Suzanne Levy, West Side Deli & Market’s fromager or cheese master, has tasted hundreds of kinds of cheese, and she has some favorites.

Levy leans toward “fermier” (farm-made or farmhouse) cheese, which is usually produced on a small scale from unpasteurized milk derived from a single source.

She likes goat cheeses from France’s Perigord region, and various sheep’s milk cheeses made in Italy’s Piedmonte region.

One of her particular favorites is Bleu de Termignon, a blue-veined cheese produced by one person and nine cows in the Vanois National Park in France.

One fine cheese is a product that many people have heard of: Parmigiano-Reggiano from Italy.

“A lot of people consider it to be the best cheese in the world,” Levy said.

It’s only produced in the towns of that region of Italy, such as Parma, Emilio and Romano.

“They carefully control the process and the quality of the raw milk (used to make it),” she said.

Levy said a good way to learn about cheese is to buy three kinds of products every time you go shopping one cheese each from the milk of cows, sheep and goats.

Keep a notebook, recording your impressions of the cheeses and information such as where they come from, how they’re made and the history behind them.

“And don’t be afraid to ask questions,” Levy said. “We’re more than glad to answer them.”