Its bold, salty tartness is balanced by a creamy texture. Our choice is Rogue Creamery’s Crater Lake Blue, from Oregon.

Ripe French brie, with the bloomy rind left intact, takes on a silky texture and a rich aroma when melted atop a burger.

When melted over a burger, sharp aged cheeses like Cabot’s Clothbound cheddar, from Vermont, can add a pleasant hint of caramel.

Swiss cheese–a k a emmentaler–stays firm around the edges after it melts over a burger. We’re fans of Edelweiss emmentaler from Wisconsin.

Goat cheese adds tangy notes to burgers. One of our favorites is a ricotta-like goats’ milk and cows’ milk blend from California called Delice de la Vallee.

This salty, nutty-tasting cheese can be grated and baked on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet at 350 degrees for about ten minutes to produce crisp frico wafers, which can be a fabulous burger topping.

Monterey jack cheese flecked with jalape¿o peppers gives burgers a spicy edge. Maple Leaf in Monroe, Wisconsin, makes an excellent version with red and green jalapenos.

This strong washed-rind cheese tastes great on a beefy, juicy burger. Only one company makes limburger in this country today: the Chalet Cheese Cooperative of Monroe, Wisconsin.