Savoury and brothy
Deep, meaty umami: Parmigiano Reggiano, Grana, aged Gouda and Comte.
Savoury cheeses taste deep, brothy and meaty, the flavour the Japanese call umami. It comes mainly from glutamate, freed as proteins break down during long ripening, and it is strongest in Parmigiano Reggiano and Grana Padano, aged Comté and Gouda, and old cheddars. A spoonful of grated Parmigiano does for a dish what stock does: it rounds and deepens everything around it.
Glutamate and age
Milk proteins hold glutamic acid bound up in long chains. As a cheese ages, enzymes cut the chains and release free glutamate, which tastes of umami. Parmigiano Reggiano has one of the highest levels of free glutamate of any common food, and the level rises with age. Peptides and other amino acids add brothy, meaty notes, and some amino acids collect as the white crystals in old wheels. Salt, which brings out umami, plays its part too.
Cooking with savoury cheese
Savoury cheeses are seasoning cheeses. Parmigiano and Grana finish risotto, pasta and soup, and their rinds simmer in stock. Comté and Gruyère deepen onion soup and gratins. A vegetarian kitchen can lean on these cheeses for the depth that meat stock gives elsewhere, but cooks who avoid animal rennet should check how a cheese is made: Parmigiano Reggiano and Grana Padano are always made with calf rennet, while many similar hard cheeses use microbial rennet.
Beyond the grana
Savoury depth turns up in many places: in aged Mahón from Menorca, old Gouda, Switzerland's Sbrinz, the long-aged Bitto of the Valtellina, and the aged sheep's milk cheeses of the Pyrenees, such as Ossau-Iraty. Well-aged washed rinds have a meaty savour too. Pair these cheeses with good bread, a few drops of aged balsamic vinegar, dry sherry or a dark ale, which share their deep, rounded taste.
Worth knowing
- Parmigiano Reggiano: High in free glutamate
- Grana Padano: Grana of the Po valley
- Comté: Brothy when aged
- Gouda: Deep and savoury when old
- Sbrinz: Hard Swiss grating cheese
- Mahón: Menorcan cheese, savoury when aged
- Bitto: Alpine cheese of the Valtellina, aged for years
- Ossau-Iraty: Pyrenean sheep's milk cheese
Sources and further reading
About this page
Original text by the EveryCheese desk, written with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Customs are described as tradition, not as advice. If we have something wrong, tell us.
Savoury and brothy on EveryCheese
The cheeses written up so far, best known first.
🇫🇷 FranceSaint-NectaireSench-Nectari
A semi-soft washed-rind cow's-milk cheese from the volcanic Auvergne region of France.Cow · Semi-soft · Nutty
🇳🇵 Nepal and 2 moreChhurpiछुर्पी
A smoked yak and cow milk cheese from the Himalayas, available in soft or hard forms.Yak · Smoked · Tangy and lactic
🇫🇷 FranceCrottin de Chavignol
A small French goat cheese from the Loire Valley, aged to develop a white or blue rind.Goat · Bloomy rind · Nutty
🇵🇹 PortugalSerra da EstrelaQueijo Serra da Estrela
A soft Portuguese sheep's milk cheese coagulated with thistle and aged for at least a month.Sheep · Bloomy rind · Buttery and creamy
🇫🇷 FranceBleu de Bresse
A creamy French blue cheese from the Bresse region, aged for a few weeks.Cow · Blue · Earthy and cellar
🇳🇱 NetherlandsLeyden cheeseLeidse kaas
A semi-hard Dutch cow's-milk cheese flavoured with cumin and caraway seeds.Cow · Semi-hard · Savoury and brothy
🇩🇪 GermanyHarzer
A low-fat German sour milk cheese from the Harz mountains, often spiced with caraway.Cow · Fresh · Tangy and lactic
🇬🇷 GreeceGravieraγραβιέρα
A hard Greek cheese made from sheep or cow milk, aged for months and marked with a crisscross rind.Sheep · Hard · Sweet and caramel
🇫🇷 FranceGaperon
A dome-shaped Auvergne cheese with a white mold rind and garlic-pepper filling.Cow · Bloomy rind · Buttery and creamy
🇸🇰 SlovakiaParenica
A semi-firm Slovak cheese made from steamed curds, often smoked and woven into spirals.Sheep · Semi-hard · Savoury and brothy
🇫🇷 FrancePélardon
A small, round soft-ripened goat cheese from the Cévennes mountains of southern France.Goat · Bloomy rind · Tangy and lactic
