Clear Answers for Common Questions

American cheese in its most common form is a blend of milk, milk fats and solids, with other fats and whey protein concentrates. Although loved by many children (and adults) as a snack or in grilled cheese sandwiches, it is not usually considered "cheese," except by legal definition. All the ...

Fontina cheese is a classic Italian cheese, although variations are made in several other countries as well. Depending on where the cheese comes from and how long it has been aged, fontina can be semi-soft to firm in texture, with a range of flavors from mild and creamy to ...

Cheddar cheese is a semi-hard cows milk cheese that can vary in taste from mild to extra sharp. The cheese is one of the most well known in the world, and many countries produce regional versions, especially Britain and former colonies. Because of the fame of the cheese, it ...

Romano cheese is a traditional Italian cheese, named after the city of Rome, which has been manufacturing it since before the birth of Christ. The cheese has a rich creamy yellow color, a slightly granular texture, and a sharp, tangy, salty flavor, and is usually grated over other dishes, although ...

Farmer cheese, also sometimes called farmer’s cheese, is a type of simple, soft white cheese traditionally made on farms in Europe and the Middle East. Most of the varieties available in Western markets are made from the milk of goats or cows, but sheep, yak, and most any other ...

Jack cheese is an American cheese that is often referred to as Monterey Jack. Featuring a creamy texture and a mild flavor that is sometimes accentuated with herbs, this cheese is a versatile option for many different types of dishes. First developed in the city of Monterey, California, jack cheese ...

Baby Swiss cheese is a young, semi-soft whole milk cheese distinguishable by its myriad of small holes. The cheese is closely related to Swiss cheese, the generic name for a large family of holey cheeses which are quite popular around the world. Many delis and stores carry Baby Swiss ...

Neufchâtel cheese is a type of French cheese, named after a village in Northeast France where it is commonly produced. For American consumers, the term “Neufchâtel” can be a bit confusing, as American cheese producers use “Neufchâtel” to describe a type of low fat cream cheese which is dramatically different ...

Colby cheese is a semi-hard cow's milk cheese native to the United States, although it is made in other regions of the world as well. The cheese is often compared to cheddar cheese, since the two are both typically dyed to appear orange or creamy yellow, although the ...

Cream cheese refers to the soft, spreadable white cheese that is consumed fresh. Versions of this cheese were made in France as far back as the 1650s, but in 1880, a well-known New York cheese manufacturer, A.L. Reynolds, began to distribute the cheese in the familiar foil wrapping ...

Appenzeller cheese is a hard cow's milk cheese from the Appenzell region of Switzerland. It has a distinctive tangy, slightly fruity flavor which pairs well with fresh fruit, some wines, and other cheeses. Like many heritage cheeses, Appenzeller cheese has a appellation of controlled origin, meaning that only cheese ...

Blue cheese is a blanket term for cheeses which have been inoculated with Penicillium mold cultures, forming dark streaks, patches, or veins of blue-green mold. Some of the most famous cheeses in the world are blue cheeses, including Roquefort, Stilton, and Gorgonzola. As a general rule, this cheese smells ...

Pepper jack cheese is an American cow's milk cheese which blends the creamy, buttery flavor of jack cheese with the intensity of spicy peppers, especially jalapeños. Some producers make special varieties of this cheese which are named for the peppers they contain, like habanero jack and serrano jack. This ...

Camembert cheese is one of the most famous of French soft cheeses, heavily associated with French culture much like Champagne and Pate. The thick, gooey cheese is popular on bread and paired with fruit, and is often packed as a picnic food since it tastes excellent when served warm. Many ...

The sauce that gives a plate of nachos so much appeal, nacho cheese is flavorful blend of melted cheese that is often combined with a few light spices and chopped or sliced chili peppers. The combination is poured over tortilla chips and served immediately, or served as a side dip ...

Parmesan cheese is an iconic hard cheese originally from Italy that is widely used and produced all over the world. Within Europe, it is a protected cheese, meaning that only those made in a certain way in a certain area of Italy can be labeled as Parmesan. Outside of Europe ...

Emmental cheese is the original Swiss cheese, a creamy colored cow's milk cheese with characteristic large holes. The cheese originated in the Emme Valley of Switzerland, in the region of Bern, although it has been duplicated by many nations. The large holes and creamy, nutty flavor have made Emmental ...

Paneer cheese is a type of Indian soft cheese which is made using an acid setting technique. Because paneer cheese is made with the use of acid, rather than rennet, it is safe for vegetarians to consume, and in fact paneer is a cornerstone of Indian vegetarian cuisine. This cheese ...

Monterey Jack cheese is a cheese which originated along the central California coast, and has since spread throughout the United States. It is one of the few cheeses which can rightfully be called “American,” since it was developed in the United States, although it certainly owes inspiration to European cheeses ...

