Cheeses for snacks
Cheese curds, string cheese, crackers and cheese eaten between meals.
Cheese is a natural snack: portable, filling and good with almost anything. Quebec's squeaky cheese curds, string cheese in a lunch box, Dogra kalari fried in its own fat in Jammu, hard churpi chewed on Himalayan paths, kurt in Central Asian bazaars, cheese straws at tea time and paneer pakoras on a rainy Indian afternoon all fill the space between meals.
Squeaky and stringy
Fresh cheddar curds squeak against the teeth when they are only hours old, because their protein network is still springy. Wisconsin, Quebec and Ontario sell them by the bag, and they are fried in batter at fairs. String cheese, mozzarella pulled into sticks, peels into threads and is a staple of North American lunch boxes. The squeak fades within a day or two in the fridge, though a few seconds of gentle warming can bring some of it back.
Fried snacks
Many cheese snacks are fried. Indian paneer pakoras are dipped in spiced gram-flour batter, and in Jammu, kalari is fried until crisp outside and stretchy within, then eaten with salt or in a kalari kulcha. Venezuelan tequeños wrap sticks of white cheese in dough. Italian mozzarella in carrozza and arancini hide cheese inside bread or rice, and Turkish sigara böreği rolls white cheese and parsley in thin pastry like a cigarette.
Chewed and nibbled
Hard churpi is held in the mouth for an hour, softening slowly, and kurt and aaruul are eaten as a salty, sour snack across Central Asia and Mongolia. Cheese straws, made with grated cheddar or Parmesan, are a tea-time snack in Britain and a party staple in the American South. In the Netherlands, cubes of Gouda with mustard are served with a drink, and in Spain, a few slices of Manchego come with a glass of wine.
Worth knowing
- Cheese curds: Squeaky fresh curds of Quebec and Wisconsin
- String cheese: Mozzarella sticks that peel into threads
- Pakora: Paneer dipped in gram-flour batter and fried
- Kalari: Jammu cheese fried in its own fat
- Tequeño: Venezuelan cheese stick in dough
- Mozzarella in carrozza: Fried mozzarella sandwich of Naples
- Sigara böreği: Turkish cheese pastry rolled like a cigarette
- Chhurpi: Hard Himalayan cheese chewed slowly
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.
Snacks on EveryCheese
The cheeses written up so far, best known first.
🇫🇷 FranceVieux-Boulogne
A soft, beer-washed cow's milk cheese from northern France known for its intense aroma.Cow · Bloomy rind · Salty
🇪🇸 SpainSan Simón da Costa
A pear-shaped, smoked cow's milk cheese from Galicia with a smooth brown rind.Cow · Semi-hard · Salty
🇪🇸 SpainValdeónQueso de Valdeón
A Spanish blue cheese from León wrapped in sycamore or chestnut leavesCow · Semi-soft · Sharp and tangy-aged
🇬🇪 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
🇦🇲 ArmeniaMotalմոթալ
A soft, brined Armenian cheese aged in leather bags with wild thyme.Sheep · Brined · Milky and fresh
🇫🇷 FranceSaint Albray
A soft cow's-milk cheese from France with a flower-shaped rind and hollow center.Cow · Bloomy rind · Milky and fresh
🇬🇷 GreeceLadotyri MytilinisΛαδοτύρι Μυτιλήνης
A hard Greek cheese from Lesbos preserved in olive oil since ancient times.Sheep · Hard · Savoury and brothy
🇪🇸 SpainArzúa-Ulloa cheese
A soft, creamy cow's-milk cheese from Galicia with a thin yellow rind and sweet grassy flavour.Bloomy rind · Sweet and caramel
🇬🇧 United KingdomCaboc
A Scottish cream cheese made from double cream and rolled in toasted oatmeal.Cow · Fresh · Buttery and creamy
🇫🇷 FranceAisy cendré
A washed-rind cow's-milk cheese rolled in wood ash and aged for two weeks.Cow · Washed rind · Smoky
🇵🇭 PhilippinesKesong putiKesong putî
A soft, unaged Filipino white cheese made from carabao or cow milk and curdled with acid.Cow · Fresh · Salty
🇫🇷 FranceSaint-Félicien
A creamy cow's milk cheese from France with a flower-patterned rindCow · Bloomy rind · Milky and fresh
🇬🇧 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
🇲🇽 MexicoCotija
A salty, aged cow's milk cheese from Michoacán that crumbles but does not melt.Cow · Semi-hard · Salty
