Semi-hard cheeses
Cheddar, Edam, Manchego and the tommes: pressed, firm and aged for months.
Semi-hard cheeses are the firm, pressed cheeses that fill most of the world's cheese counters: cheddar, Edam, Manchego, Cantal, Red Leicester, the tommes of the French mountains and the many farm cheeses made in their image. The curd is cut small, sometimes warmed, drained and pressed into wheels or blocks that ripen for two months to a year or more, turning from mild and springy to firm, flaky and deep.
Pressing and ripening
After the milk is set and cut, the curd is stirred and sometimes warmed to drive off whey. It is packed into moulds and pressed, which closes the texture and lowers the moisture so the cheese can age. Rinds may be natural, rubbed with oil, bound in cloth, coated in wax or sealed in plastic for rindless blocks. Gouda and Edam are made by washing the curd, which keeps them sweet, while cheddar has a step of its own. Edam is shaped into balls and, for export, often coated in red wax.
Cheddaring
Cheddar is named after the Somerset village of Cheddar, near the caves of the Mendip Hills. Its signature is cheddaring: slabs of curd are stacked and turned on the floor of the vat until they become smooth and fibrous, then milled into chips, salted and pressed. Traditional farmhouse cheddars are bound in muslin, rubbed with lard and aged for a year or more. The method travelled with British settlers to North America, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, and cheddar is now made almost everywhere.
Southern and mountain styles
Spain's Manchego, made from the milk of Manchega sheep in La Mancha, is pressed in moulds that print a zigzag on the rind, a pattern once left by plaited esparto grass. France's Cantal and Salers are among the oldest cheeses of the Auvergne. The tommes of Savoie and the Pyrenees are smaller mountain cheeses with grey, dusty rinds. In Mexico, queso Chihuahua, first made by Mennonite farmers, follows the same broad method and melts well in queso fundido.
Worth knowing
- Cheddar: Somerset-born cheese now made around the world
- Edam: Dutch ball cheese, often in red wax
- Manchego: Sheep's milk cheese of La Mancha with a zigzag rind
- Cantal: Ancient pressed cheese of the Auvergne
- Tomme de Savoie: Grey-rinded mountain cheese of the Savoie
- Red Leicester: English cheese coloured with annatto
- Chihuahua cheese: Mennonite cheese of northern Mexico
Good to know
- Keep cut semi-hard cheese wrapped in paper inside a loose bag in the vegetable drawer of the fridge.
- Cut from a block with a wire or a long, thin knife for clean slices.
- Grate it cold, but serve it at room temperature.
- Waxed cheeses keep for months unopened.
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.
Semi-hard on EveryCheese
The cheeses written up so far, best known first.
🇸🇰 Slovakia and 1 moreKorbáčikkorbáčik (Slovak), korbacz (Polish)
A braided string cheese from the Orava region of Slovakia and Poland.Cow · Stretched curd · Salty
🇲🇽 Mexico and 5 moreOaxaca cheesequeso Oaxaca
A semi-hard, stringy cow's milk cheese from southern Mexico, made using the pasta filata method.Cow · Semi-hard · Milky and fresh
🇪🇸 SpainMahónformatge de Maó / queso de Mahón
A cow's-milk cheese from Menorca that ranges from soft and mild to hard and sharp.Cow · Semi-soft · Buttery and creamy
🇺🇸 United StatesColby
A semi-hard American cow's-milk cheese with a mild flavor and orange hue from annatto.Cow · Semi-hard · Milky and fresh
🇫🇷 FranceTome des Bauges
A pressed cow's-milk cheese from the French Alps with a grey-brown rind and hazelnut aroma.Cow · Semi-hard · Nutty
🇮🇹 ItalyCastelmagno
A semi-hard Italian cheese from Piedmont with blue veining and a sharp taste.Cow · Semi-hard · Sharp and tangy-aged
🇫🇷 France and 1 moreTomme
A low-fat alpine cheese from France and Switzerland, often made from skimmed milk.Cow · Semi-hard · Milky and fresh
🇸🇪 SwedenGrevé
