Cheese has a vocabulary of its own.
On this page
- Quick Answer
- About This Guide
- Basic Cheese Words
- Types of Cheese by Texture and Style
- Rind Words
- Blue Cheese Words
- Milk Words Used for Cheese
- Raw Milk and Pasteurised Milk
- Cheese Texture Words
- Cheese Flavour Words
- Words for Strong-Smelling Cheese
- Cheese Ageing Words
- Cheesemaking Words
- Famous Cheese Names and What They Tell You
- Cheese Cutting and Serving Words
- Cheese Pairing Words
- Words for Describing Cheese Positively
- Strong Cheese Words
Some of the words are familiar names such as Brie, Cheddar, Gouda, Mozzarella and Parmesan. Others describe what a cheese feels or tastes like: creamy, crumbly, nutty, earthy, buttery, sharp or pungent. Then there is the language of cheesemaking itself, including curd, whey, rennet, culture, rind, affinage and paste.
Knowing these terms makes cheese labels and tasting descriptions much easier to understand. A cheese described as a bloomy-rind, soft-ripened cow’s-milk cheese tells you something very different from one described as an aged, hard sheep’s-milk cheese with a nutty finish.
This guide explains the most useful words related to cheese, from common cheese varieties and milk types to texture, flavour, rind and production terminology.
Quick Answer
Common cheese words include curd, whey, rind, rennet, culture, ageing, affinage, paste, bloomy rind, washed rind, blue cheese, fresh cheese, hard cheese, soft cheese, creamy, crumbly, buttery, nutty, earthy, tangy, sharp and pungent.
Words such as Brie, Camembert, Cheddar, Gouda, Gruyère, Manchego, Mozzarella, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Roquefort and Stilton are names of particular cheeses or cheese traditions, while terms such as washed rind or fresh cheese describe broader categories.
About This Guide
The older version of this page was mainly a long list of cheese names. That can be useful if all you need is inspiration for a word game, but it does not explain what those words mean or how they relate to one another.
This version treats cheese as a vocabulary topic.
The terminology has been grouped by cheese style, milk, texture, flavour, rind, production and tasting language, with well-known cheeses included as examples.
One thing worth keeping in mind is that cheese classification is not completely universal. Cheesemakers, retailers, competitions and educational organisations may group cheeses in somewhat different ways. The American Cheese Society, for example, classifies cheese using factors including coagulation, ripening and moisture, while the Academy of Cheese uses its own “Make” and “Post-Make” framework.
The categories below are therefore intended as a practical guide rather than a claim that every cheese belongs neatly in one box.
Basic Cheese Words
Before getting into individual varieties, these are some of the most useful words to know.
Cheese
Cheese is broadly made by coagulating milk proteins, separating some of the liquid whey and, depending on the style, ageing or otherwise treating the resulting curd.
That simple description covers an enormous range of foods, from fresh ricotta-like cheeses to hard cheeses aged for years.
Curd
Curd is the solid or semi-solid material formed when milk coagulates during cheesemaking.
Curds can be eaten fresh, as in cheese curds, or processed further to create a finished cheese.
Whey
Whey is the liquid separated from the curd during cheesemaking.
It contains water along with milk components that remain after coagulation.
The familiar nursery rhyme about eating “curds and whey” is referring to these two parts.
Rennet
Rennet is a general term for enzymes used to coagulate milk during the production of many cheeses.
Traditional animal rennet contains enzymes including chymosin, but microbial, fermentation-produced and plant-derived alternatives are also used.
Not every cheese is made with rennet. Some cheeses are coagulated primarily through acidification or heat.
Culture
In cheesemaking, a starter culture usually refers to microorganisms added to milk to help acidification and contribute to the development of flavour, texture and other characteristics.
This is quite different from the everyday meaning of culture.
Ageing
Ageing is the period during which a cheese develops after it has been made.
Depending on the cheese, this may last days, weeks, months or years.
Age affects much more than flavour. Texture, aroma, moisture and rind can all change as a cheese matures.
Ripening
Ripening is the process through which a cheese develops during maturation.
You may also see the words maturation, curing and affinage used in related contexts.
Affinage
Affinage is the French-derived term used for the maturation and care of cheese as it ripens.
A person specialising in this work may be called an affineur.