🇮🇹 ItalySpressa delle Giudicarie
A semi-hard cow's milk cheese from the Giudicarie valley in Trentino-Alto Adige.Cow · Semi-hard · Nutty
🇬🇷 GreeceMetsovoneΜετσοβόνε
A semi-hard smoked pasta filata cheese from the Greek village of Metsovo.Cow · Semi-hard · Savoury and brothy
🇧🇷 BrazilQueijo Coalho
A squeaky, semi-hard cow's-milk cheese from Brazil, often grilled on sticks.Cow · Semi-hard · Salty
🇵🇹 Portugal and 1 moreRequeijão
A versatile dairy product ranging from whey cheese to creamy spreads across Portugal and Brazil.Cow · Whey · Milky and fresh
🇪🇸 SpainGarrotxa
A semi-soft Catalan goat cheese with a powdery gray rind and earthy flavor.Goat · Semi-soft · Earthy and cellar
🇦🇹 Austria and 2 moreVorarlberger Bergkäse
A hard, nutty cow's-milk cheese from the Austrian Alps, aged for months or years.Cow · Hard · Nutty
🇨🇭 Switzerland and 1 moreZiger
A fresh Swiss whey cheese, often eaten plain or fried with salt and pepper.Mixed · Fresh · Milky and fresh
🇷🇸 SerbiaPulemagareći sir
A rare Serbian cheese made from donkey and goat milk, known for its crumbly texture and earthy taste.Other · Fresh · Nutty
🇺🇸 United StatesColby-Jack
A mild American semi-hard cheese made by blending Colby and Monterey Jack curds.Cow · Semi-hard
🇮🇹 ItalyCacioricotta
A southern Italian cheese made from milk and whey using a hybrid method.Sheep · Semi-hard · Savoury and brothy
🇳🇴 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
🇩🇪 GermanySpundekäs
A spiced cream cheese spread from Northern Rhenish Hesse in Germany.Cow · Fresh · Salty
🇮🇹 ItalyCaciotta
A mild Italian cheese made from cow, sheep, goat, or buffalo milk.Cow · Bloomy rind · Milky and fresh
🇮🇱 IsraelTzfat Cheeseגבינה צפתית
A semi-hard salty cheese from Safed, originally made with sheep's milk and molded in baskets.Sheep · Semi-hard · Salty
🇪🇸 SpainTupíformatge de tupí
A soft, creamy Catalan cheese fermented in a ceramic jar with strong liquor.Mixed · 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
🇬🇷 GreeceXynomizithraΞινομυζήθρα
A soft, sour Greek whey cheese from Crete made with sheep or goat milk.Sheep · Fresh · Tangy and lactic
🇧🇷 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
🇮🇹 ItalyCasciotta d'Urbino
A semi-soft Italian cheese from the Marche region made with sheep and cow milk.Mixed · Semi-soft
🇳🇱 NetherlandsBoerenkaas
A Dutch semi-hard raw milk cheese with TSG protection, often spiced and farm-made.Cow · Semi-hard · Salty
🇮🇹 ItalySquacquerone
A soft, crumbly cow's-milk cheese from Romagna with a short maturation.Cow · Bloomy rind · Sweet and caramel
🇬🇧 United KingdomLanark Blue
A semi-hard blue cheese made from raw sheep's milk in Scotland.Sheep · Semi-hard · Savoury and brothy
🇭🇺 HungaryPálpusztai cheese
A pungent Hungarian soft cow's milk cheese aged for two to three weeks.Cow · Piquant and spicy
🇮🇳 IndiaBandel cheese
A small, smoked cow's-milk cheese from West Bengal with a crumbly texture and tangy taste.Cow · Fresh · Salty
🇫🇷 FranceMottin charentais
A cylindrical French soft cheese made from pasteurized cow's milk with a creamy taste.Cow · Bloomy rind · Buttery and creamy
🇫🇷 FranceDélice de Bourgogne
A soft triple-cream cow's milk cheese from Burgundy with a bloomy rind.Cow · Bloomy rind · Tangy and lactic
🇨🇳 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
🇱🇧 Lebanon and 4 moreBaladi cheeseجبنة بلدي
A soft, white Middle Eastern cheese made from mixed milks and sold in brine.Mixed · Fresh · Salty
🇺🇸 United StatesMuenster
A semi-soft American cow's-milk cheese with a smooth texture and an orange rind dyed with annatto.Cow · Semi-soft · Nutty
🇨🇳 ChinaRubing乳饼
A firm, acid-set fresh goat cheese from Yunnan that holds its shape when cooked.Goat · Fresh · Salty
🇩🇪 GermanyNieheimer Käse
A sour milk cheese from North Rhine-Westphalia ripened in hops and flavored with caraway.Cow · Hard · Tangy and lactic
🇨🇿 Czech RepublicAbertam cheese
A hard, pressed sheep's-milk cheese from the Bohemian mountains of the Czech Republic.Sheep · Hard
🇪🇸 SpainSan Simón da Costa
