Ask a friend who loves cheese to name the best gourmet cheese. Your friend is likely to name one or two favorites, followed by a short list of alternatives, followed by a longer list of cheeses that he or she has not tried, but "everyone else" agrees are excellent. People have strong personal opinions on the subject. Read on to start forming your own.Gourmet does not equal fancy or complicatedThe world of gourmet cheese abounds with many interesting and unusual varieties. When shopping for cheese, one encounters cheeses covered with white mold, cheeses full of green mold, cheese dusted with wood ash, cheese with a layer of volcanic ash and many other creative interpretations of this delightful food. However, gourmet cheese makers just as often make wonderful versions of simple, popular cheeses. Consider, for instance, cheddar-style cheese. You probably know cheddar cheese as a fairly tasty cheese that comes in a plastic-wrapped, orange brick. However, there are a number of gourmet cheddar cheeses, including ten year old cheddar cheese, which has a complex, rich, sharp flavor and a crumbly texture. If you do not like sharp-cheddar cheese, you might prefer goat-milk cheddar, which has a smooth, mild flavor and a softer texture. Likewise, if you shop around, there are gourmet Swiss-style cheeses and cream cheeses. Imagine a bagel dressed up with gourmet cream cheese or a ham sandwich with gourmet Swiss cheese.The best gourmet cheese is the one you most enjoy eating. Try different cheeses, and do not worry about embarrassment if you do not like one - many more await you. Fancy is not a bad thingThe presentation of gourmet cheese can get rather fancy. When people visit a shop selling high-quality cheese, they often smile at the sight of the fancy cheeses dusted with ashes or wrapped in grape leaves. However, the ashes, grape leaves and other unusual wrappings and additions do not serve only to decorate the cheese; they add a dimension of flavor and texture that simply is not found in ordinary supermarket cheese. For instance, Humboldt Fog cheese has a layer of volcanic ash running through the middle of the cheese. The powdered ash provides a pleasant, distinctive flavor that complements the cheese's delightful texture, and it is not at all gritty. Do not dismiss odd-looking ingredients out of hand; instead, taste the cheese and see if you can figure out what those ingredients add to it.Mold is goodYou have probably seen gourmet cheeses covered or permeated with mold. They may look awful, but these moldy cheeses are some of the finest, best-tasting cheeses on the planet. The mold organisms help break down the sugars and proteins in the milk from which the cheese is made. In doing so, the mold gives the cheese a unique flavor that is not possible to produce in any other way. Cheeses made with mold have a wide range of flavors, from very mild to very strong. If you have never tried one of these cheeses, start with a blue cheese such as Maytag blue, which has a mild flavor and crumbly texture. Work your way up to the stronger-flavored Stilton for a real treat.The best thing about gourmet cheese is that there are so many to try. Start with a visit to a local cheese store or a grocery store with a good selection of cheese in the deli or gourmet foods section. Sample a few, buy some to take home, and begin building your own list of the best gourmet cheeses.