🇮🇹 ItalyCastelmagno
A semi-hard Italian cheese from Piedmont with blue veining and a sharp taste.Cow · Semi-hard · Sharp and tangy-aged
🇬🇷 Greece and 5 moreWhey cheese
A dairy product made from the liquid remaining after curds are separated during cheesemaking.Mixed · Whey · Sweet and caramel
🇬🇧 United KingdomShropshire Blue
A pasteurised cow's milk blue cheese with an orange rind and sharp flavour.Cow · Blue · Sharp and tangy-aged
🇪🇸 SpainAfuega'l pitu
A soft, unpasteurised cow's milk cheese from Asturias, shaped like a mitre or sphere and often dusted with paprika.Cow · Milky and fresh
🇫🇷 FranceSaint AgurSant Agur
A soft, double-cream French blue cheese with olive-green veins and a mild spicy taste.Cow · Bloomy rind · Tangy and lactic
🇵🇹 PortugalQueijo de Nisa
A semi-hard sheep's milk cheese from Alto Alentejo, Portugal, set with thistle.Sheep · Semi-hard · Savoury and brothy
🇫🇷 FranceChevrotin
A soft, washed-rind goat cheese from the Savoy Alps with a reddish rind.Goat · Bloomy rind · Tangy and lactic
🇮🇹 ItalyMonte Veronese
A semi-hard cow's-milk cheese from Verona with fresh and aged varieties.Cow · Semi-hard · Sweet and caramel
🇮🇹 ItalyPiave
A hard Italian cow's milk cheese from the Veneto region with a sweet flavor and PDO status.Cow · Hard · Sweet and caramel
🇫🇷 FranceChaumesPalhas
A soft, washed-rind cow's milk cheese from the Périgord with a tangerine-orange rind.Cow · Bloomy rind · Savoury and brothy
🇫🇷 FranceChabichou
A cylindrical French goat cheese with a natural rind, aged for two to three weeks.Goat · Semi-soft · Tangy and lactic
🇵🇹 PortugalCastelo BrancoQueijo de Castelo Branco
A soft Portuguese cheese from the Beira Baixa district, made with goat or sheep milk.Mixed · Semi-soft · Savoury and brothy
🇪🇸 SpainGamonéuQueso de Gamonéu
A lightly smoked, mixed-milk cheese from the mountains of Asturias with a moulded rind.Mixed · Smoked · Savoury and brothy
🇨🇭 Switzerland and 1 moreVacherin Fribourgeois
A Swiss semi-hard washed-rind cheese from the canton of Fribourg with a resiny taste.Cow · Semi-hard · Tangy and lactic
🇮🇹 ItalySilter
A brined, aged cow's-milk cheese from the Brescia mountains of Italy.Cow · Hard · Savoury and brothy
🇪🇸 SpainValdeónQueso de Valdeón
A Spanish blue cheese from León wrapped in sycamore or chestnut leavesCow · Semi-soft · Sharp and tangy-aged
🇫🇷 FranceVieux-Boulogne
A soft, beer-washed cow's milk cheese from northern France known for its intense aroma.Cow · Bloomy rind · Salty
🇷🇴 RomaniaNăsal
A smear-ripened cow's-milk cheese from Romania aged in a natural cave.Cow · Washed rind · Sweet and caramel
🇬🇪 GeorgiaTeniliტენილი ყველი
A stuffed string cheese from Georgia's Meskheti region, made from sheep's milk and aged in clay pots.Sheep · Stretched curd · Savoury and brothy
🇮🇹 ItalySalvaSalva cremasco
A washed-rind cow's milk cheese from Lombardy, aged for several months.Cow · Washed rind · Savoury and brothy
🇬🇷 GreeceLadotyri MytilinisΛαδοτύρι Μυτιλήνης
A hard Greek cheese from Lesbos preserved in olive oil since ancient times.Sheep · Hard · Savoury and brothy
🇮🇹 ItalyFormaggio di fossa
A sharp Italian cheese aged in sealed underground pits for a distinct anaerobic fermentation.Cow · Semi-hard · Sharp and tangy-aged
🇮🇹 ItalySpressa delle Giudicarie
A semi-hard cow's milk cheese from the Giudicarie valley in Trentino-Alto Adige.Cow · Semi-hard · Nutty
🇫🇷 FranceAisy cendré
A washed-rind cow's-milk cheese rolled in wood ash and aged for two weeks.Cow · Washed rind · Smoky
🇬🇧 United KingdomDorset Blue Vinny
A hard, crumbly cow's-milk blue cheese from Dorset with a strong taste and protected status.Cow · Hard · Sharp and tangy-aged
🇬🇷 GreeceMetsovoneΜετσοβόνε
A semi-hard smoked pasta filata cheese from the Greek village of Metsovo.Cow · Semi-hard · Savoury and brothy
🇬🇧 United KingdomBuxton Blue
A cylindrical English cow's-milk blue cheese with russet veining, made under PDO rules.Cow · Blue · Savoury and brothy
🇧🇷 BrazilColony cheesequeijo de colônia
A semi-hard cow's-milk cheese from southern Brazil with a yellow crust and creamy interior.Cow · Semi-hard · Tangy and lactic
