
This is a list of cheeses by place of origin.
Cheese is a
milk-based food that is produced in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms. Hundreds of types of cheese from various countries are produced. Their styles, textures and flavors depend on the origin of the milk (including the animal's diet), whether they have been
pasteurized, the
butterfat content, the bacteria and mold, the processing, and aging.
Herbs,
spices, or
wood smoke may be used as flavoring agents. The yellow to red color of many cheeses, such as
Red Leicester, is normally formed from adding
annatto. While most current varieties of cheese may be traced to a particular locale, or culture, within a single country, some have a more diffuse origin, and cannot be considered to have originated in a particular place, but are associated with a whole region, such as
queso blanco in
Latin America
Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese. Latin America is defined according to cultural identity, not geogr ...
.
Cheese is an ancient food whose origins predate
recorded history
Recorded history or written history describes the historical events that have been recorded in a written form or other documented communication which are subsequently evaluated by historians using the historical method. For broader world h ...
. There is no conclusive evidence indicating where
cheesemaking originated, either in
Europe
Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
,
Central Asia or
the Middle East, but the practice had spread within Europe prior to
Roman times and, according to
Pliny the Elder, had become a sophisticated enterprise by the time the
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...
came into existence.
In this list, types of cheeses are included;
brand names are only included if they apply to a distinct variety of cheese.
Cheese production involves several steps, including curdling, coagulation, separation, shaping, and aging. The type of milk used, as well as factors like temperature, humidity, and bacterial cultures, can greatly impact the final product's flavor, texture, and appearance. Artisanal cheesemakers often employ traditional techniques and recipes passed down through generations, while larger commercial operations may utilize more modern and mechanized processes to produce cheese on a larger scale.
Africa
Algeria
Benin
Ethiopia
Mauritania
South Africa
Asia
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Bangladesh
China
The dominant Han Chinese culture is not dairy-centric, in part due to low rates of
lactase persistence. However, some indigenous sociolinguistic groups in regions of the country, such as
Inner Mongolia,
Tibet and
Yunnan
Yunnan; is an inland Provinces of China, province in Southwestern China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 47.2 million (as of 2020). The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders the Chinese provinces ...
, have strong cheese traditions.
Georgia
India
Indonesia
Japan
Korea
Malaysia
Mongolia
There are two types of Mongolian cheese (бяслаг). They are similar in taste and are like a cross between mozzarella and an unsalted feta cheese.
* түүхий сүүний – this is a creamy version of Mongolian cheese made by boiling the milk and keeping the cream top.
* болсон сүүний – this is similar but is made without the cream.
Nepal
Philippines
Europe
Albania
Austria
Belgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Germany's cheese production accounts for approximately one-third of all European-produced cheeses.
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Jews of Eastern Europe
Kosovo
Latvia
Lithuania
*
Džiugas
Malta
Moldova
Montenegro
Netherlands
The Netherlands is one of the major cheese producing countries of Europe, with a tradition of cheesemaking as shown by the
Dutch cheese markets.
North Macedonia
Norway
Poland
The history of
cheesemaking in Poland goes back to 5500 BC, when cheese similar to
mozzarella was produced in
Neolithic
The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Ancient Greek, Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revo ...
times in
Kujawy (north-central Poland).
Poland is the 7th largest cheese producer in the world and has the 18th highest cheese consumption.
Marek Kosmulski described over 600 types of Polish cheeses manufactured between 1948 and 2019.
Portugal
Romania
Russia
*
Altaysky a fairly dry hard cheese, similar to Swiss cheese, originating in the
Altai region
*
Chyorny Altai a hard cheese similar to cheddar
*
Danilovsky
*
Dorogobuzhsky a soft cheese from western Russia
*
Dorozhny
*
Golandsky
*
Gornoaltaysky a hard, crumbly cheese
*
*
Moale
*
Moskovsky a hard cow's milk cheese, also similar to Swiss
*
Medynsky
* a slightly sweet, soft processed cheese made of cow's milk
*
Pikantny
* a hard cow's milk cheese
*
Russian cheese (Rossiysky) similar to German
Tilsiter
*
*
Uglichsky a hard cheese made of cow's milk
*
Yaroslavsky a hard cow's milk cheese, usually produced in rounds; with a slightly sour taste
*
Zakusochny a soft blue cow's milk cheese
Serbia
*
Sremski
*
Zlatarski PDO
*
Sjenički
*
Krivovirski Kačkavalj
*
Homoljski ovčiji (Homolje sheep cheese)
*
Homoljski kozji (Homolje goat cheese)
*
Homoljski kravlji (Homolje cow cheese)
*
Pirotski Kačkavalj
*
Lužnička Vurda
*
Užički Kajmak
*
Čačanski Kajmak
*
Čačanski Sir
Slovakia
Slovenia
* Bohinc Jože
* Nanoški
* Planinski
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
is home to over 450 varieties of cheese.
Cows
milk is used in about 99 percent of the cheeses produced. The remaining share is made up of
sheep milk and
goat milk.
Ukraine
United Kingdom
The British Cheese Board
states that there are over 700 named British cheeses produced in the UK.
Middle East
Egypt
Iran
Middle East
Levant
The Levant is a geographical region east of the
Mediterranean Sea which includes the countries of
Syria
Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...
,
Lebanon,
Israel
Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
,
Jordan
Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Israel and the occupied Palestinian ter ...
,
Palestine and sometimes it includes
Cyprus and the Turkish province of
Hatay
Turkey
North and Central America
Canada
Costa Rica
El Salvador
Honduras
Mexico
Nicaragua
United States
Oceania
Australia
New Zealand
South America
Argentina
Bolivia
Brazil
Chile
Colombia
Paraguay
Peru
Uruguay
Venezuela
Other
Some types of cheese were either developed in various locales independently (usually as un-aged products from the beginning stages of dairy processing and cheesemaking), or are not actually cheese products. Examples include:
Unsorted
*
Tresse cheese
*
Big woods blue
*
Morcella
See also
*
Cheeses by country
*
*
Butter cheese
*
*
List of blue cheeses
*
List of cheese dishes
*
List of cheesemakers
*
List of dairy products
*
List of goat milk cheeses
*
List of smoked foods
*
List of stretch-curd cheeses
*
**
List of sheep milk cheeses
*
List of water buffalo cheeses
Articles by country
*
*
List of American cheeses
*
List of Armenian cheeses
*
List of British cheeses
*
List of Cornish cheeses
*
List of Dutch cheeses
*
List of English cheeses
*
List of French cheeses
*
List of German cheeses
*
List of Irish cheeses
*
List of Italian cheeses
*
List of Polish cheeses
*
List of Spanish cheeses
*
List of Swiss cheeses
Protected cheeses
*
List of European cheeses with protected geographical status
*
List of French Protected Designations of Origin cheeses
*
List of Greek Protected Designations of Origin cheeses
*
List of Italian DOP cheeses
*
List of Portuguese cheeses with protected status
References
Works cited
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*
*
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External links
Alphabetical list of cheeses Cheese.com.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cheeses
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Cheese