Explore Cheeses

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

Coulommiers

Coulommiers is a soft cheese from the Brie region of France, similar to Brie but smaller in size. It has a creamy texture and a mild, buttery flavor that becomes more earthy and complex as it ripens. The cheese is …

Country: France
Milk Type: Cow's milk
Texture: Soft
Flavor: Fresh, creamy to fine, stronger

Pepato

Pepato is a variety of Pecorino that is studded with whole peppercorns, adding a spicy kick to the otherwise nutty and salty flavor of the sheep's milk cheese. This hard, granular cheese is excellent for grating over dishes to add …

Country: Italy
Milk Type: Sheep's milk
Texture: Semi-hard, artisan
Flavor: Salty, spicy

Mimolette

Mimolette is a hard cheese from the region of Lille, France, known for its bright orange color and spherical shape. It has a firm texture and a nutty, sweet flavor that deepens as it ages. Older Mimolette is known for …

Country: France
Milk Type: Cow's milk
Texture: Smooth, creamy body
Flavor: Sweet, less acidic, fruity, nutty, caramel

Fontal

Fontal is a semi-soft Italian cheese made from cow's milk. It has a creamy texture and a mild, somewhat sweet flavor, making it a popular choice for cooking and snacking. Fontal melts well, making it ideal for fondues, grilled cheese …

Country: Italy

Camembert de Normandie

Camembert de Normandie is an AOC-designated cheese from Normandy, considered the original and highest quality Camembert. Made from raw cow's milk, this cheese offers a deep, earthy flavor and a creamy, lush texture. It is characterized by its white, bloomy …

Country: France
Milk Type: Cow's milk
Texture: Young: Narrow unripe core; Aged: Homogeneous, sticky
Flavor: Young: Lactic, tangy, sweet; Aged: Pungent, mushroom, garlic

Toma Piemontese

Toma Piemontese is a specific type of Toma from the Piedmont region, with a PDO status. It has a more defined character, ranging from mild and creamy when young to firmer and more flavorful with age. It’s excellent for eating …

Country: Italy
Milk Type: Cow's milk
Texture: Elastic / Consistent
Flavor: Mild, sweet / Savory, salty

Saint-Nectaire

Saint-Nectaire is a semi-soft, washed-rind cheese from the volcanic region in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes of France. Made from cow's milk, it has a creamy, supple texture with earthy notes and hints of nuts and mushrooms. Saint-Nectaire is typically aged for at …

Country: France
Milk Type: Cow’s milk (Holstein, Montbéliarde, sometimes Salers)
Texture: Soft and tender
Flavor: Delicate hazelnut

Queso Tetilla

Queso Tetilla is a matured cheese from Galicia, Spain, made from the milk of Friesian, Brown Alpine, and Rubia Gallega cows. It has a distinctive conical or convex-conical shape and weighs between 0.5 and 1.5 kg. The cheese has a …

Country: Spain
Milk Type: Cow
Texture: Soft to semi-cured
Flavor: Milky, slightly sour, mildly salty

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

Cottage Cheese

Cottage cheese is a fresh cheese curd product with a mild flavor. It is made by draining the cheese, as opposed to pressing it, which retains some of the whey and keeps the curds loose. Popular as a diet food …

Country: United Kingdom and United States
Milk Type: Cow's milk
Texture: Soft, curdy
Flavor: Mild, possibly slightly lemony in traditional versions

Murazzano

Murazzano is an Italian cheese from Piedmont, made from a mixture of sheep's and cow's milk. It's a soft cheese with a creamy texture and a mild, delicate flavor, typically eaten fresh. Murazzano is often enjoyed on its own or …

Country: Italy
Milk Type: Ewe’s (up to 60%) and Cow’s (up to 40%)
Texture: Fresh
Flavor: Sweet to savory

Queso de Burgos

Queso de Burgos is a fresh cheese from the province of Burgos, Spain. It is made from a blend of whole, fresh, and pasteurized cow’s and sheep’s milk, with different types distinguished by the percentage of sheep’s milk used. The …

Country: Spain
Milk Type: Cow’s and sheep’s milk
Texture: Fresh, slightly grainy or buttery, elastic, slightly fatty
Flavor: Mild, milky, and slightly sweet

