Explore Cheeses

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

Urdă

Urdă, also found in Romania and other Balkan countries, is a fresh cheese made from whey, with the addition of milk and cream. It has a soft, crumbly texture and a mild, sweet flavor. Urdă is often used in desserts …

Country: Bulgaria, Hungary, Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and Ukraine
Milk Type: Cow's, goat's or sheep's milk
Texture: Creamy, delicate
Flavor: High quality

Crottin-Style

Crottin-style cheese is a small, round goat cheese known for its dense texture and slightly tangy flavor. It is typically aged, developing a firm, crumbly interior and a natural rind that can range from white to speckled with blue molds. …

Caciocavallo Podolico

Caciocavallo Podolico is made from the milk of the Podolica cow, a breed native to southern Italy. This rare and valuable cheese is known for its rich, intense flavors, which include hints of wild berries, herbs, and a smoky undertone. …

Milk Type: Podolica cow’s milk
Texture: Firm, basically fibrous
Flavor: Savory, herbaceous, intense

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

Canestrato di Moliterno

Canestrato di Moliterno is an Italian cheese from Basilicata, particularly noted for its firm texture and sharp, piquant flavor. It is made from a mix of sheep's and goat's milk and is aged in wicker baskets, which imprint a distinctive …

Country: Italy
Milk Type: 70–90% goat's, 10–30% sheep's
Texture: Hard
Flavor: Varies

Sbrinz

Sbrinz is a hard, aged Swiss cheese, often considered one of the oldest cheeses in Europe. Made from cow's milk, it is typically aged for 18 months or longer, developing a granular texture and a rich, salty flavor that is …

Country: Switzerland
Milk Type: Cow's milk
Texture: Unique
Flavor: Unique

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

Caciocavallo Palermitano

Caciocavallo Palermitano is a variant of Caciocavallo from the Palermo region of Sicily. It is made using traditional methods that include hanging the cheese in pairs tied with rope, hence the name "caciocavallo" (cheese on horseback). This cheese has a …

Milk Type: Cow’s milk
Texture: Firm
Flavor: Spicy

Oka

Oka is a semi-soft, washed-rind cheese from Oka, Quebec, Canada, originally crafted by Trappist monks in 1893. Known for its creamy, fruity, and nutty flavors, Oka cheese has a distinct copper-orange rind and a pungent aroma. Available in various types, …

Country: Canada
Milk Type: Cow
Texture: Semi-Soft

Fontina-Style

Fontina-Style cheese is a semi-soft cheese known for its creamy texture and mild, nutty flavor. It draws inspiration from traditional Italian Fontina but is often made in various regions outside Italy. The cheese has a pale yellow interior with a …

Fourme d'Ambert

Fourme d'Ambert is one of France's oldest blue cheeses, from the Auvergne region. It has a cylindrical shape with a creamy, smooth texture and a mild, fruity blue flavor. Less intense than other blue cheeses, Fourme d'Ambert is known for …

Country: France
Milk Type: Cow's milk
Texture: Soft and creamy
Flavor: Mild blue cheese

Emmental

Emmental is a classic Swiss cheese, known for its large holes and nutty, mild flavor. It is made from cow's milk and has a hard, dense texture. The holes, or "eyes," develop during the fermentation process as a result of …

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

Brunost

Brunost, or "brown cheese," is a distinctly Norwegian dairy product, often classified as a cheese, though it differs from traditional cheeses. It is made by boiling down the whey of goat's milk, cow's milk, or a combination of both, until …

Country: Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Norway and Sweden
Milk Type: Cow's and goat's milk
Texture: Semi-soft, whey
Flavor: Caramel, sweet

Halloumi

Halloumi is a semi-hard, unripened brined cheese from Cyprus, made from a mixture of goat’s and sheep’s milk, and sometimes also cow’s milk. Renowned for its high melting point, Halloumi can be grilled or fried to a crispy exterior with …

Country: Cyprus
Milk Type: Cow's, goat's and sheep's milk
Texture: Semihard
Flavor: Mild, salty

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%

Muenster

Muenster is an American cheese derived from the Alsatian Munster cheese but milder in flavor. It has a smooth, soft texture and a bright orange rind, typically added to enhance its appearance. Muenster is excellent for melting over dishes like …

Country: United States
Milk Type: Cow's milk
Texture: Creamy , Semi-Soft , Smooth
Flavor: Mild, Buttery, Slightly Tangy

Queso Camerano

Queso Camerano is a traditional goat’s milk cheese from La Rioja, Spain. It has a compact and firm texture with minimal fissures, and its color ranges from white to slightly marbled. The cheese is made using natural rennet of goat …

Milk Type: Goat
Texture: Soft to semi-soft (fresh, soft); semi-hard to hard (semi-cured, cured)
Flavor: Mild, slightly acidic (fresh); stronger, slightly salty, musty (aged)

Svecia

Svecia is a semi-hard Swedish cheese with a creamy soft yet firm and somewhat resilient texture. It is cylindrical in shape, measuring about 35 cm in diameter and weighing between 12-15 kg. The cheese has a light yellow to yellow …

Milk Type: Cow
Texture: Semi-hard, creamy soft, firm, somewhat resilient, small irregular holes
Flavor: Mildly acidic, full-bodied

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 …

Gruyere-Style

Gruyere-Style cheese is a firm, cow's milk cheese inspired by the traditional Swiss Gruyere. It has a smooth, dense texture with small holes scattered throughout. The flavor is rich and nutty, with a slight sweetness and a hint of saltiness. …

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

Feta

Feta is a brined <a href="https://anycheese.com/glossary/cheese-curds/" title="Explore our detailed guide on cheese curds">curd</a> white cheese from Greece, made traditionally from sheep's milk, or from a mixture of sheep and goat's milk. It is crumbly with a slightly grainy texture and …

Country: Greece
Milk Type: Goat's and sheep's milk
Texture: Soft, white, aged in brine
Flavor: Sharp to mild

Sainte-Maure de Touraine

Sainte-Maure de Touraine is a goat cheese from the Loire Valley of France. It is easily recognizable by its long, cylindrical shape and a small straw running through its center, which helps maintain the shape and distribute moisture. The cheese …

Country: France
Milk Type: Goat’s milk
Texture: Semi-soft

Torta del Casar

Torta del Casar is a rich, creamy cheese from Extremadura in Spain, named after the town of Casar de Cáceres. It is made from sheep's milk and has a very creamy, almost liquid interior, with a strong, slightly bitter taste. …

Country: Spain
Milk Type: Sheep's milk
Texture: Very soft and spreadable
Flavor: Rich, slightly bitter

Cebreiro

From Galicia, Cebreiro is a traditional Spanish cheese made from cow's milk. It has a unique, conical shape and a soft, creamy texture similar to cottage cheese but firmer. Cebreiro has a mild, slightly lemony flavor, making it a versatile …

Country: Spain
Milk Type: Pasteurized Cow's
Texture: Soft, spreadable
Flavor: Milky, slightly acidic

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