Maytag blue cheese is a type of cow's milk cheese made near Newton, Iowa. This varietal of blue cheese is considered by some fans to be one of the finest blue cheeses, made with locally produced Iowa milk in small batches. The use of cow's milk as opposed ...

Havarti is a creamy semi-firm Danish cheese, named after the farm where it was developed at the turn of the twentieth century. It's a mild cheese, similar somewhat to Tilsit or Gouda in flavor, and is peppered with small holes and irregularities. The cheese has a distinctive flavor ...

Gorgonzola is a famous blue cheese originating in Italy, with a distinctive smell which many liken to old shoes. It is part of an illustrious family of blue cheeses, which are formed when ambient molds infiltrate curing cheeses. Today, it is inoculated directly with the mold spores, to guarantee that ...

Jarlsberg is a Norwegian cheese which is extraordinarily popular in the United States and in many other parts of the world. The cheese is related to Emmentaler and other “Swiss” cheeses, with characteristic large holes and a creamy, nutty flavor. Jarlsberg tends to lend itself more readily to melting, and ...

Chèvre is the French word for goat, and chèvre cheese refers to cheese made from goat’s milk. Many of these cheeses are created exclusively from the milk of goats and do not include cow or sheep’s milk. Chèvre cheese is extremely common in many places in the world ...

Fontinella® cheese should not be confused with the Italian made fontina cheese, which is a creamy semi-hard cheese that is celebrated. Fontinella®, though sounding Italian, is actually made in North America, and has been produced for roughly a century. It is also a semi-hard cheese, but ...

Limburger cheese is a shockingly odorous cheese which originates in Belgium. Most individuals who have been in the vicinity of this cheese remember the smell, which has been likened to rotting feet or moldy boots. Some consumers are in fact utterly unable to get over the smell and experience of ...

Goat cheese, sometimes called chevre, is a food product made from the coagulated milk of goats. It comes in a wide variety of forms, although the most common is soft and easily spread. This cheese can also be made in hard aged varieties, as well as semi firm cheeses like ...

Camembert is one of the most famous of French cheeses, well known around the world for its creamy and delicate flavor. Camembert was one of the earliest foods to earn a protected origin designation, and manufacture and sale of the cheese has been carefully controlled under this designation since 1983 ...

Lacy swiss cheese is sometimes mistakenly called baby swiss. Both cheeses are marked by smaller and more prevalent holes than the traditional swiss cheeses made in Europe, like Jarlsburg, Emmthaler, and Gruyere. Yet lacy swiss cheese is not a European cheese, and is instead an American product, with significant difference ...

Brie is a creamy cow’s milk cheese named for the region in north-central France where it was first created. The cheese typically comes in a wheel, or round, and is protected by a thick, white rind. While the rind is edible, most cheese connoisseurs are more interested in ...

Gouda is perhaps the most famous Dutch cheese export, with millions of wheels of the cheese being sent all over the world. Gouda is also made in many other nations, often by Dutch farmers who like to carry on the tradition of Gouda making. Gouda is often used on dessert ...

Traditional Munster cheese is made in Alsace, France, and should not be confused with more mild versions made in other parts of the world. A true Munster has a creamy yellow to orange center with a dark red rind, and can be noted by the assertive flavor and scent, although ...

Emmentaler is the classic “Swiss” cheese, a creamy cheese with deep holes and pockmarks which has been made in Switzerland for centuries. Emmentaler has a protected origin designation so that the integrity of true Swiss Emmentaler can be maintained, by requiring that cheese labeled Emmentaler meet a stringent set of ...

Mascarpone is an intensely rich Italian triple cream dessert cheese. It often appears in Tiramisu, but is also eaten plain or used to dress up sweet fruits. This type of cheese is readily available in specialty stores and most markets, and many cooks have learned that a small amount of ...

True Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, or parmesan as it is known in many places, has a distinct salty flavor and hard texture. Produced since at least the 13th century in Italy, authentic Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese is made of pure cow’s milk, with few additives. Experts recommend pairing this grating or ...

Stilton cheese is a type of blue cheese made in England, and is sometimes referred to as the “King of Cheeses.” Stilton has been made since the 1700s, and has earned a protected origin designation, which means that only Stilton meeting a set of exacting standards can be labeled and ...

Sometimes referred to as analog cheese, imitation cheese is one of the many varieties of processed cheese that is found on the market today. Characterized by a long shelf life and a relatively inexpensive cost, it is used in many homes around the world. It is primarily made of vegetable ...

Cottage cheese is a loosely packed cow's milk cheese distinguished by its slightly bland taste and the whey that is left in with the cheese curds. The cheese is designed to be eaten fresh and is highly perishable. There are a number of uses for cottage cheese, ranging from ...