Arzúa-Ulloa

From the lush pastures of Galicia, Spain, Arzúa-Ulloa is crafted from the milk of local cows. This soft, creamy cheese has a mild, slightly salty taste and a smooth, supple texture, making it excellent for melting. It is often used …

Country: Spain
Milk Type: Cow's milk (raw or pasteurized)
Texture: Soft
Flavor: Slightly salty and pleasantly acidic, buttery and milky with nutty notes

Vacherin Mont-d'Or

Vacherin Mont d'Or is a seasonal, soft cheese made from cow's milk in the Jura region of Switzerland. It is traditionally sold in wooden boxes and often enjoyed warm (baked in its container), which turns it into a creamy, decadent …

Country: Switzerland

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

Limburger

Limburger is a well-known cheese originally from the historical Duchy of Limburg, which is now divided among three countries: Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands. This cheese is famous for its strong, pungent aroma and soft, creamy texture with a mild, …

Country: Belgium
Milk Type: Cow’s milk
Texture: Firm to spreadable
Flavor: Meaty, farmyard

Havarti-Style

Havarti-Style cheese is a semi-soft cheese known for its smooth and creamy texture. Originating from Denmark, this cheese has a mild and buttery flavor with a hint of tanginess. It often has small, irregular holes throughout its body, giving it …

Gouda

Gouda is a famous Dutch cheese named after the city of Gouda in the Netherlands. It is typically made from cow's milk and aged to develop a rich, caramel-like sweetness with a smooth, firm texture. Young Gouda is mild and …

Country: Netherlands
Milk Type: Cow's, goat's or sheep's milk
Texture: Semi-Hard
Flavor: Sweet to nutty

Appenzeller

Appenzeller cheese hails from northeastern Switzerland and is famed for its rich, nutty flavor that intensifies with age. Treated with a secret blend of herbal brine, this cheese develops a smooth yet firm texture. Aged for a minimum of three …

Country: Switzerland
Milk Type: Cow's milk
Texture: Hard
Flavor: Piquant, tangy

Morbier

Morbier is a French semi-soft cheese recognizable by the distinctive black layer of vegetable ash streaking through its middle, originally added to separate the morning and evening milkings. This cheese has a creamy texture and a slightly pungent aroma, with …

Country: France
Milk Type: Cow's milk
Texture: Smooth and tender
Flavor: Fruity, yogurt, vanilla, milky, fudge

Pélardon

Pélardon is an ancient French cheese from the Languedoc region, made from goat’s milk. This small, round cheese has a creamy, runny texture when young and becomes firmer and more flavorful as it ages. Pélardon has a slightly tangy and …

Country: France

Mascarpone

Mascarpone is a creamy, soft Italian cheese made from cream, coagulated by the addition of citric acid or acetic acid. It has a very rich, buttery texture and a slightly sweet taste. Mascarpone is a key ingredient in desserts like …

Country: Italy
Milk Type: Cow's milk
Texture: Soft
Flavor: Buttery to slightly tangy

Bitto

Bitto is a historic cheese from the Valtellina valley in Lombardy, Italy. It is made from a mix of cow's and goat’s milk, giving it a unique, rich flavor. Aged Bitto can mature for up to 10 years, during which …

Country: Italy
Milk Type: Cow's milk primarily, with non-mandatory addition of raw goat’s milk up to 10%

Metsovone

Metsovone is a smoked, semi-hard cheese from Metsovo in the Pindus mountains of Greece. Made from cow's milk or a mix of cow and sheep or goat milk, it is one of the few Greek cheeses that is smoked, giving …

Country: Greece
Milk Type: Cow's milk, Ewe's or Goat's milk
Texture: Semihard to hard
Flavor: Slightly salty and piquant

Grana Padano

Grana Padano is a hard, granular cheese from Italy's Po River Valley. It is similar to Parmigiano Reggiano but aged for a shorter period, resulting in a milder, less crumbly texture. It’s made from partially skimmed cow's milk and often …

Country: Italy
Milk Type: Cow's milk
Texture: Crumbly
Flavor: Nutty

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