Cheese dishes
72 cheese dishes of the world, each drawn as a ring of its ingredients and made step by step: grate, melt, bake, fry, serve.
Melted and fondue
Fondue, raclette, queso fundido and aligot: cheese melted at the table or over the fire.
🇨🇭 🇫🇷 Melted and fondueSwiss cheese fondueAlpine cheese melted with white wine in a shared pot, eaten by dipping cubes of bread on long forks.🇨🇭 🇫🇷 Melted and fondueRacletteA half wheel of Valais cheese melted by the fire and scraped over boiled potatoes, with pickles alongside.🇫🇷 Melted and fondueAligotMashed potato beaten with fresh tomme cheese and garlic until it stretches in long, glossy ribbons.🇬🇧 Melted and fondueWelsh rarebitA savoury sauce of melted cheese, ale and mustard, poured over toast and grilled until it bubbles.🇰🇷 Melted and fondueCorn cheeseKorean bar food of sweetcorn with mayonnaise and sugar, covered in mozzarella and cooked in a sizzling pan.🇲🇽 🇺🇸 Melted and fondueQueso fundidoNorthern Mexican dish of melted cheese, often with chorizo or chillies, scooped into warm flour tortillas.
Baked and breads
Khachapuri, borek, pao de queijo, tiropita and the cheese breads and pies of the oven.
🇫🇷 Baked and breadsTartifletteA Savoy bake of potatoes, onions and bacon under a whole Reblochon, cut in half and melted on top.🇫🇷 Baked and breadsCroque monsieurThe Paris café sandwich of ham and Gruyère, topped with béchamel and grated cheese and browned in the oven.🇫🇷 Baked and breadsGougèresSmall Burgundian choux puffs baked with grated cheese, served warm or cold with wine.🇫🇷 Baked and breadsQuiche LorraineAn open tart of egg custard and smoked bacon from Lorraine; cheese is a later and much debated addition.🇫🇷 Baked and breadsFrench onion soupSlow-cooked onions in beef stock, topped with bread and grated cheese and browned under the grill.🇬🇧 🇮🇪 🇦🇺 Baked and breadsCheese sconesQuick savoury scones made with grated Cheddar, mustard and a pinch of cayenne, eaten warm with butter.🇮🇹 Baked and breadsPizza MargheritaThe Neapolitan pizza of tomato, mozzarella and basil, baked in minutes in a very hot wood oven.🇮🇹 Baked and breadsParmigiana di melanzaneFried aubergine layered with tomato sauce, mozzarella or caciocavallo and Parmigiano, baked into a gratin.🇬🇷 🇨🇾 Baked and breadsTiropitaGreek filo pie filled with feta and egg, baked as a large tray or as small triangles for the street.🇧🇬 Baked and breadsBanitsaBulgarian filo pastry layered or coiled with sirene, eggs and yoghurt, baked golden for breakfast and holidays.🇱🇧 🇸🇾 🇯🇴 Baked and breadsFatayer bi jibnehSmall Levantine pastries filled with white cheese, parsley and nigella seed, baked in bakeries every morning.🇬🇪 Baked and breadsAdjarian khachapuriGeorgia's boat-shaped cheese bread from Adjara, filled with molten cheese and finished with egg yolk and butter.🇬🇪 Baked and breadsImeretian khachapuriThe everyday round Georgian cheese bread, closed and filled with fresh imeruli cheese, eaten in wedges.🇲🇽 Baked and breadsEnchiladas suizasMexico City enchiladas of chicken in green tomatillo sauce with cream, baked under melted cheese.🇻🇪 🇨🇴 Baked and breadsArepa con quesoA round cornmeal bread, griddled and split open, filled or topped with soft white cheese and butter.🇧🇷 Baked and breadsPão de queijoBrazilian cheese bread: chewy, crisp-shelled rolls of cassava starch and Minas cheese, eaten warm with coffee.🇳🇿 Baked and breadsCheese rollSouthland sushi: slices of white bread rolled around a cheese filling, toasted and buttered, from New Zealand's south.
Fried and grilled
Saganaki, grilled halloumi, paneer pakora, tequenos and mozzarella in carrozza.
