Explore Cheeses

Explore cheese varieties from around the world, categorized by texture, milk type, and region.

Banon

Banon comes from Provence, France, and is distinguished by its unique packaging—wrapped in chestnut leaves and tied with raffia. Made from goat’s milk, this soft cheese has a creamy texture and a fruity, slightly tart flavor that is enhanced by …

Country: France
Milk Type: Goat's milk
Texture: Soft
Flavor: Mild and intense, with notes of mushrooms and forest floor

Crème Fraîche

Crème Fraîche is a soured cream from France, characterized by its rich, velvety texture and nutty, tangy flavor. It is similar to sour cream but thicker and less sour. Crème Fraîche is versatile in the kitchen, used in both sweet …

Country: France

Bread Cheese

Bread Cheese, or Juustoleipä, is a Finnish baked cheese that has a springy, squeaky texture. This cheese is traditionally made from cow's milk and heated until the sugars caramelize, giving it a browned, crusty exterior. It has a mild, buttery …

Country: Finland

Squacquerone di Romagna

Squacquerone di Romagna is a soft, spreadable cheese from the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. It is extremely creamy with a mild, slightly tangy flavor. This cheese is traditionally served with piadina flatbreads, and its delicate, creamy nature makes it a …

Country: Italy
Milk Type: Whole cow’s milk
Texture: Soft
Flavor: Sweet or slightly acid

Gouda-Style

Gouda-Style cheese is a semi-hard cheese that originated in the Netherlands. It is made from cow's milk and is known for its smooth, creamy texture. The flavor is rich and buttery with a mild sweetness, often accompanied by nutty notes. …

Picón Bejes-Tresviso

Picón-Bejes-Tresviso is a full-fat blue cheese from the Liébana district in Cantabria, Spain. It is made from a blend of cow’s (Tudanca, Brown Alpine, Friesian), ewe’s (Lacha), and goat’s (Pyrenean, Picos de Europa) milk. The cheese has a cylindrical shape …

Milk Type: Cow’s, sheep’s, and goat’s milk
Texture: Soft, Semi-Hard, Compact with eyes
Flavor: Slightly piquant

Ezine Peyniri

Ezine Peyniri is a brined cheese made from a blend of sheep, goat, and cow’s milk, produced in Çanakkale Province, Türkiye. The cheese has a semi-hard to firm texture with small holes and no rind, and it ranges in color …

Milk Type: Sheep, goat, and cow
Texture: Semi-hard to firm
Flavor: Mild-sweet, salty, and sour

Ladotyri Mytilinis

Ladotyri Mytilinis, also known as oil cheese of Mytilene, comes from the island of Lesvos in Greece. It is made from sheep's milk, or a mixture of sheep's and goat's milk, and is aged in olive oil, which imparts a …

Country: Greece
Milk Type: Ewe’s milk or mixtures with up to 30% goat’s milk
Texture: Hard
Flavor: Strong, salty

Afuega'l Pitu

Afuega'l Pitu is among the oldest Spanish cheeses, originating from Asturias. It is known for its striking red or orange rind and a spicy, tangy flavor profile. This cheese can be made from either pasteurized or unpasteurized cow's milk and …

Country: Spain
Milk Type: Cow's milk
Texture: Soft
Flavor: Lactic, slightly sour, salted in fresh or hardly ripened cheeses; strong and spicy as ripening progresses

Aisy Cendre

Aisy Cendre is a semi-soft, smear-ripened cheese from Burgundy, France, made from pasteurized cow's milk. It has a washed rind and a white interior. The cheese delivers a full-flavored profile with salty, smoky, and herb-like elements. Its aroma is earthy …

Country: France
Milk Type: Cow's milk
Texture: Semi-soft, smear-ripened
Flavor: Full-flavored, herbaceous, salty, smokey

Dorset Blue Cheese

Dorset Blue Cheese is a lightly pressed, firm-textured blue cheese made in Dorset, England. It has a uniform color with irregular blue-green veining and a rough, dry brown mold coating. The cheese has a piquant, peppery flavor that ranges from …

Milk Type: Cow
Texture: Firm
Flavor: Piquant, peppery, mild to strong

San Michali

San Michali is a unique cow's milk cheese from the island of Syros in Greece. It is known for its distinct aroma and sharp, spicy flavor, often compared to Parmesan. San Michali is the only PDO cheese from the Cyclades …

Country: Greece
Milk Type: Cow’s milk
Texture: Compact, with very small irregular holes
Flavor: Salty, peppery

Queso de Acehúche

Queso de Acehúche is a traditional Spanish cheese made exclusively from raw goat’s milk from Murciana-Granadina, Florida, Malagueña, Retinta, and Verata breeds. It is produced in the province of Cáceres, Extremadura, using enzymatic coagulation and matures for at least 40 …

