The AnyCheese Holiday Gift Guide

Explore Cheeses

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

Camembert de Normandie

Camembert de Normandie is the AOC version of Camembert, a soft, surface-ripened cow's milk cheese from Normandy in northwest France. The rules require raw milk from Normande cows, and each small round is covered by a bloomy white rind.

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

Mascarpone

Mascarpone is a soft Italian dairy product made by coagulating cream with acid and heat, without rennet and without aging. Milky white and easy to spread, it is best known as the base of tiramisu.

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

Triple Crème

Triple Crème cheese is a rich and indulgent variety that originated in France, though it's now made in various regions worldwide. It has a high fat content, typically above 75% in the dry matter, making it exceptionally creamy and buttery. …

Paški Sir

Paški sir is a hard sheep milk cheese from the Croatian island of Pag, where salt-laden wind shapes the plants the sheep eat. It carries Protected Designation of Origin status and has won gold and Super Gold at the World …

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

Neufchâtel

Neufchâtel is a soft, slightly crumbly, mold-ripened cheese from the Neufchâtel-en-Bray region of Normandy and one of the oldest cheeses in France. It looks like Camembert but tastes saltier and sharper, has a grainy texture, and is usually sold in …

Country: France
Milk Type: Cow's milk
Texture: Soft
Flavor: Creamy

Ladotyri Mytilinis

Ladotyri Mytilinis is a hard PDO cheese from the Greek island of Lesbos, made from sheep milk or a sheep and goat blend. Its name means oil cheese, after the extra virgin olive oil it is stored in.

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

Abbaye de Tamié

Abbaye de Tamié is a soft cheese made from unpasteurised cow's milk by the monks of Tamié Abbey in Savoie, in the French Alps. It is close in style to Reblochon, with a saffron crust dusted in white down and …

Country: France
Milk Type: Cow's milk
Texture: Soft
Flavor: Nutty, milky, delicate to strong with age

Aged Cheddar

Aged Cheddar is a hard cheese originating from England, known for its sharp, tangy flavor and firm texture. As it matures, usually over a period of 12 to 24 months, the cheese develops a crumbly consistency and rich taste that …

Queso de Murcia al vino

Queso de Murcia al vino is a fatty goat's milk cheese from the province of Murcia in south-east Spain, with a Protected Designation of Origin. It is made from unpasteurized milk of Murcian goats, and its rind is washed in …

Milk Type: Goat’s milk
Texture: Firm, elastic, uniform, creamy, unctuous
Flavor: Low-to-medium intensity, persistent

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. …

Zázrivský korbáčik

Korbáčik is a Slovak cheese made by pulling steamed curd into thin strands and plaiting them into a small whip. It is sold in brine, either smoked or unsmoked, and the Zázrivá and Orava versions hold EU protected names.

Milk Type: Cow
Texture: Stringy, elastic
Flavor: Savory, mildly acidic

Brillat-Savarin

Brillat-Savarin is a French triple cream cow's milk cheese with a natural bloomy rind and at least 72% fat in dry matter. Made mainly in Normandy, it tastes luscious, creamy and faintly sour, and it is also sold fresh, closer …

Country: France
Milk Type: Cow's milk
Texture: Semisoft
Flavor: Luxurious, tangy, sour, mushroomy softened butter

Caerphilly-Style

Caerphilly-style cheese is a semi-firm, crumbly cheese originally from Wales, now often produced in other regions. It has a pale, ivory color and a slightly moist texture. The cheese is known for its mild, fresh flavor with a hint of …

Brie de Meaux

Brie de Meaux is a soft cheese made from raw cow's milk in the Brie region of France, an AOC product since 1980. Wheels run 36 to 37 cm (14 to 14+1/2 in) across, with a delicate white rind and …

Country: France
Milk Type: Cow's milk
Texture: Soft
Flavor: Cream, butter, hazelnuts

Parmigiano Reggiano

Parmigiano Reggiano is a hard, granular Italian cheese made from unpasteurised cow's milk and aged at least 12 months. Protected as a PDO across Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena and parts of Bologna and Mantua, it is known for its sharp, …

Country: Italy
Milk Type: Cow's milk
Texture: Grainy, flaky
Flavor: Umami

Queijo São Jorge

Queijo São Jorge is a semi-hard to hard cow's milk cheese made only on the island of São Jorge in the Azores. It is known for its firm, brittle yellowish paste, small irregular holes, and a strong, slightly spicy flavor …

Country: Portugal
Milk Type: Cow
Texture: Firm consistency, hard or semi-hard
Flavor: Peppery, grassy

Pepper Jack

Pepper Jack is a version of Monterey Jack, the white cow's milk cheese from Monterey, California, flavored with spicy chili peppers, bell peppers, and herbs. It melts cleanly, so it shows up in quesadillas, burritos, cheeseburgers, and grilled cheese.

Country: United States
Milk Type: Cow's milk
Texture: Semi-soft
Flavor: Spicy, from chili peppers and herbs

Queso Garrotxa

Garrotxa is a pasteurized goat cheese from Catalonia, Spain, made from Murciana goat milk and aged in caves. It is known for its powdery gray-blue rind, firm semi-soft body, ivory interior, and mildly acidic, earthy flavor.

Country: Spain
Milk Type: Goat
Texture: Firm, smooth
Flavor: Mild lactic notes

Queso Manchego

Manchego is a PDO sheep milk cheese from the La Mancha region of Spain, made only with whole milk from Manchega sheep. It is firm and buttery, aged between 60 days and two years, with a creamy, slightly piquant flavor …

Country: Spain
Milk Type: Sheep's milk
Texture: Compact
Flavor: Slightly acidic

Colby

Colby is a semihard orange cheese made from cow's milk, first developed in 1885 in Colby, Wisconsin. Skipping the cheddaring step and washing the curd with cold water leaves it moister, softer and milder than cheddar.

Country: United States
Milk Type: Cow's milk
Texture: Slightly curdy, softer
Flavor: Mild, milky

Arzúa-Ulloa

Arzúa-Ulloa is a soft cow's milk cheese from Galicia, Spain, protected as Arzúa-A Ulloa PDO. It is known for a thin yellow rind, a creamy pale paste, and a mild flavor that is slightly sweet and grassy.

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

Ossau-Iraty

Ossau-Iraty is a sheep's milk cheese from the Northern Basque Country and Béarn in south-western France. Uncooked and pressed, it is smooth, creamy and firm, and has held appellation d'origine contrôlée status since 1980.

Country: France
Milk Type: Sheep's milk
Texture: Homogeneous, uncooked, pressed
Flavor: Fruity, herbaceous, nutty

Colonial

Colonial cheese is a traditional Brazilian cheese known for its semi-hard texture and mild flavor. It is often compared to European cheeses like Gouda or Edam due to its smooth, creamy consistency. The cheese has a pale yellow color and …

Country: Brazil

Afuega'l Pitu

Afuega'l pitu is an unpasteurized cow's milk cheese from Asturias in northern Spain, sold plain white or paprika red. Its name translates as "strangle the chicken," and it holds Protected Designation of Origin status from Spain and the EU.

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

Emmental

Emmental is a yellow, medium-hard Swiss cheese from the Emme Valley, known for the natural holes that run through it. The taste is savoury but mild. It is eaten cold in chunks or slices and melted into dishes such as …

Country: Switzerland
Milk Type: Cow's milk
Texture: Hard or medium-hard
Flavor: Nutty, sweet

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