Cheese—whether it’s creamy, crumbly, sharp, or mild—has a special place in the hearts (and stomachs) of food lovers around the world. With thousands of varieties produced globally, cheese is one of the most diverse and beloved foods on the planet. From the humble cheddar to the luxurious brie, there’s a cheese for nearly every palate and occasion.
In this article, I’m going to take you on a delicious journey through a comprehensive cheese name list from A to Z. Whether you’re a cheese enthusiast, a home chef, or someone just curious about the wide world of cheese, this guide will introduce you to an array of cheeses ranging from everyday staples to rare and exotic varieties.
Let’s dive into the alphabet of cheese!
1. Cheese Names from A – Z
1.1. Cheese Names That Start With A
Asiago – An Italian cheese ranging from mild and smooth to sharp and crumbly, depending on its age.
Appenzeller – A Swiss cheese with a rich, nutty flavor, often used in fondue.
Añejo – A Mexican cheese, traditionally made from goat’s milk, aged to develop a firm texture and strong flavor.
Abertam – A Czech cheese made from sheep’s milk, known for its sharp, spicy flavor.
1.2. Cheese Names That Start With B
Brie – A soft, creamy French cheese with a bloomy rind and mild, buttery flavor.
Blue Cheese – A category of cheese known for its blue or green mold veins and tangy, pungent flavor (e.g., Roquefort, Gorgonzola).
Burrata – An Italian cheese made from mozzarella and cream, with a soft, creamy center.
Bel Paese – A semi-soft Italian cheese with a mild, buttery flavor, often used in sandwiches.
1.3. Cheese Names That Start With C
Cheddar – One of the most popular cheeses in the world, ranging from mild to extra sharp.
Camembert – A soft, creamy cheese from France with an earthy, mushroomy flavor.
Cotija – A crumbly Mexican cheese often used to top tacos, elote (Mexican street corn), and salads.
Comté – A French cheese with a firm texture and nutty, slightly sweet flavor, often aged for months or even years.
1.4. Cheese Names That Start With D
Dubliner – An Irish cheese that combines the sharpness of cheddar with sweet, nutty notes.
Double Gloucester – A traditional English cheese with a firm, smooth texture and a rich, buttery flavor.
Danbo – A semi-soft Danish cheese with a mild, slightly tangy flavor, often used in sandwiches.
Dolcelatte – A milder, creamier version of Gorgonzola, perfect for those who prefer a less intense blue cheese.
1.5. Cheese Names That Start With E
Edam – A semi-hard Dutch cheese with a mild, nutty flavor, typically shaped into small balls and coated in red wax.
Emmental – A Swiss cheese with signature holes, known for its mild, nutty flavor and excellent melting properties.
Epoisses – A French cheese with a pungent aroma and creamy texture, washed in a brandy-like spirit called Marc de Bourgogne.
Esrom – A Danish semi-soft cheese with a strong aroma and tangy, buttery flavor.
1.6. Cheese Names That Start With F
Feta – A brined cheese from Greece, known for its crumbly texture and tangy, salty flavor.
Fontina – An Italian cheese with a creamy texture and mild, nutty flavor, perfect for fondues.
Fromage Blanc – A fresh, soft cheese with a mild taste, often used in spreads or desserts.
Fiore Sardo – A traditional Sardinian sheep’s milk cheese with a strong, slightly smoky flavor.
1.7. Cheese Names That Start With G
Gouda – A semi-hard Dutch cheese with a mild to sharp flavor, depending on its age. It can be smoked for added depth.
Gruyère – A Swiss cheese with a firm texture and nutty, earthy flavor, often used in French onion soup and fondue.
Gorgonzola – A blue cheese from Italy, known for its creamy texture and sharp, tangy flavor.
Garrotxa – A Spanish goat’s milk cheese with a firm, slightly crumbly texture and a mild, nutty flavor.
1.8. Cheese Names That Start With H
Halloumi – A semi-hard cheese from Cyprus that doesn’t melt when grilled or fried, making it perfect for grilling.
Havarti – A Danish cheese with a buttery, creamy texture and mild flavor that’s great for sandwiches or melting.
Humboldt Fog – A goat cheese from the U.S. with a distinctive line of edible ash running through its creamy, tangy center.
Herve – A Belgian cheese with a strong aroma and semi-soft texture, often served with bread or spread on crackers.
1.9. Cheese Names That Start With I
Ibérico – A Spanish cheese made from a mix of cow, goat, and sheep’s milk, with a firm texture and mild flavor.
Ibores – A Spanish goat cheese with a semi-soft texture and a tangy, slightly spicy flavor, often rubbed with paprika or oil.
1.10. Cheese Names That Start With J
Jarlsberg – A Norwegian cheese similar to Swiss Emmental, with a mild, nutty flavor and characteristic holes.
Jack (Monterey Jack) – An American cheese with a mild, buttery flavor, sometimes flavored with peppers to make Pepper Jack.
Juustoleipä (Finnish bread cheese) – A mild cheese from Finland that’s often grilled or fried and served warm.
1.11. Cheese Names That Start With K
Kasseri – A Greek cheese made from sheep’s milk, with a semi-hard texture and salty, tangy flavor.
Kefalotyri – A hard, salty cheese from Greece, often used grated over pasta dishes.
Kunik – A triple-cream cheese from the U.S., made from goat’s milk and cow cream, with a rich, buttery texture.
1.12. Cheese Names That Start With L
Limburger – A strong-smelling cheese from Belgium with a soft, creamy texture and intense flavor.
