary ACS Conference & Competition. Can’t make it to Madison? Follow @CheeseSociety for live results.