Depending on the cheese, affinage may involve controlling humidity and temperature, turning the cheese, brushing it or washing its rind.
Paste
In cheese terminology, the paste is the interior of the cheese inside the rind.
This can sound odd if you associate paste only with something spreadable, but cheesemakers and professional cheese tasters use the term for the internal body of a cheese.
A soft Brie and a firm Parmesan therefore both have a paste.
Rind
The rind is the outer surface of a cheese.
Some rinds form naturally, while others are deliberately encouraged, washed, coated or otherwise treated.
Whether the rind is pleasant or intended to be eaten depends on the particular cheese.
Types of Cheese by Texture and Style
Words such as soft, hard and fresh are among the simplest ways to describe cheese, although the boundaries between categories are not always rigid.
Fresh Cheese
Fresh cheese is generally eaten without an extended ripening period.
Examples include:
ricotta
cottage cheese
cream cheese
fresh chèvre
queso fresco
mascarpone
Fresh cheeses usually contain more moisture than long-aged hard cheeses and often have mild, milky or tangy flavours.
Soft Cheese
Soft cheese has a high-moisture, yielding texture.
Familiar examples include:
Brie
Camembert
Époisses
Saint-Marcellin
Some soft cheeses begin relatively firm and become increasingly creamy as they ripen.
Semi-Soft Cheese
Semi-soft cheese sits somewhere between very soft and firm styles.
Examples often include cheeses such as:
Havarti
Taleggio
Fontina
Munster
The category is broad, so texture can range from elastic and sliceable to quite supple.
Semi-Hard Cheese
A semi-hard cheese contains less moisture and generally has a firmer body.
Examples can include:
Gouda
Gruyère
Edam
Manchego
Age matters considerably. A young Gouda, for example, feels very different from a long-aged Gouda.
Hard Cheese
Hard cheese generally has lower moisture and a dense, firm texture.
Examples include:
Parmigiano-Reggiano
Pecorino Romano
Grana Padano
These cheeses are often grated, shaved or broken into pieces rather than spread.
Rind Words
The outside of a cheese can tell you a great deal about how it was made and matured.
Natural Rind
A natural rind develops on the exterior of the cheese during ageing without the deliberate creation of a white bloomy coating or regular rind washing.
Natural rinds vary enormously in appearance and flavour.
Bloomy Rind
A bloomy rind is the soft, usually white exterior associated with cheeses such as Brie and Camembert.
Mould growth on the surface contributes to the way the cheese ripens from the outside inward.
This is why a ripe bloomy-rind cheese can become particularly soft and creamy near its rind.
Washed Rind
A washed-rind cheese is treated during maturation by washing or rubbing its exterior with a liquid, often a brine.
This encourages particular surface microorganisms and can produce an orange, reddish or sticky rind with a pronounced aroma.
Well-known examples include:
Taleggio
Époisses
Livarot
Maroilles
A washed-rind cheese can smell extremely strong while tasting much gentler than its aroma suggests.
Waxed Rind
Some cheeses are coated in wax to protect them during storage and maturation.
The wax is packaging rather than an edible rind.
Clothbound
A clothbound or bandage-wrapped cheese is matured with cloth around its exterior.
Traditional clothbound Cheddar is a familiar example.
Blue Cheese Words
Blue Cheese
Blue cheese contains veins or pockets of blue or blue-green mould through its interior.
Well-known examples include:
Roquefort
Gorgonzola
Stilton
Danish Blue
Fourme d’Ambert
The colour usually comes from moulds belonging to the Penicillium group used during cheesemaking.
Veining
Veining refers to the visible blue or green lines and pockets running through blue cheese.
Piercing
Many blue cheeses are pierced with needles or rods during production to create channels through which oxygen can enter.
This helps the characteristic blue mould develop inside the cheese.
Blue-Veined
Blue-veined is another way of describing cheese containing this characteristic internal mould growth.
Milk Words Used for Cheese
The animal producing the milk has a major effect on the character of a cheese.
Cow’s-Milk Cheese
Cheese made primarily from cow’s milk.
Examples include many forms of Cheddar, Gouda, Brie, Camembert and Gruyère.
Goat’s-Milk Cheese
Cheese made with goat’s milk.
The French word chèvre means goat and is commonly used in English-language food contexts for goat cheese, particularly fresh or soft varieties.