Rice cheese is a cheese substitute or imitation cheese that is made from rice proteins. It’s almost always dairy-free, which can make it a good choice for people with dairy allergies or diets that prohibit the consumption of milk or other animal products. The product is usually available ...

Mobay Cheese is an American cheese, not to be confused with the standard orange cheeses called “American.” It derives from an old French cheese making style. The name Mobay is a corruption of Morbier a type of semi-soft cheese made in France that has two layers, separated by a ...

Morbier cheese is a French cheese that is made from cow’s milk and is semi-soft. It has a distinctive appearance because it has two layers, separated by a layer of edible ash. The name for Morbier cheese comes from the village to which its invention is credited, Morbier ...

San Simón cheese is a cow's milk cheese from the region of Galicia in northwestern Spain which has received a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status from the European Union, recognizing it as a unique agricultural product. Like other products with a PDO, San Simón cheese comes with strict ...

Feta is a cheese traditionally made from the milk of goats in Greece, although versions made from the milk of cows and sheep is also available. It is probably the most famous and important culinary export of Greece, and is popular all over the world, eaten on a wide variety ...

Ricotta is a type of whey cheese, developed in Italy but manufactured and sold all over the world. It is a very flexible and delicious dairy product, starring in lasagna, cannoli, and many other delicious dishes that require the use of a soft, mild cheese product. The name actually means ...

Mizithra cheese is a type of Greek cheese made with leftover whey from the production of other cheeses which is combined with sheep or goat milk. There are a several forms of mizithra, ranging from fresh mizithra, which resembles cottage cheese, to aged mizithra, which is hard, granular, and quite ...

Banon cheese is a delightful soft French cheese that derives its name from the town in which it is made, Banon, in Provence. The cheese normally matures young and has a wood/fruit flavor that it takes from the chestnut leaves in which the cheese is wrapped. The typical Banon ...

Baked cheese is a type of cheese which is oven-baked during the cheesemaking process to create a distinctive golden brown crust. The technique for making baked cheese originated in Scandinavia, where baked cheese is very popular in some regions. A growing push for artisan or unusual cheeses in other ...

Pot cheese is a type of soft, crumbly, unaged cheese. It is very simple to make and it is also highly versatile, making it a popular cheese through the ages. It can sometimes be difficult to find in the store, unfortunately. Dairies and specialty stores may be able to provide ...

Mimolette cheese is of both French and Dutch origin, and is similar in some ways to Edam cheese in taste. In appearance it is quite different — it has a carrot to dark orange-colored flesh, depending upon the degree to which the cheese is aged. Mimolette is from the ...

Raclette cheese is a Swiss semi-firm cows-milk cheese which is most famously used to make a Franco-Swiss dish which also goes by the name “raclette.” Although this cheese originated in Switzerland, it is also made in France, and some American dairies produce their own version of raclette ...

Fougerus cheese is a cow's milk cheese which originates in Northern France. The cheese is traditionally made with unpasteurized milk, and it has a dense, creamy texture and flavor which causes it to closely resemble Brie. While not as popularized as Brie, fougerus cheese is quite a respectable cheese ...

Ackawi cheese is a soft Middle Eastern cow's milk cheese which is widely popular across most of the Levant. There are a number of ways to serve ackawi cheese, ranging from breading it and frying it to eating it straight as a snack, and it is a common offering ...

Quark is a form of Central European soft cheese which is especially popular in Germany, where a number of dairies produce it. It is possible to find quark in other regions of the world, although it may take a bit of hunting, depending on where you live. When you do ...

Burrata cheese is an Italian specialty cheese which was developed in the 1920s. Although the cheese remained largely confined to Italy in the 20th century, in the late 1990s, cheese fans in other regions of the world started cultivating an interest in burrata, and today it is available in many ...

Aisy Cendre cheese is a traditional French farmhouse cheese made from unpasteurized cow’s milk. What distinguishes this semi-soft cheese from others like it is the layer of ash that coats its rind. It is this ash — or cendre, in French — that gives the cheese its name ...

Wensleydale cheese is a traditional British cheese which has been made since the 11th century, when French monks first started producing cheese in Wensleydale, a region of North Yorkshire. Originally made with sheep's milk, modern Wensleydale is a pasteurized cow's milk cheese which comes in several different varieties ...

Derby cheese is a traditional cheese originally made in Derbyshire, England. The cheese has been made since at least the 16th century, and there are several major variations on the cheese including a version which includes herbs. The cow's milk cheese has a mild flavor and a semi-firm ...