A pear-shaped, smoked cow's milk cheese from Galicia with a smooth brown rind.Cow · Semi-hard · Salty
🇪🇸 SpainValdeónQueso de Valdeón
A Spanish blue cheese from León wrapped in sycamore or chestnut leavesCow · Semi-soft · Sharp and tangy-aged
🇬🇪 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
🇦🇲 ArmeniaMotalմոթալ
A soft, brined Armenian cheese aged in leather bags with wild thyme.Sheep · Brined · Milky and fresh
🇫🇷 FranceSaint Albray
A soft cow's-milk cheese from France with a flower-shaped rind and hollow center.Cow · Bloomy rind · Milky and fresh
🇬🇷 GreeceLadotyri MytilinisΛαδοτύρι Μυτιλήνης
A hard Greek cheese from Lesbos preserved in olive oil since ancient times.Sheep · Hard · Savoury and brothy
🇪🇸 SpainArzúa-Ulloa cheese
A soft, creamy cow's-milk cheese from Galicia with a thin yellow rind and sweet grassy flavour.Bloomy rind · Sweet and caramel
🇬🇧 United KingdomCaboc
A Scottish cream cheese made from double cream and rolled in toasted oatmeal.Cow · Fresh · Buttery and creamy
🇫🇷 FranceAisy cendré
A washed-rind cow's-milk cheese rolled in wood ash and aged for two weeks.Cow · Washed rind · Smoky
🇵🇭 PhilippinesKesong putiKesong putî
A soft, unaged Filipino white cheese made from carabao or cow milk and curdled with acid.Cow · Fresh · Salty
🇫🇷 FranceSaint-Félicien
A creamy cow's milk cheese from France with a flower-patterned rindCow · Bloomy rind · Milky and fresh
🇬🇧 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
🇲🇽 MexicoCotija
A salty, aged cow's milk cheese from Michoacán that crumbles but does not melt.Cow · Semi-hard · Salty
🇮🇹 ItalySpressa delle Giudicarie
A semi-hard cow's milk cheese from the Giudicarie valley in Trentino-Alto Adige.Cow · Semi-hard · Nutty
🇬🇷 GreeceMetsovoneΜετσοβόνε
A semi-hard smoked pasta filata cheese from the Greek village of Metsovo.Cow · Semi-hard · Savoury and brothy
🇧🇷 BrazilQueijo Coalho
A squeaky, semi-hard cow's-milk cheese from Brazil, often grilled on sticks.Cow · Semi-hard · Salty
🇵🇹 Portugal and 1 moreRequeijão
A versatile dairy product ranging from whey cheese to creamy spreads across Portugal and Brazil.Cow · Whey · Milky and fresh
🇪🇸 SpainGarrotxa
A semi-soft Catalan goat cheese with a powdery gray rind and earthy flavor.Goat · Semi-soft · Earthy and cellar
🇦🇹 Austria and 2 moreVorarlberger Bergkäse
A hard, nutty cow's-milk cheese from the Austrian Alps, aged for months or years.Cow · Hard · Nutty
🇨🇭 Switzerland and 1 moreZiger
A fresh Swiss whey cheese, often eaten plain or fried with salt and pepper.Mixed · Fresh · Milky and fresh
🇷🇸 SerbiaPulemagareći sir
A rare Serbian cheese made from donkey and goat milk, known for its crumbly texture and earthy taste.Other · Fresh · Nutty
🇺🇸 United StatesColby-Jack
A mild American semi-hard cheese made by blending Colby and Monterey Jack curds.Cow · Semi-hard
🇮🇹 ItalyCacioricotta
A southern Italian cheese made from milk and whey using a hybrid method.Sheep · Semi-hard · Savoury and brothy
🇳🇴 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
🇩🇪 GermanySpundekäs
A spiced cream cheese spread from Northern Rhenish Hesse in Germany.Cow · Fresh · Salty
🇮🇹 ItalyCaciotta
A mild Italian cheese made from cow, sheep, goat, or buffalo milk.Cow · Bloomy rind · Milky and fresh
🇮🇱 IsraelTzfat Cheeseגבינה צפתית
A semi-hard salty cheese from Safed, originally made with sheep's milk and molded in baskets.Sheep · Semi-hard · Salty
🇪🇸 SpainTupíformatge de tupí
A soft, creamy Catalan cheese fermented in a ceramic jar with strong liquor.Mixed · 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
🇬🇷 GreeceXynomizithraΞινομυζήθρα
A soft, sour Greek whey cheese from Crete made with sheep or goat milk.Sheep · Fresh · Tangy and lactic
🇧🇷 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
🇮🇹 ItalyCasciotta d'Urbino
A semi-soft Italian cheese from the Marche region made with sheep and cow milk.Mixed · Semi-soft
🇳🇱 NetherlandsBoerenkaas
A Dutch semi-hard raw milk cheese with TSG protection, often spiced and farm-made.Cow · Semi-hard · Salty
🇮🇹 ItalySquacquerone
A soft, crumbly cow's-milk cheese from Romagna with a short maturation.Cow · Bloomy rind · Sweet and caramel