Examples include:
Crottin de Chavignol
Sainte-Maure de Touraine
Valençay
Sheep’s-Milk Cheese
Cheese made from sheep’s milk.
Examples include:
Pecorino
Manchego
Roquefort
The Italian word pecora means sheep, which is the source of the name Pecorino.
Buffalo-Milk Cheese
Buffalo milk is used in several cheese traditions.
The best-known example is Mozzarella di Bufala, made from water-buffalo milk.
Mixed-Milk Cheese
Some cheeses combine milk from more than one animal.
A mixture of cow, sheep and goat milk may produce flavours and textures different from any one of those milks alone.
Raw Milk and Pasteurised Milk
Raw-Milk Cheese
A raw-milk cheese is made using milk that has not undergone pasteurisation.
This tells you how the milk was treated; it does not by itself tell you whether a cheese will taste stronger or better.
Food-safety requirements for raw-milk cheeses vary by country.
Pasteurised Cheese
A cheese described as pasteurised is made from milk that has undergone pasteurisation, a controlled heat treatment used to reduce harmful microorganisms.
Pasteurisation and flavour should not be treated as simple opposites. Excellent cheeses can be produced from both raw and pasteurised milk.
Cheese Texture Words
Texture is one of the most useful ways to describe cheese because two cheeses with similar flavours can still feel completely different in the mouth.
Creamy
Creamy describes a smooth, rich texture.
A ripe soft cheese may become particularly creamy close to the rind.
Crumbly
A crumbly cheese breaks apart rather than bending or stretching smoothly.
Examples may include mature Cheddar, Caerphilly, Lancashire and certain blue cheeses.
Firm
A firm cheese holds its shape and offers resistance when cut or bitten.
Soft
A soft cheese yields easily under pressure.
Supple
Supple suggests flexibility and a smooth, pliable body rather than brittleness.
Elastic
An elastic cheese bends or springs slightly rather than crumbling.
Rubbery
Rubbery describes a resistant, springy texture. Depending on the cheese, it may be a neutral description or an undesirable characteristic.
Grainy
A grainy texture contains perceptible small particles rather than feeling completely smooth.
Dense
A dense cheese feels compact and substantial.
Spreadable
A spreadable cheese is soft enough to spread with a knife.
Cream cheese and some highly ripened soft cheeses are obvious examples.
Gooey
Gooey is an informal word for a very soft, sticky or flowing texture, particularly when cheese is melted or extremely ripe.
Runny
A runny cheese has a paste fluid enough to move or ooze when cut.
This may be desirable in a properly ripened soft cheese.
Chalky
Chalky describes a dry, fine-grained or slightly powdery texture.
Some young soft cheeses have a chalkier centre that becomes creamier as ripening progresses inward.
Crystalline
A cheese described as crystalline contains small crunchy crystals.
These are especially associated with some well-aged hard cheeses.
Cheese Flavour Words
Tasting cheese becomes much easier once you have a vocabulary more precise than nice, strong or cheesy.
Buttery
Buttery describes a rich flavour or aroma reminiscent of butter.
Milky
Milky suggests fresh milk and is particularly common in mild or young cheeses.
Creamy
Although primarily a texture word, creamy is also often used to describe rich dairy flavour.
Lactic
Lactic is associated with fresh, cultured dairy flavours and acidity.
It may remind tasters of yoghurt, cultured milk or fresh cheese.
Tangy
Tangy describes an appealing acidic sharpness.
Fresh goat cheeses and cultured dairy products are often described this way.
Sharp
Sharp generally refers to a pronounced, biting or acidic flavour.
It is particularly common in descriptions of mature Cheddar.
The word does not correspond to one precise scientific measurement, so one producer’s “extra sharp” may not taste exactly like another’s.
Nutty
Nutty is one of the most common tasting words for aged cheese.
It may suggest flavours reminiscent of hazelnut, walnut or toasted nuts.
Gruyère and aged Gouda are frequently described this way.
Earthy
Earthy evokes soil, mushrooms, cellars or other savoury natural aromas.
It is commonly used for rind-ripened cheeses.
Mushroomy
Mushroomy is particularly associated with some bloomy-rind cheeses.
A ripe Camembert, for example, may develop aromas reminiscent of mushrooms.