🇮🇹 Fried and grilledAranciniSicilian fried rice balls with a melting cheese centre, filled with ragù and peas or ham and cheese.🇮🇹 Fried and grilledMozzarella in carrozzaA Neapolitan sandwich of mozzarella between slices of bread, dipped in egg and fried until crisp.🇺🇦 🇷🇺 🇧🇾 Fried and grilledSyrnikiSmall fried pancakes of tvorog curd cheese, eaten for breakfast with sour cream, jam or honey.🇳🇱 🇧🇪 Fried and grilledKaassouffléA Dutch snack-bar pastry of cheese sealed in thin dough, deep-fried until crisp and molten inside.🇺🇸 Fried and grilledFried cheese curdsWisconsin's battered and deep-fried fresh cheese curds, a fixture of bars, fairs and supper clubs.🇬🇷 🇨🇾 Fried and grilledSaganakiA thick slice of hard Greek cheese fried in a small pan until crusted and soft, finished with lemon.🇨🇾 Fried and grilledGrilled halloumiThick slices of Cypriot halloumi seared on a grill or pan until striped and soft, with mint and watermelon.🇮🇳 Fried and grilledPaneer tikkaCubes of paneer marinated in spiced yoghurt and roasted on skewers in a tandoor with onion and pepper.🇮🇳 Fried and grilledKalari kulchaJammu's street snack of kalari cheese fried in its own fat until crisp, tucked into a soft kulcha bread.🇲🇽 Fried and grilledChile rellenoRoasted poblano chillies stuffed with cheese, coated in a fluffy egg batter and fried, served in tomato broth.🇻🇪 Fried and grilledCachapaA sweet fresh-corn pancake from Venezuela, folded over thick slices of soft queso de mano.🇻🇪 🇨🇴 Fried and grilledTequeñosVenezuelan party snack of white cheese sticks wrapped in a spiral of wheat dough and deep-fried.🇸🇻 🇭🇳 Fried and grilledPupusaEl Salvador's thick corn tortilla stuffed with quesillo cheese and loroco or beans, griddled and served with curtido.🇧🇯 🇳🇬 🇹🇬 Fried and grilledFried wagasiWest African fresh Fulani cheese, set with plant juice, fried until golden and eaten as a snack or in sauce.
Salads and fresh plates
Caprese, Greek salad, shopska and the plates built on fresh and brined cheese.
🇮🇹 Salads and fresh platesInsalata capreseSlices of fresh mozzarella and ripe tomato with basil, salt and olive oil, from the island of Capri.🇬🇷 🇨🇾 Salads and fresh platesGreek saladHoriatiki: tomato, cucumber, onion, pepper and olives under a whole slab of feta, dressed with oregano and oil.🇧🇬 🇲🇰 🇷🇸 Salads and fresh platesShopska saladBulgaria's salad of tomato, cucumber, pepper and onion buried under a snowfall of grated white sirene.🇪🇹 Salads and fresh platesKitfo with ayibEthiopian minced raw beef in spiced butter, served with cooling fresh ayib cheese and greens.
Pasta, rice and grains
Cacio e pepe, macaroni cheese, risotto and kasespatzle.
🇮🇹 Pasta, rice and grainsCacio e pepeRoman pasta dressed only with grated Pecorino Romano, black pepper and starchy cooking water.🇮🇹 Pasta, rice and grainsRisotto alla parmigianaNorthern Italian rice cooked slowly in broth, then beaten with butter and Parmigiano Reggiano.🇮🇹 Pasta, rice and grainsLasagne alla bologneseLayers of fresh egg pasta, slow-cooked meat ragù, béchamel and Parmigiano Reggiano, baked until golden.🇩🇪 🇦🇹 🇨🇭 Pasta, rice and grainsKäsespätzleSoft egg noodles layered with grated mountain cheese and topped with crisp fried onions.🇸🇰 Pasta, rice and grainsBryndzové haluškySlovakia's national dish: small potato dumplings tossed with soft sheep's bryndza and crisp bacon.🇭🇺 Pasta, rice and grainsTúrós csuszaHungarian broad noodles tossed with fresh túró curd cheese, sour cream and crisp bacon.🇵🇱 🇺🇦 Pasta, rice and grainsPierogi ruskiePolish dumplings filled with potato, white farmer's cheese and fried onion, served with butter or sour cream.🇺🇦 Pasta, rice and grainsVarenyky with curd cheeseUkrainian boiled dumplings filled with salted or sweetened curd cheese, served with sour cream and butter.🇺🇸 🇬🇧 🇨🇦 Pasta, rice and grainsMacaroni and cheeseElbow pasta in a Cheddar sauce, often baked under a browned crust; a staple of American Sunday dinners.