A semi-hard Swedish cow's-milk cheese with a nutty, slightly sweet flavour.Cow · Semi-hard · Nutty
🇬🇧 United KingdomSage Derby
A semi-hard cow's milk cheese from England with a mottled green rind and sage flavour.Cow · Semi-hard · Herbal and grassy
🇸🇪 SwedenHushållsost
A mild, semi-hard Swedish cow's-milk cheese aged for about two months.Cow · Semi-hard · 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
🇪🇸 SpainIboresQueso Ibores
A firm, salty goat cheese from Extremadura with a natural or paprika-rubbed rind.Goat · Semi-hard · Salty
🇪🇸 SpainGamonéuQueso de Gamonéu
A lightly smoked, mixed-milk cheese from the mountains of Asturias with a moulded rind.Mixed · Smoked · Savoury and brothy
🇸🇪 SwedenPrästost
A semi-hard Swedish cow's-milk cheese with a mild, nutty flavour and a washed rind.Cow · Semi-hard · Nutty
🇮🇹 ItalyValtellina CaseraCasera de la Valtolina
A semi-hard cow's milk cheese from the Sondrio province of Italy, aged for a complex flavour.Cow · Semi-hard · Tangy and lactic
🇮🇹 ItalyPecorino Sicilianopicurinu sicilianu
A semi-hard sheep's milk cheese from Sicily with DOC and PDO protection.Sheep · Semi-hard
🇮🇹 ItalyMonte Veronese
A semi-hard cow's-milk cheese from Verona with fresh and aged varieties.Cow · Semi-hard · Sweet and caramel
🇬🇧 United KingdomCornish Yarg
A semi-hard cow's milk cheese from Cornwall wrapped in nettle leaves.Cow · Semi-hard · Tangy and lactic
🇨🇭 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
🇫🇷 FranceTomme des PyrénéesToma de Pirenèus
A rustic pressed cheese from the French Pyrenees, made from cow, sheep or goat milk.Cow · Semi-hard · Salty
🇵🇱 PolandRedykołka
A smoked, salted sheep's milk cheese from Poland's Podhale region, shaped like animals or hearts.Sheep · Semi-hard · Salty
🇮🇹 ItalyRagusano
A firm stretched-curd cow's-milk cheese from Sicily with protected status.Cow · Stretched curd
🇪🇸 SpainSan Simón da Costa
A pear-shaped, smoked cow's milk cheese from Galicia with a smooth brown rind.Cow · Semi-hard · Salty
🇮🇹 ItalySalvaSalva cremasco
A washed-rind cow's milk cheese from Lombardy, aged for several months.Cow · Washed rind · 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
🇬🇪 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
🇪🇸 SpainMajorero
A semi-hard goat milk cheese from Fuerteventura with a nutty, buttery taste.Goat · Semi-hard · Milky and fresh
🇮🇹 ItalySpressa delle Giudicarie
A semi-hard cow's milk cheese from the Giudicarie valley in Trentino-Alto Adige.Cow · Semi-hard · Nutty
🇲🇽 MexicoCotija
A salty, aged cow's milk cheese from Michoacán that crumbles but does not melt.Cow · Semi-hard · Salty
🇺🇸 United StatesColby-Jack
A mild American semi-hard cheese made by blending Colby and Monterey Jack curds.Cow · Semi-hard
🇧🇷 BrazilQueijo Coalho
A squeaky, semi-hard cow's-milk cheese from Brazil, often grilled on sticks.Cow · Semi-hard · Salty
🇬🇷 GreeceMetsovoneΜετσοβόνε
A semi-hard smoked pasta filata cheese from the Greek village of Metsovo.Cow · Semi-hard · Savoury and brothy
🇳🇱 NetherlandsBoerenkaas
A Dutch semi-hard raw milk cheese with TSG protection, often spiced and farm-made.Cow · Semi-hard · Salty
🇮🇹 ItalyFormai de Mut dell'Alta Valle Brembana
A semi-hard cow's milk cheese from the high pastures of Lombardy, Italy.Cow · Semi-hard · Sweet and caramel
🇮🇱 IsraelTzfat Cheeseגבינה צפתית
A semi-hard salty cheese from Safed, originally made with sheep's milk and molded in baskets.Sheep · Semi-hard · Salty
🇪🇸 SpainCasín cheesequeso Casin
A semi-hard cow's-milk cheese from southern Asturias with a protected origin status.Cow · Semi-hard · Savoury and brothy
🇮🇹 ItalyCacioricotta
A southern Italian cheese made from milk and whey using a hybrid method.Sheep · Semi-hard · 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
🇧🇷 BrazilCanastra cheese
A raw cow's-milk cheese from Brazil's Serra da Canastra highlands.Cow · Semi-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
🇨🇱 ChileChanco
A semi-hard Chilean cow's milk cheese with a soft texture and low lactose.Cow · Semi-hard