Grassy
Grassy suggests fresh or dried grass and is sometimes used when discussing milk and cheeses influenced by pasture.
Fruity
Cheese can genuinely be described as fruity even when no fruit has been added.
Depending on the cheese, a taster may perceive notes reminiscent of pineapple, apple or other fruit.
Caramel
Caramel describes sweet, cooked-sugar-like flavours.
Long-aged Gouda can develop caramel-like or butterscotch notes.
Brothy
Brothy suggests savoury flavours reminiscent of stock or broth.
Meaty
A particularly savoury cheese may be described as meaty, even though it contains no meat.
Smoky
Smoky can describe either flavour produced by actual smoking or an aroma that reminds the taster of smoke.
Salty
Salt is both an important cheesemaking ingredient and an obvious flavour descriptor.
A cheese can range from gently seasoned to distinctly salty.
Sweet
Cheese can have noticeable sweetness, particularly in contrast with its saltiness or acidity.
Sour
Sour describes pronounced acidity.
Whether it is desirable depends on the style and intensity.
Bitter
A small amount of bitterness can contribute complexity to some cheeses, while excessive bitterness may be considered a defect.
Umami
Umami is the savoury taste associated with compounds including glutamates.
Long-aged cheeses such as Parmigiano-Reggiano are often particularly rich in savoury flavour.
Words for Strong-Smelling Cheese
Cheese aroma is not the same thing as cheese flavour.
This matters particularly with washed-rind cheeses, which can smell much stronger than they taste.
Useful aroma words include:
pungent — very strong and penetrating
barnyard or barny — reminiscent of farms, hay or animals
earthy — soil, cellar or mushroom-like
mushroomy — reminiscent of fresh or cooked mushrooms
yeasty — similar to bread dough or fermentation
sulphurous — reminiscent of sulphur compounds
funky — informal shorthand for strong, complex fermented aromas
Funky is useful in casual conversation but too imprecise for detailed tasting notes.
Instead of saying:
This cheese is really funky.
you might say:
It has a pungent, earthy rind with mushroom and fermented aromas.
That tells the reader much more.
Cheese Ageing Words
Young
A young cheese has undergone relatively little ageing.
It often contains more moisture and has milder flavours than an older version of the same style.
Mature
Mature usually indicates that a cheese has undergone substantial ripening.
Aged
Aged simply means the cheese has been matured for a period of time.
The word is meaningful only with context. “Aged Cheddar” may mean months or years depending on the producer.
Extra-Mature
A marketing or category term frequently used for cheeses matured longer than a producer’s regular mature version.
It is not one universal age classification.
Vintage
Vintage is sometimes used for particularly mature Cheddar and other cheeses.
Unlike wine vintages, the term does not always identify one harvest year or have one fixed legal meaning.
Cheesemaking Words
Coagulation
Coagulation is the process in which milk proteins form a gel or solid mass, allowing curds to develop.
Acidification
Acidification is the increase in acidity during cheesemaking.
Starter cultures often play an important role by converting lactose into lactic acid.
Cutting the Curd
Once milk has coagulated, cheesemakers may cut the curd.
Smaller curd pieces generally allow more whey to escape, which can contribute to a firmer finished cheese.
Draining
Draining removes whey from the curds.
Pressing
Some cheeses are pressed to remove additional whey and bring the curds together into a solid form.
Salting
Salt may be added directly to curds or cheese, rubbed onto the exterior or introduced through brining.
Salt affects flavour, moisture and the development of the cheese during ripening.
Brine
Brine is a solution of salt and water.
Some cheeses are salted or matured in brine.
Brined Cheese
A brined cheese is stored or matured in a salt solution.
Feta is a well-known example.
Moulding
In cheesemaking, moulding can mean placing curds into a mould or form that gives the cheese its shape.
This is distinct from mold/mould growth, although both words may appear in descriptions of cheese.
Ripening
The biological and chemical changes that take place as a cheese matures.
Washing
In the context of washed-rind cheese, washing refers to treating the rind during maturation.
It does not mean cleaning dirt from the cheese.
Famous Cheese Names and What They Tell You
A list of cheese names is more useful when you know what kind of cheese each one is.
Brie
Brie refers to a family of French soft cheeses associated with a white bloomy rind.