Epoisses cheese is an artisan French raw milk cheese with a characteristic strong odor and runny interior. Like many traditional French cheeses, the intense pungency of the cheese can be unappealing for some consumers, while others revel in it. In the United States, where raw milk cheeses are banned unless ...

Queso fresco is a traditional Mexican cheese which is a common ingredient in a wide range of dishes. The cheese is a quintessential part of Mexican cuisine, and is often available in Mexican markets and grocery stores. In Mexico, queso fresco is often a raw milk cheese, but in the ...

Queso blanco, or “white cheese,” is a Mexican cheese popular in many places in the world. Often made of either pure cow milk or a combination of cow and goat milk, the soft and creamy cheese is similar to ricotta. Queso blanco is extremely simple to make, and is not ...

Abertam cheese is native to the Czech Republic, made near the famous spa city of Karlovy Vary. It is a short-ripening cheese, taking only 2 months to produce. Most frequently used as a melting cheese, it is also delicious as a table cheese, despite its hard texture. Abertam is ...

The Greeks are known for their traditional sheep and goat milk cheeses, including anthotyro, feta, haloumi, kasseri, kefalotyri, telemes, touloumotyri, and manouri cheese. Manouri cheese is described as a fresh semi-soft cheese made from whey drained from feta production combined with cream and/or milk. The result is a ...

Oaxaca [pronounced Wuh-HAH-kuh] cheese is a semi-soft white cow’s milk cheese from Mexico. It is named for the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca, where it originated from. Like mozzarella, Oaxaca cheese is produced using the pasta filata method of stretching the curd. Sometimes, long, flat strands ...

Kefalotiri is a traditional Greek hard cheese that has been produced in that country and the neighboring regions for hundreds of years. In Greece, this cheese is quite popular, and it can be found at most markets and cheese shops. Many regional recipes call for kefalotiri, which has a distinctive ...

Beerkaese is a semi-soft shelf cured cow's milk cheese which has a tangy, nutty flavor. It also has an intense odor as it ages, which some consumers find offputting. The cheese is also marked as “beer kaese.” The cheese is a specialty of dairies in the American Heartland ...

Beaufort is a delicious mountain cheese in the Gruyere family made in France. It is sometimes called the “Prince of Gruyeres” because of the sophisticated creamy flavor. Beaufort has earned itself a protected designation origin, meaning that only cheese produced from Tarentaise cows who are pastured in the summer can ...

Bathtub cheese is cheese which is manufactured for the purpose of illegal sale. The term “bathtub” is a direct reference to the tubs sometimes used to make bathtub cheese, and also to the infamous homemade “bathtub gin” of the Prohibition Era. The primary concern with bathtub cheese is public health ...

Vacherin Mont d'Or is a special seasonal cheese made in both France and Switzerland, and only available between mid-September and March. The cheese is made from the winter milk of cows that have been brought down from their pastures for the season. It is related to other mountain ...

Queso anejo is a type of firm Mexican cheese which melts very well, leading people to use it in baked and grilled recipes. This cheese may also be crumbled over dishes like enchiladas and tacos to add flavor. Many Mexican markets carry this cheese, and in areas where Mexican markets ...

Caerphilly cheese is a semi-firm white cheese made from raw cow’s milk, which was developed in the region of Caerphilly, Wales, sometime around 1830. Originally produced as a way for dairy farmers to efficiently expend their excess milk, Caerphilly cheese developed a following that soon made it profitable ...

Abbaye de Belloc [pronounced ah-BAY duh Bell-OCK] is a semi-hard farmhouse cheese made from raw ewe’s milk. Produced in the Pays Basque region of the French Pyrenees, the cheese was created by Benedictine monks at the Abbey of Notre-Dame de Belloc. Milk from local farms ...

Cotija cheese is a Mexican cheese that somewhat hard and crumbly and is commonly used in a number of Latin American recipes. It takes its name from the town of Cotija in the Mexican state of Michoacán, where scholars believe the cheese originated. It is still made on ...

Pungent and full-bodied, Cabrales cheese (in Spanish, queso de Cabrales) is a celebrated blue cheese produced in the Asturias region of northern Spain. A true artisanal cheese, Cabrales is made by hand in small batches under very specific conditions. There are certain qualities that distinguish Cabrales among the blue ...

Halloumi is a semi-soft cheese that is closely associated with Cyprus and the Middle East. This cheese is a popular inclusion in many Cypriot dishes, and it is incredibly versatile. It can be grilled, roasted, fried, or eaten fresh, and it has a mild, vaguely tangy, creamy, slightly salty ...

Manchego is the most famous cheese export of Spain, originating in La Mancha, which also happens to be home of Don Quixote, Spain's most famous literary export. True Spanish Manchego is made from the milk of sheep, because the rocky and hostile terrain of that part of Spain did ...