🇳🇴 NorwaySnøfrisk
A soft, spreadable Norwegian goat cheese with a fresh, sour taste.Goat · Fresh · Tangy and lactic
🇮🇹 ItalyRobiola
A soft-ripened Italian cheese from Piedmont and Lombardy, made from cow, goat, or sheep milk.Cow · Bloomy rind · Sweet and caramel
🇮🇹 ItalyCacioricotta
A southern Italian cheese made from milk and whey using a hybrid method.Sheep · Semi-hard · Savoury and brothy
🇧🇹 BhutanDatshiདར་ཚི
A fresh Bhutanese cottage cheese made from cow milk, central to daily meals and curries.Cow · Fresh · Tangy and lactic
🇪🇸 SpainCasín cheesequeso Casin
A semi-hard cow's-milk cheese from southern Asturias with a protected origin status.Cow · Semi-hard · Savoury and brothy
🇦🇷 ArgentinaReggianito
A small Argentine hard cow's milk cheese made by Italian immigrants as a Parmesan alternative.Cow · Hard · Savoury and brothy
🇬🇧 United KingdomLanark Blue
A semi-hard blue cheese made from raw sheep's milk in Scotland.Sheep · Semi-hard · Savoury and brothy
🇨🇳 ChinaRushan乳扇
A stretched cow's milk cheese from Yunnan dried into thin yellow sheets.Cow · Dried · Savoury and brothy
🇧🇷 BrazilCanastra cheese
A raw cow's-milk cheese from Brazil's Serra da Canastra highlands.Cow · Semi-hard · Savoury and brothy
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Dorset Blue Vinny: Jon Sullivan, Public domain, source
- Shropshire Blue: Benoît Prieur, CC0, source
- Piave: J.P.Lon, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Gamonéu: Jrfdiaz, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Pélardon: Coyau, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Silter: Sistoiv, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Tenili: Georgian Recipes at Georgia About, CC BY 3.0, source
- Năsal: Vlad Trifa, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Bleu de Bresse: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Chhurpi: Arijit Dasgupta, CC BY 2.0, source
- Formaggio di fossa: Zeugma fr ( talk ) (Antoine FLEURY-GOBERT), CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Castelmagno: Marco Plassio, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Crottin de Chavignol: Coyau, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Saint-Nectaire: Homer Ectus, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Saint Agur: Micah Anderson, Public domain, source
- Monte Veronese: La Casara Caseificio Dal 1920, CC BY 2.0, source
- Castelo Branco: Adriao, Public domain, source
- Chabichou: Mark Baker, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Aisy cendré: Pierre-Yves Beaudouin, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Chaumes: Robin dubois, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Whey cheese: Illustratedjc, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Serra da Estrela: Adriao, Public domain, source
- Valdeón: Tamorlan, CC BY 3.0, source
- Vacherin Fribourgeois: Tombat24, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Chevrotin: Benoît Prieur, CC0, source
- Parenica: Stanislav Doronenko, Public domain, source
- Afuega'l pitu: Denissf, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Gaperon: Pymouss, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Graviera: Catlemur, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Harzer: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Leyden cheese: Edwtie, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Queijo de Nisa: Adriao, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Ladotyri Mytilinis: C messier, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Metsovone: C messier, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Casín cheese: Shalbat, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Datshi: Nair A, Choden D, Pradhan M., CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Robiola: Andrea Marchisio, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Cacioricotta: Andrew Green, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Rushan: Zhangmoon618, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Canastra cheese: [https://www.flickr.com/people/8100764@N03 Marcelo Costa ], CC BY 2.0, source