Brie de Meaux and Brie de Melun are specific traditional cheeses, while the word Brie is also used very broadly for Brie-style cheeses made elsewhere.
Camembert
Camembert is another soft, bloomy-rind style associated with Normandy in France.
It is usually smaller and more compact than a typical wheel of Brie.
Cheddar
Cheddar originated in England but is now produced around the world.
Styles range from mild and supple to mature, crumbly and intensely savoury.
Gouda
Gouda is a Dutch cheese tradition with enormous variation.
Young Gouda can be mild and elastic, while long-aged versions become harder, deeper in flavour and sometimes noticeably crystalline.
Gruyère
Gruyère is a Swiss hard cheese known for its rich, savoury and often nutty character.
Mozzarella
Mozzarella belongs to the stretched-curd or pasta filata family.
Different versions include fresh cow’s-milk mozzarella and Mozzarella di Bufala made from buffalo milk.
Parmigiano-Reggiano
Parmigiano-Reggiano is a hard Italian cheese traditionally produced within a defined geographical area under protected specifications.
In English, the word Parmesan is also used more broadly, particularly outside the European Union.
Grana Padano
Grana Padano is another Italian hard, granular cheese.
The word grana refers to its grain-like texture.
Pecorino
Pecorino is a family of Italian sheep’s-milk cheeses rather than one single cheese.
Examples include:
Pecorino Romano
Pecorino Toscano
Pecorino Sardo
Manchego
Manchego is a Spanish sheep’s-milk cheese associated with the La Mancha region.
Roquefort
Roquefort is a French blue cheese made from sheep’s milk.
Gorgonzola
Gorgonzola is an Italian blue cheese.
Different forms can range from relatively soft and creamy to firmer and more assertive.
Stilton
Blue Stilton is a protected British blue cheese with characteristic internal blue veining.
There is also White Stilton, which does not contain the blue mould associated with Blue Stilton.
Halloumi
Halloumi is associated with Cyprus and is particularly well known for maintaining its shape when grilled or fried.
Feta
Feta is a brined Greek cheese traditionally associated with sheep’s milk or a combination of sheep’s and goat’s milk under its protected European specification.
Ricotta
Ricotta differs from many cheeses because it is traditionally produced by heating whey left over from other cheesemaking.
Its name relates to the Italian idea of being “recooked.”
Mascarpone
Mascarpone is an exceptionally rich Italian fresh cheese made from cream.
It is perhaps best known internationally as an ingredient in tiramisu.
Taleggio
Taleggio is an Italian soft washed-rind cheese.
Its rind can have a pronounced aroma while the interior is supple and comparatively mellow.
Raclette
Raclette can refer both to a cheese and to the dish in which melted cheese is scraped over foods such as potatoes.
The name is connected with the French verb racler, meaning to scrape.
Cheese Cutting and Serving Words
Wheel
A wheel is a round whole cheese.
Large hard cheeses and smaller soft cheeses may both be described as wheels.
Wedge
A wedge is a triangular section cut from a wheel.
Round
A small circular cheese may simply be called a round.
Log
Goat cheeses in particular are commonly shaped into logs.
Block
A rectangular piece of cheese.
Slice
A thin, flat piece cut from a larger cheese.
Shave
To shave cheese means to cut it into very thin pieces, often using a vegetable peeler or specialised cheese shaver.
Grate
To grate cheese means to reduce it to small shreds or particles using a grater.
Crumble
To crumble a cheese is to break it into small irregular pieces.
Feta and blue cheese are frequently served this way.
Melt
To heat cheese until it softens or becomes liquid.
Different cheeses melt very differently.
Cheese Board
A cheese board can mean either the board on which cheese is served or the arrangement of cheeses and accompaniments itself.
Cheeseboard
Cheeseboard is also written as one word, although usage varies.
Cheese Platter
A selection of cheeses presented together, usually with accompaniments.
Cheese Pairing Words
When people talk about pairing cheese, you will often hear:
accompaniment — something served alongside the cheese
pairing — matching cheese with another food or drink
contrast — combining opposing qualities, such as salty cheese and sweet honey
complement — pairing similar or harmonious flavours
preserves — fruit preserves or jams served with cheese
chutney — a sweet, savoury or spiced condiment
charcuterie — prepared meat products often served on the same board as cheese
crackers — crisp biscuits used as a base for cheese
A cheese board and a charcuterie board are not strictly the same thing. Charcuterie refers specifically to prepared meat products, although modern restaurant menus often use the term more loosely for mixed grazing boards.