🇷🇺 RussiaRussian cheeseРоссийский сыр
A semi-hard cow's milk cheese aged for two months, developed in the Soviet Union.Cow · Semi-hard · Tangy and lactic
🇺🇾 UruguayColoniaQueso Colonia
A semi-hard Uruguayan cheese with pale yellow paste and small eyes, inspired by Emmental.Cow · Semi-hard
🇪🇸 SpainMallorcaformatge mallorquí
A semi-hard cow, goat or sheep milk cheese from the Balearic Islands with an olive-oiled rind.Cow · Semi-hard · Milky and fresh
🇮🇹 ItalyCaprino
An Italian goat's-milk cheese made in fresh or aged styles across several regions.Goat · Fresh · Tangy and lactic
🇪🇸 SpainMurcian wine cheesequeso de Murcia al vino
A fatty goat cheese from Spain with a red-wine-stained rind and Protected Designation of Origin status.Goat · Semi-hard · Salty
🇳🇱 Netherlands and 1 moreMaaslander
A mild Dutch cow's milk Gouda with reduced salt and distinctive striped rinds.Cow · Semi-hard · Salty
🇮🇹 ItalyProvola silana
A semi-hard stretched-curd cheese from the Sila mountains of southern Italy.Cow · Semi-hard
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Sage Derby: Jon Sullivan, Public domain, source
- Gamonéu: Jrfdiaz, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Valtellina Casera: Distretto Agroalimentare di Qualità della Valtellina, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Mahón: Slastic, Public domain, source
- Tenili: Georgian Recipes at Georgia About, CC BY 3.0, source
- Friesian Clove: Takeaway, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Ibores: No machine-readable author provided. Ardo Beltz assumed (based on copy, CC BY-SA 3.0, 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
- Grevé: Ankara, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Cornish Yarg: Tristan Ferne, CC BY 2.0, source
- Monte Veronese: La Casara Caseificio Dal 1920, CC BY 2.0, source
- Tomme: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Pecorino Siciliano: Marco Varisco, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Prästost: Nordelch, CC BY 3.0, source
- Redykołka: MOs810, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Tomme des Pyrénées: Julie333411, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Korbáčik: Mariuszjbie, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- San Simón da Costa: Tamorlan, CC BY 3.0, source
- Colby-Jack: Stephen Shep, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Majorero: Mumumío ( www.mumumío.com ), CC BY 2.0, source
- Russian cheese: Original photo by User:Водник , label removal by User:Алексей Гоманков, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Vacherin Fribourgeois: Tombat24, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Tome des Bauges: Mit-Mit, Public domain, source
- Ragusano: Popaitaly, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Murcian wine cheese: Shalbat, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Caprino: Number55, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Hushållsost: Grönmossan, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Oaxaca cheese: Javier Lastras, CC BY 2.0, source
- Colby: Jeff the quiet, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Queijo de Nisa: Adriao, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Metsovone: C messier, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Cotija: Leslie Seaton, CC BY 2.0, source
- Queijo Coalho: Carioca, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Tzfat Cheese: Myself, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Formai de Mut dell'Alta Valle Brembana: MOs810, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Casín cheese: Shalbat, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Cacioricotta: Andrew Green, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Canastra cheese: [https://www.flickr.com/people/8100764@N03 Marcelo Costa ], CC BY 2.0, source
- Colonia: Coquimbo58, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Mallorca: Tamorlan, CC BY-SA 3.0, source