Cow's milk cheeses

Most of the world's cheese: cheddar, Gouda, Brie, Parmigiano, paneer and the great Alpine wheels.

Cow's milk makes most of the world's cheese. It is plentiful, mild and balanced in fat and protein, which lets cheesemakers turn it into everything from paneer to Parmigiano. Its fat carries carotene from grass, so cow's milk cheese is often pale yellow, deeper in summer when the herds graze fresh pasture. Cheddar, Gouda, Brie, Camembert, Emmental, Comté and mozzarella all begin here, and so does most of India's paneer.

Breeds and feed

Breed matters to a cheesemaker. Holstein-Friesians give large volumes of milk, while Jersey and Guernsey milk is richer in fat and protein. Many protected cheeses name their breeds: Comté must be made from the milk of Montbéliarde or French Simmental cows, and some Parmigiano Reggiano dairies work only with the old red Reggiana breed. Feed matters too. The rules for Comté and Parmigiano Reggiano forbid silage, because fermented feed can carry bacteria that spoil a long-aged wheel.

India and the cooperatives

India produces more milk than any other country, from cows and buffaloes together, and a great deal of it becomes paneer and chhena. The cooperative movement that began at Anand in Gujarat in 1946 grew, through the programme known as Operation Flood, into a national network of village dairies, and today it makes paneer, processed cheese and mozzarella on a large scale. Native breeds such as Gir and Sahiwal are kept for their milk, and many families still set paneer at home from the morning's delivery.

One milk, many cheeses

Cow's milk can become soft or hard, fresh or aged for years. It separates its cream easily, which suits both butter and skimmed-milk cheeses, and its curd sets firmly with rennet. Cheeses from the same milk can taste wholly different depending on the cultures, the size of the cut, the cooking, the salting and the cellar. That is why cheddar and Camembert, paneer and Parmigiano, all made from the milk of the same kind of animal, share almost nothing on the plate.

Worth knowing

Cheddar: The most widely copied cheese in the world
Parmigiano Reggiano: Grana of the Po valley, aged at least a year
Gouda: Dutch washed-curd cheese, young to very old
Camembert de Normandie: Raw-milk bloomy rind of Normandy
Comté: Jura wheel of Montbéliarde milk
Emmental: Swiss wheel with large holes
Paneer: India's fresh pressed cheese
Kalimpong cheese: Small Himalayan wheel of West Bengal

Good to know

Pale cheese in winter and golden cheese in summer is normal for pasture-fed herds.
Cow's milk cheeses suit almost any wine, beer or tea: match strength with strength.
Store firm cow's milk cheeses in paper and soft ones in a closed box.

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.

Cow on EveryCheese

The cheeses written up so far, best known first.

🇫🇷 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

🇮🇹 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

🇨🇭 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 🇫🇷 FranceVieux-Boulogne A soft, beer-washed cow's milk cheese from northern France known for its intense aroma.Cow · Bloomy rind · Salty

🇮🇹 ItalyFormaggio di fossa A sharp Italian cheese aged in sealed underground pits for a distinct anaerobic fermentation.Cow · Semi-hard · Sharp and tangy-aged

🇷🇴 RomaniaNăsal A smear-ripened cow's-milk cheese from Romania aged in a natural cave.Cow · Washed rind · Sweet and caramel 🇮🇹 ItalySalvaSalva cremasco A washed-rind cow's milk cheese from Lombardy, aged for several months.Cow · Washed rind · Savoury and brothy

🇪🇸 SpainValdeónQueso de Valdeón A Spanish blue cheese from León wrapped in sycamore or chestnut leavesCow · Semi-soft · Sharp and tangy-aged

🇬🇧 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 🇮🇹 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

🇫🇷 FranceAisy cendré A washed-rind cow's-milk cheese rolled in wood ash and aged for two weeks.Cow · Washed rind · Smoky 🇧🇷 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 🇬🇧 United KingdomBuxton Blue A cylindrical English cow's-milk blue cheese with russet veining, made under PDO rules.Cow · Blue · 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