Words for Describing Cheese Positively
If you are writing a review, menu description or tasting note, useful positive cheese words include:
balanced
buttery
complex
creamy
delicate
earthy
full-bodied
lactic
mellow
milky
nutty
rich
savoury
silky
smooth
supple
tangy
The key is to choose a word that says something specific.
A delicious, premium cheese.
does not tell the reader much.
A creamy, lactic cheese with a mushroomy rind and gently tangy finish.
creates a much clearer impression.
Strong Cheese Words
If a cheese is particularly intense, you might describe it as:
assertive
bold
funky
full-flavoured
pungent
robust
sharp
strong
intense
These words are not interchangeable.
A cheese can have a pungent aroma without an especially sharp taste, while a mature Cheddar can taste sharp without smelling particularly pungent.
Mild Cheese Words
For gentler cheeses, useful terms include:
delicate
fresh
gentle
mellow
mild
milky
subtle
Mild is often used as an age designation for Cheddar, but it is also a general flavour word.
Cheese Vocabulary by Category
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Cheesemaking | curd, whey, rennet, culture, coagulation, pressing |
| Ripening | ageing, maturation, affinage, young, mature |
| Exterior | rind, bloomy rind, washed rind, natural rind |
| Interior | paste, veining, eyes, crystals |
| Texture | creamy, crumbly, supple, elastic, firm, chalky |
| Flavour | buttery, nutty, earthy, tangy, sharp, umami |
| Aroma | pungent, mushroomy, barny, yeasty |
| Milk | cow, goat, sheep, buffalo, mixed milk |
| Styles | fresh, soft, hard, blue, brined, washed rind |
| Serving | wheel, wedge, log, grate, shave, crumble |
| Famous cheeses | Brie, Cheddar, Gouda, Gruyère, Manchego |
What Are “Eyes” in Cheese?
In cheese terminology, eyes are the holes or openings inside a cheese.
Swiss Emmental is perhaps the most familiar example.
The size, number and shape of eyes vary according to the cheese and how it is made.
Not every hole in cheese is desirable, however. Cheesemakers distinguish between openings expected in a particular style and defects caused by unwanted gas production or structural problems.
What Are Cheese Crystals?
The small crunchy pieces found in certain aged cheeses are commonly called cheese crystals.
Different types of crystals can form.
Two terms you may encounter are:
tyrosine crystals, associated with amino-acid crystallisation in some aged cheeses;
and calcium lactate crystals, which can occur on or within cheeses such as mature Cheddar.
They are generally not pieces of salt, even though that is an easy assumption to make when you first encounter them.
What Does “Farmhouse Cheese” Mean?
Farmhouse cheese usually suggests cheese made on a farm, often using milk produced by the same farm.
However, exact definitions can depend on the country, certification system or producer.
The word therefore carries more useful information when the producer explains where the milk comes from and where the cheese is made.
What Does “Artisan Cheese” Mean?
Artisan or artisanal cheese generally implies smaller-scale production and significant human skill or craft.
However, artisan is also widely used as a marketing term and does not have one universal legal definition.
If provenance matters, look beyond the word itself and check who made the cheese, where the milk came from and how it was produced.
What Does “Processed Cheese” Mean?
Processed cheese is made by combining cheese with other ingredients and processing it into a consistent product.
It behaves differently from many natural cheeses, particularly when heated.
Examples range from individually wrapped slices to products made specifically for smooth melting.
Calling something processed describes how it was made rather than automatically telling you whether it tastes good or bad.