La Tur – An Italian cheese made from cow, goat, and sheep’s milk, with a soft, creamy texture and mild, tangy taste.
Leicester (Red Leicester) – An English cheese with a firm texture and rich, nutty flavor, colored with annatto to give it a distinctive red hue.
Livarot – A French cheese with a pungent aroma and soft, creamy texture, often referred to as “The Colonel” due to the bands of reed or paper that encircle it.
1.13. Cheese Names That Start With M
Mozzarella – An Italian cheese known for its stretchy, smooth texture and mild, milky flavor, commonly used in pizzas.
Manchego – A Spanish cheese made from sheep’s milk, with a firm texture and a buttery, slightly tangy flavor.
Mascarpone – A rich, creamy Italian cheese often used in desserts like tiramisu or as a spread.
Mimolette – A French cheese with a firm, orange-hued texture and a nutty, caramelized flavor.
1.14. Cheese Names That Start With N
Neufchâtel – A soft, creamy French cheese, similar to cream cheese but with a richer, slightly tangy flavor.
Nabulsi – A Palestinian/Levantine cheese with a brined, salty flavor, often fried or baked in desserts like knafeh.
1.15. Cheese Names That Start With O
Oaxaca – A Mexican cheese similar to mozzarella, known for its stringy texture and mild flavor, commonly used in quesadillas.
Ogleshield – A British cheese with a semi-soft texture and a buttery, slightly fruity flavor, great for melting.
Ossau-Iraty – A French sheep’s milk cheese from the Pyrenees, with a firm, smooth texture and nutty, floral flavor.
1.16. Cheese Names That Start With P
Parmesan (Parmigiano-Reggiano) – A hard, granular cheese from Italy, known for its sharp, salty flavor, often grated over pasta.
Pecorino Romano – A hard Italian cheese made from sheep’s milk, with a salty, tangy flavor, ideal for grating.
Provolone – An Italian cheese with a firm texture and mild, smoky flavor, often used in sandwiches or melted dishes.
Pont-l’Évêque – A French cheese with a soft, creamy texture and a pungent aroma, similar to Brie or Camembert.
1.17. Cheese Names That Start With Q
Queso Blanco – A fresh, mild cheese from Latin America that softens but doesn’t melt, making it ideal for frying or crumbling over dishes.
Queso Fresco – A mild, crumbly Mexican cheese often used to top tacos, enchiladas, and salads.
1.18. Cheese Names That Start With R
Ricotta – A soft, fresh Italian cheese with a mild, slightly sweet flavor, often used in lasagna, cannoli, and other dishes.
Reblochon – A French cheese with a creamy texture and a strong, earthy flavor, perfect for melting in dishes like tartiflette.
Raclette – A Swiss cheese known for its excellent melting properties, traditionally melted and scraped over potatoes or bread.
1.19. Cheese Names That Start With S
Stilton – A British blue cheese with a rich, creamy texture and bold, tangy flavor.
Saint-André – A triple-cream French cheese with a rich, buttery texture and mild, tangy flavor.
Scamorza – An Italian cheese similar to mozzarella, often smoked for a richer flavor.
Sapsago – A Swiss cheese made from skimmed cow’s milk, flavored with herbs like clover, with a hard, greenish texture.
1.20. Cheese Names That Start With T
Taleggio – A semi-soft Italian cheese with a strong aroma and a buttery, tangy flavor.
Tomme de Savoie – A French cheese with a firm texture and mild, nutty flavor, made from raw cow’s milk.
Tilsit – A semi-soft cheese from Germany, with a mild flavor and slight tang, often used in sandwiches.
1.21. Cheese Names That Start With U
Ubriaco – An Italian cheese aged in wine, giving it a distinctive fruity flavor and purple rind.
Urdă – A Romanian whey cheese with a mild, slightly sweet flavor, often used in desserts or as a spread.
1.22. Cheese Names That Start With V
Vacherin Mont d’Or – A soft, creamy Swiss cheese with a rich, earthy flavor, often served warm and spooned over bread.
Valdeón – A Spanish blue cheese with a strong, pungent flavor and creamy texture.
Västerbottensost – A Swedish cheese with a firm texture and rich, nutty flavor, often described as a cross between Parmesan and cheddar.
1.23. Cheese Names That Start With W
Wensleydale – A British cheese with a crumbly texture and mild, slightly sweet flavor, often paired with fruit like cranberries or apricots.
Washed-Rind Cheese – A category of cheese where the rind is washed in brine or alcohol, giving it a strong aroma and distinctive flavor (e.g., Époisses or Munster).
1.24. Cheese Names That Start With X
Xynotyro – A Greek cheese made from sheep or goat’s milk, with a hard, crumbly texture and sharp, tangy flavor.
1.25. Cheese Names That Start With Y
Yarg – A British cheese wrapped in nettle leaves, with a firm, crumbly texture and mild, creamy flavor.
1.26. Cheese Names That Start With Z
Zamorano – A Spanish sheep’s milk cheese with a firm texture and nutty, slightly sweet flavor, similar to Manchego.
Ziger – A Swiss whey cheese with a soft texture and mild flavor, often used in cooking or as a spread.
From A to Z, the world of cheese offers something for everyone. Whether you’re into the creamy richness of brie, the sharp tang of blue cheese, or the smoky depth of gouda, there’s no shortage of delicious options to explore.
This cheese name list is just the beginning—each cheese brings its own unique texture, flavor, and history to the table. So the next time you’re planning a cheese board or looking for the perfect cheese to melt in a sandwich, consider trying something new from this list. Your taste buds will thank you!