🇮🇹 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 🇳🇴 NorwaySnøfrisk A soft, spreadable Norwegian goat cheese with a fresh, sour taste.Goat · Fresh · 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 🇦🇷 ArgentinaReggianito A small Argentine hard cow's milk cheese made by Italian immigrants as a Parmesan alternative.Cow · Hard · Savoury and brothy

🇮🇹 ItalyBastardo del Grappa A semi-fat cow's milk cheese from the Veneto foothills with a soft crumbly texture.Cow · Semi-soft · Savoury and brothy

🇳🇱 Netherlands and 1 moreKanterkaas A hard Dutch cow's milk cheese flavored with cumin and cloves, aged in Friesland.Cow · Hard · Sharp and tangy-aged

🇬🇧 United KingdomDovedale A soft, brine-dipped cow's milk blue cheese from the English Peak District.Cow · Blue · Savoury and brothy 🇬🇧 United KingdomLittle Derby A semi-hard cow's milk cheese from England with a washed red wine rind.Cow · Semi-hard · Savoury and brothy

🇮🇹 ItalySottocenere al tartufo A semi-soft cow's milk cheese from Venice with an ash rind and black truffle slices.Cow · Semi-soft · Savoury and brothy

🇬🇧 United KingdomOxford Blue A soft, creamy English blue cheese with spicy and chocolate notes, made in Oxfordshire.Cow · Bloomy rind · Tangy and lactic

🇨🇦 CanadaPikauba A semi-firm washed-rind cow's milk cheese from Quebec with a buttery taste and orange rind.Cow · Semi-soft · Buttery and creamy 🇬🇧 United KingdomDorset Drum A small cylindrical farmhouse cheddar from west Dorset, clothbound and matured for six to nine months.Cow · Semi-hard · Savoury and brothy

🇬🇧 United KingdomLymeswold cheese A short-lived English soft blue cheese with a white rind, made from cow's milk.Cow · Bloomy rind · Savoury and brothy

🇬🇧 United KingdomBanbury cheese A historic English cow's-milk cheese from Oxfordshire, known for its thin rounds and sharp taste.Cow · Bloomy rind · Sharp and tangy-aged

🇮🇳 IndiaChhena Podaଛେନାପୋଡ଼ A baked Odisha dessert of caramelised cottage cheese and sugarCow · Fresh · Sweet and caramel 🇫🇷 FranceBoursin A soft, herb-flecked French spread made from pasteurized cow's milk and cream.Cow · Fresh · Herbal and grassy

🇬🇧 United KingdomStinking Bishop A washed-rind Gloucestershire cheese ripened in perry from the Stinking Bishop pear.Cow · Washed rind · Tangy and lactic

🇫🇷 FranceBrie de Melun A small, strong cow's-milk cheese from Seine-et-Marne with an AOC label.Cow · Bloomy rind · Tangy and lactic

🇦🇷 ArgentinaProvoleta A firm Argentine pulled-curd provolone cheese shaped for grilling and served with spices.Cow · Stretched curd · Savoury and brothy

🇨🇭 Switzerland and 5 moreEmmentalEmmentaler A yellow Swiss cheese with natural holes and a mild savoury taste.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
Piave: J.P.Lon, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Silter: Sistoiv, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Năsal: Vlad Trifa, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
Formaggio di fossa: Zeugma fr ( talk ) (Antoine FLEURY-GOBERT), 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
Dovedale: Douglal, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Emmental: Manuel2, CC BY-SA 2.0 de, source
Aisy cendré: Pierre-Yves Beaudouin, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Chaumes: Robin dubois, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Valdeón: Tamorlan, CC BY 3.0, source
Kanterkaas: AlexanderVanLoon, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Vacherin Fribourgeois: Tombat24, CC BY-SA 3.0, 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
Bastardo del Grappa: Krenakarore, Public domain, source
Pikauba: Lëa-Kim Châteauneuf, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Lymeswold cheese: Eirian Evans, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Banbury cheese: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Sottocenere al tartufo: F. D. Richards, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Oxford Blue: Amanda Slater, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Chhena Poda: http://recipes.oriyaonline.com/content_images/chhena%20poda.JPG, FAL, source
Stinking Bishop: Jon Sullivan, Public domain, source
Provoleta: Horacio Cambeiro, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Brie de Melun: Thesupermat, CC BY-SA 4.0, source