Before we spice it up...

[Phiber_optikx2]

Question for those with more experience.  Although I definitely have a love for plain cheeses I find that I go through cheeses with "extra" faster. Cotswold, pepper jack, truffle Gouda.... My question is this. Most cheeses I find with things in them are labeled as a cheddar but seem too soft to be and not nearly as strong as a cheddar.  I want to start adding things to my cheese but not sure what  to make to match the flavor and texture of most of these. Any suggestions? I am leaning towards Colby but even that seems too firm.

[awakephd]

I have not gone very far down this road - most that I've done is to use an olive oil + smoked paprika rub on some cheeses (which is amazingly good); the two varieties I've done this with were Caerphilly and Lancashire, both somewhat in the cheddar family. (I'm not counting the blues and cams and such - though in a sense those are cheeses with add-in flavors, the PC and PR and such are more than just flavors; they actively change the cheese itself.)

That said, I'm nearly positive I've seen some examples here on the forum of other makes of cheese with various add-ins. I think a key factor is going to be whether the cheese has a strong taste already, and whether that taste is going to be compatible - for example, a stinky cheese may not be the best candidate for some add-ins, since it already has a distinctive and strong taste. Another factor will be how well the add-ins age along with the cheese.