Cheeses

Entries

• 1. Asiago

  Italian cow's milk cheese from the Veneto region that gets sharper and crumblier with age, like a fine professor who has seen things.

• 2. Beaufort

  French Alpine cheese made only in summer from cows grazing at high altitude, essentially the most exclusive cheese on the mountain.

• 3. Blue Cheese

  Broad family of funky, veined cheeses that people either love unconditionally or refuse to sit near at a dinner party.

• 4. Brie

  Soft, creamy French cheese with an edible white rind that somehow makes any gathering feel accidentally sophisticated.

• 5. Burrata

  Fresh Italian cheese with a solid mozzarella shell hiding a dangerously creamy interior — the surprise party of the cheese world.

• 6. Camembert

  Normandy's answer to Brie, slightly earthier and more pungent, and very serious about its protected origin status.

• 7. Cheddar

  The world's most consumed cheese, originating in Somerset, England, with a flavor range from mild and crowd-pleasing to sharp enough to demand respect.

• 8. Colby

  Mild American original developed in Wisconsin in 1885, the approachable cousin at the charcuterie board who gets along with everyone.

• 9. Comté

  Aged French cheese from the Jura mountains made in large wheels up to 130 pounds, proving that good things come in enormous packages.

• 10. Cotija

  Crumbly, salty Mexican cheese named after a town in Michoacán, the essential finishing touch on elotes and countless other dishes.

• 11. Edam

  Dutch cheese famous for its red wax coating, one of the world's most exported cheeses during the 14th century when the Netherlands basically ruled the cheese trade.

• 12. Emmental

  The Swiss cheese with the iconic holes, technically called eyes, which form from gas bubbles during aging — architecture by bacteria.

• 13. Feta

  Tangy, brined Greek cheese with protected designation of origin status, meaning only cheese made in specific Greek regions can legally carry the name.

• 14. Fontina

  Buttery Italian mountain cheese from the Aosta Valley with a rich, nutty flavor that melts so well it was basically born for fondue.

• 15. Gorgonzola

  One of the world's oldest blue cheeses, originating in a small town near Milan, with a bold flavor that divides rooms and unites pasta dishes.

• 16. Gouda

  The Netherlands' most famous export after tulips and windmills, ranging from young and mild to aged and deeply caramelized.

• 17. Gruyère

  Swiss cheese central to both fondue and French onion soup, quietly holding some of the world's greatest dishes together.

• 18. Halloumi

  Cypriot cheese with a remarkably high melting point that allows it to be grilled or fried, which feels like a superpower.

• 19. Havarti

  Creamy Danish cheese invented in the 19th century by a pioneering female cheesemaker, Hanne Nielsen, who deserves far more credit than she gets.

• 20. Jarlsberg

  Norway's contribution to the cheese world, a mild and nutty Swiss-style cheese that has been a reliable crowd-pleaser since 1956.

• 21. Kashkaval

  Aged sheep's milk cheese widely beloved across the Balkans and Middle East, often compared to provolone and equally at home melted or sliced.

• 22. Limburger

  Famously pungent German-Belgian cheese whose smell far exceeds its actual flavor intensity, a classic case of judging a book by its cover.

• 23. Manchego

  Beloved Spanish sheep's milk cheese from La Mancha with a distinctive crosshatch rind pattern, as iconic as the region it comes from.

• 24. Mascarpone

  Silky Italian cream cheese from Lombardy and the backbone of tiramisù, technically more cream than cheese but nobody is complaining.

• 25. Monterey Jack

  Mild California original with a history tracing back to Spanish missionaries, now one of the most melted cheeses in American kitchens.

• 26. Mozzarella

  Fresh Italian cheese made from buffalo or cow's milk, so central to Italian cuisine that life without it is barely worth considering.

• 27. Muenster

  American-style washed-rind cheese with an orange exterior and a mild interior, often described as the gateway cheese for adventurous eaters.

• 28. Ossau-Iraty

  Traditional Basque sheep's milk cheese from the French Pyrenees, one of France's oldest cheeses and a favorite pairing with black cherry jam.

• 29. Paneer

  Fresh non-melting Indian cheese made simply from curdled milk, the backbone of dishes like palak paneer and the rare cheese that holds its shape under high heat.

• 30. Parmigiano-Reggiano

  The self-declared King of Cheeses, aged a minimum of 12 months and protected by Italian law, with wheels worth up to $1,000 each.

• 31. Pecorino Romano

  Sharp, salty Italian sheep's milk cheese used in Roman pasta classics like cacio e pepe and carbonara, doing most of the heavy lifting.

• 32. Pepper Jack

  Monterey Jack's spicier, more extroverted sibling, studded with jalapeños and other peppers for those who think plain cheese lacks ambition.

• 33. Provolone

  Southern Italian stretched-curd cheese ranging from mild and smooth to sharp and assertive depending on how long it has been aged.

• 34. Queso Fresco

  Crumbly, lightly salted fresh Mexican cheese whose name simply means fresh cheese, and whose presence on tacos and enchiladas is non-negotiable.

• 35. Raclette

  Swiss and French melting cheese traditionally scraped directly onto potatoes and pickles, a dish whose entire identity is warmth and generosity.

• 36. Ricotta

  Soft Italian whey cheese whose name means recooked, technically made from what is left over after making other cheeses — the ultimate zero-waste ingredient.

• 37. Roquefort

  France's legendary blue cheese aged in the natural caves of Combalou, one of the oldest and most protected cheeses in the world.

• 38. Stilton

  England's only cheese with protected designation of origin status, a crumbly, blue-veined classic that takes itself very seriously and has earned it.

• 39. String Cheese

  Mozzarella's most playful form, beloved by children and adults who have not entirely grown up, and perfectly engineered for peeling.

• 40. Swiss Cheese

  The American catch-all name for Emmental-style cheeses, with mild flavor and signature holes that have appeared in more cartoons than any other food.

• 41. Taleggio

  Washed-rind Italian cheese from Lombardy with a pungent aroma and a surprisingly mild, creamy flavor that rewards the brave.