Milk Type: Goat
Texture: Semi-hard, elastic, slightly moist
Flavor: Low saltiness, moderate acidity, low bitterness, low pungency, more pronounced in aged cheeses

Queijo mestiço de Tolosa

Queijo Mestiço de Tolosa is a ripened, semi-soft cheese from Portugal. It is made from a mixture of ewe's milk and goat's milk in varying proportions. The cheese has a yellowish color with a few small holes and a slightly …

Milk Type: Ewe's milk and goat's milk
Texture: Malleable to hard, consistent, not very tight, with a few small holes
Flavor: Slightly vigorous, clean, and piquant

Chèvre (Goat Cheese)

Chèvre is the French word for goat, and it refers to any cheese made from goat's milk. These cheeses can vary widely in texture from soft and creamy to firm and crumbly. Chèvre flavors range from mild and smooth to …

Country: France
Milk Type: Goat
Texture: Crumbly , Soft
Flavor: Tangy

Laguiole

Laguiole is a semi-hard cheese from the Aubrac region in the Massif Central of France. It is traditionally made from the raw milk of Aubrac and Salers cows. This cheese has a smooth texture and a complex flavor profile, with …

Country: France
Milk Type: Cow's milk
Texture: Firm and supple
Flavor: Medium to intense

Kasseri

Kasseri is a semi-hard cheese made predominantly from sheep's milk, with up to 20% goat's milk allowed. Originating in Greece, it is smooth and pale yellow, known for its elastic texture and mild, buttery flavor with a slight tang. Kasseri …

Country: Greece
Milk Type: Goat's and sheep's milk
Texture: Firm to hard
Flavor: Rich

Queijo Terrincho

Queijo Terrincho is a traditional cheese from Portugal, specifically from the Terra Quente region. It is made from the raw milk of Churra da Terra Quente sheep. The cheese is known for its distinct flavor and aroma, which become more …

Milk Type: Sheep's milk
Texture: Close and even, slightly buttery for Queijo Terrincho; hard, well-formed for Queijo Terrincho Velho.
Flavor: Intense smell, mild and clean for Queijo Terrincho; strong, balanced mixture of different smells for Queijo Terrincho Velho.

Paški Sir

Paški Sir is a hard sheep's milk cheese from the island of Pag in Croatia. Known for its distinct salty flavor, it's influenced by the salty winds and sparse vegetation on which the island's sheep graze. Paški Sir has a …

Country: Croatia
Milk Type: Sheep’s milk
Texture: Slightly elastic, granular
Flavor: Salty, savory, tangy

Pecorino Sardo

Pecorino Sardo, also known as Fiore Sardo, is a firm sheep’s milk cheese from Sardinia, Italy. It comes in two varieties: Dolce (sweet), which is younger and softer, and Maturo (mature), which is harder and has a more intense flavor. …

Country: Italy
Milk Type: Sheep's Milk
Texture: Firm but springy and elastic for Dolce, Hard and grainy for Maturo
Flavor: Mild and sweet for Dolce, More piquant and pronounced in salt for Maturo

Wagashi

Wagashi is a West African cheese made primarily from cow's milk, though goat's milk can also be used. It is a soft, fresh cheese with a spongy texture and a mild, slightly sour taste. Wagashi is often fried or grilled, …

Milk Type: Cow’s milk
Texture: Compact

Chabichou du Poitou

Chabichou du Poitou is a goat's milk cheese from the Poitou-Charentes region of France. This small, cylindrical cheese has a smooth, dense texture and a bright, clear flavor with hints of nuts and a slight tanginess. It is aged for …

Country: France
Milk Type: Goat's milk
Texture: Soft, creamy to brittle
Flavor: Slightly salty

Cantal

Cantal is one of the oldest cheeses from France, originating from the Auvergne region. It comes in two varieties: young Cantal, which is soft and buttery, and aged Cantal, which is more robust and tangy. This firm cheese is similar …

Country: France
Milk Type: Cow's milk
Texture: Firm
Flavor: Varies

American

A staple in American cuisine, this processed cheese is known for its excellent melting properties and smooth texture. American cheese is typically mild and creamy, designed to be versatile in dishes like burgers and grilled sandwiches. It's available in various …

Country: United States
Milk Type: Cow's milk
Texture: Semi-soft, processed

Jarlsberg

Jarlsberg is a famous Norwegian cheese, known for its distinctive sweet and nutty taste. It is a semi-soft cheese with large, round holes. Jarlsberg is versatile and can be sliced, grilled, or melted. It is often used in sandwiches, as …

Country: Norway
Milk Type: Cow's milk
Texture: Semihard
Flavor: Mild, sweet, nutty

Was this page helpful?