Curries and stews
Palak paneer, ema datshi and the cheese curries and stews of the world.
🇮🇳 🇵🇰 Curries and stewsPalak paneerNorth Indian curry of cubes of paneer in a smooth, spiced purée of spinach, garlic and ginger.🇮🇳 Curries and stewsShahi paneerA royal-style Mughlai curry of paneer in a creamy gravy of onion, tomato, cashew and mild spices.🇮🇳 🇵🇰 🇳🇵 Curries and stewsMatar paneerAn everyday North Indian curry of green peas and paneer in a spiced tomato and onion gravy.🇮🇳 🇵🇰 Curries and stewsPaneer bhurjiCrumbled paneer scrambled in a pan with onion, tomato, green chilli and spices, eaten with pav or roti.🇧🇹 Curries and stewsEma datshiBhutan's national dish: whole green or red chillies stewed in a melted sauce of local datshi cheese.
Sweets and desserts
Cheesecake, rasgulla, kunafa, sernik and paskha: the sweets made from fresh cheese.
🇮🇹 Sweets and dessertsCannoliCrisp fried Sicilian pastry tubes filled with sweetened sheep's milk ricotta, candied fruit and pistachio.🇮🇹 Sweets and dessertsTiramisuLayers of coffee-soaked sponge fingers and mascarpone cream, dusted with cocoa and set in the cold.🇵🇱 Sweets and dessertsSernikPolish baked cheesecake made from twaróg curd cheese, often with a lattice top or a crumbly pastry base.🇷🇺 🇺🇦 🇧🇾 Sweets and dessertsPaskhaAn Orthodox Easter dessert of pressed, sweetened curd cheese, shaped as a pyramid and marked with XB.🇺🇸 Sweets and dessertsNew York cheesecakeA dense, tall cheesecake of cream cheese, eggs and sugar on a biscuit crust, baked slowly and served cold.🇹🇷 Sweets and dessertsKünefeHatay's hot dessert of unsalted string cheese baked between layers of shredded pastry and soaked in syrup.🇵🇸 🇯🇴 🇱🇧 Sweets and dessertsKnafeh nabulsiehThe orange-topped sweet of Nablus: desalted white cheese under fine pastry, baked and soaked in syrup.🇮🇳 🇧🇩 Sweets and dessertsRasgullaSoft, spongy balls of chhena cooked in light sugar syrup, claimed by both Bengal and Odisha.🇮🇳 🇧🇩 Sweets and dessertsSandeshBengal's delicate sweet of fresh chhena cooked briefly with sugar or date-palm jaggery and pressed in moulds.🇮🇳 🇧🇩 🇵🇰 Sweets and dessertsRas malaiSoft discs of chhena soaked in sweet, thickened milk with cardamom, saffron and pistachio, served chilled.🇮🇳 Sweets and dessertsChhena podaOdisha's baked cheese sweet: chhena with sugar and semolina, baked slowly until caramelised and brown.🇯🇵 🇹🇼 Sweets and dessertsJapanese cheesecakeA light, wobbly souffle cheesecake of cream cheese and whipped egg whites, baked gently in a water bath.
Boards, snacks and starters
Cheese boards, poutine, quesadillas and the small plates where cheese leads.
🇬🇧 Boards, snacks and startersPloughman's lunchAn English pub plate of bread, a wedge of cheese, pickle, pickled onions and apple, eaten cold.🇸🇰 🇦🇹 🇭🇺 Boards, snacks and startersLiptauerA paprika-red spread of fresh sheep or curd cheese, butter, onion and caraway, eaten on rye bread.🇨🇦 Boards, snacks and startersPoutineQuebec's dish of chips topped with squeaky fresh cheese curds and hot brown gravy.🇳🇵 🇮🇳 🇧🇹 Boards, snacks and startersCheese momoHimalayan steamed dumplings filled with soft churpi or local cheese, often with greens, served with chilli sauce.🇲🇽 Boards, snacks and startersQuesadillaA tortilla folded over cheese and other fillings and cooked on a griddle until the cheese melts.