🇬🇧 United KingdomLanark Blue
A semi-hard blue cheese made from raw sheep's milk in Scotland.Sheep · Semi-hard · Savoury and brothy
🇭🇺 HungaryPálpusztai cheese
A pungent Hungarian soft cow's milk cheese aged for two to three weeks.Cow · Piquant and spicy
🇮🇳 IndiaBandel cheese
A small, smoked cow's-milk cheese from West Bengal with a crumbly texture and tangy taste.Cow · Fresh · Salty
🇫🇷 FranceMottin charentais
A cylindrical French soft cheese made from pasteurized cow's milk with a creamy taste.Cow · Bloomy rind · Buttery and creamy
🇫🇷 FranceDélice de Bourgogne
A soft triple-cream cow's milk cheese from Burgundy with a bloomy rind.Cow · Bloomy rind · Tangy and lactic
🇨🇳 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
🇱🇧 Lebanon and 4 moreBaladi cheeseجبنة بلدي
A soft, white Middle Eastern cheese made from mixed milks and sold in brine.Mixed · Fresh · Salty
🇺🇸 United StatesMuenster
A semi-soft American cow's-milk cheese with a smooth texture and an orange rind dyed with annatto.Cow · Semi-soft · Nutty
🇨🇳 ChinaRubing乳饼
A firm, acid-set fresh goat cheese from Yunnan that holds its shape when cooked.Goat · Fresh · Salty
🇩🇪 GermanyNieheimer Käse
A sour milk cheese from North Rhine-Westphalia ripened in hops and flavored with caraway.Cow · Hard · Tangy and lactic
🇨🇿 Czech RepublicAbertam cheese
A hard, pressed sheep's-milk cheese from the Bohemian mountains of the Czech Republic.Sheep · Hard
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
- Tenili: Georgian Recipes at Georgia About, CC BY 3.0, source
- Friesian Clove: Takeaway, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Saint Albray: Lyokoï88, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Aisy cendré: Pierre-Yves Beaudouin, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- San Simón da Costa: Tamorlan, CC BY 3.0, source
- Colby-Jack: Stephen Shep, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Valdeón: Tamorlan, CC BY 3.0, source
- Schabziger: Flyout, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Arzúa-Ulloa cheese: :Ficheiro:Festa do queixo de Arzúa 2.jpg feito por Adrián Estévez ( Es, GFDL, source
- Pálpusztai cheese: JezWegierski, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Kesong puti: Shubert Ciencia, CC BY 3.0, source
- Saint-Félicien: Coyau, 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
- Cotija: Leslie Seaton, CC BY 2.0, source
- Vorarlberger Bergkäse: Hubertl, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Garrotxa: Government of Catalonia, Attribution, source
- Requeijão: Comte0, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Queijo Coalho: Carioca, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Tzfat Cheese: Myself, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Casín cheese: Shalbat, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Caciotta: Peachyeung316, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Spundekäs: User:Kandschwar , edit by Rainer Z ..., CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Robiola: Andrea Marchisio, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Bandel cheese: Rangan Datta Wiki, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Cacioricotta: Andrew Green, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Mottin charentais: Cobber17, CC BY 3.0, source
- Délice de Bourgogne: Beprost, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Rushan: Zhangmoon618, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Squacquerone: WILO-MA, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Canastra cheese: [https://www.flickr.com/people/8100764@N03 Marcelo Costa ], CC BY 2.0, source
- Baladi cheese: Jon Lebensold, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Muenster: No machine-readable author provided. Brion VIBBER assumed (based on co, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Rubing: Pratyeka, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Nieheimer Käse: Tsungam, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Motal: Barseghian Lilia, CC0, source