Cheese Words A–Z
For a quick vocabulary reference:
A: aged, affinage, affineur, artisan
B: balanced, barny, blue, blue-veined, bloomy rind, brine, brined, brothy, buttery
C: caramel, chalky, cheese, cheeseboard, chèvre, clothbound, coagulation, creamy, crumbly, crystalline, curd, culture
D: dense, draining
E: earthy, elastic, eyes
F: farmhouse, firm, fresh, fruity, funky
G: goat cheese, grainy, grate
H: hard cheese
L: lactic
M: maturation, mature, mellow, milky, mixed milk, mould, mushroomy
N: natural rind, nutty
P: paste, pasteurised, piercing, pressing, pungent
R: raw milk, rennet, rind, ripe, ripening, robust
S: salty, semi-hard, semi-soft, sharp, sheep cheese, smoky, soft cheese, sour, starter culture, supple, sweet
T: tangy
U: umami
V: veining, vintage
W: washed rind, wedge, whey, wheel
Y: young
Common Cheese Names A–Z
If you are looking specifically for names of cheeses rather than descriptive terminology, here is a more useful curated list than the hundreds of unexplained entries that previously appeared on this page:
B: Brie, Brillat-Savarin, Brunost, Bryndza
C: Caerphilly, Camembert, Cantal, Cheddar, Cheshire, Comté, Cotija, Crottin de Chavignol
D: Danish Blue, Double Gloucester
E: Edam, Emmental, Époisses
F: Feta, Fontina, Fourme d’Ambert
G: Gorgonzola, Gouda, Grana Padano, Gruyère
H: Halloumi, Havarti
J: Jarlsberg
L: Lancashire, Leicestershire/Red Leicester, Livarot
M: Manchego, Maroilles, Mascarpone, Mimolette, Monterey Jack, Mozzarella, Munster
O: Ossau-Iraty
P: Paneer, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Pecorino Romano, Provolone
Q: Queso Fresco
R: Raclette, Reblochon, Ricotta, Roquefort
S: Saint-Nectaire, Stilton
T: Taleggio, Tomme de Savoie
V: Valençay, Vacherin
W: Wensleydale
This is deliberately not presented as a complete list of every cheese in the world. Cheese traditions are far too extensive, local and continually evolving for a short vocabulary page to make that claim usefully.
Why Cheese Vocabulary Is More Useful Than a Huge List of Cheese Names
There are thousands of named cheeses around the world, and memorising their names tells you relatively little if you do not understand the terminology used to describe them.
Suppose a cheesemonger tells you:
This is a young bloomy-rind goat cheese with a chalky centre and lactic, mushroomy flavours.
Knowing just a handful of words gives you a surprisingly good idea of what to expect.
You know it is made from goat’s milk. You know the exterior is mould-ripened. You know the centre has not yet softened completely. And you know the flavour is likely to combine fresh dairy acidity with characteristics associated with the rind.
That is far more useful than knowing another hundred cheese names without knowing what any of them are like.
Final Thoughts
Cheese vocabulary becomes much easier once you stop treating every word as the name of another cheese.
Some terms tell you what the cheese is made from: cow’s milk, goat’s milk, sheep’s milk or buffalo milk.
Others tell you how it was made or matured: rennet, curd, brine, washed rind, affinage.
And many of the most useful words simply help you describe what you experience when you eat it: creamy, crumbly, nutty, earthy, sharp, mushroomy, buttery or pungent.
Once you recognise those categories, even an unfamiliar cheese label starts to become informative.
A name tells you which cheese you are looking at.
The vocabulary tells you what that cheese might actually be like.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are some common words related to cheese?
Common cheese words include curd, whey, rennet, rind, culture, affinage, ageing, paste, creamy, crumbly, nutty, tangy, sharp, bloomy rind, washed rind and blue cheese.
What is cheese curd?
Curd is the solid material that forms when milk coagulates during cheesemaking. It is separated from liquid whey and may then be drained, pressed, salted or aged depending on the type of cheese.
What is whey?
Whey is the liquid remaining after curds form and are separated during cheesemaking.
What is rennet?
Rennet is a general term for coagulating enzymes used in the production of many cheeses. Animal, microbial, fermentation-produced and some plant-derived rennets are used.
What does affinage mean?
Affinage is the process of maturing and caring for cheese as it ripens. Someone specialising in this process may be called an affineur.
What is the paste of a cheese?
The paste is the interior body of a cheese inside its rind.
What is a bloomy-rind cheese?
A bloomy-rind cheese develops a soft external mould layer, often white. Brie and Camembert are familiar examples.
What is a washed-rind cheese?
A washed-rind cheese has its exterior washed or rubbed during maturation, often with brine. The process encourages particular surface microorganisms and may produce a strongly aromatic rind.
What are examples of washed-rind cheeses?
Examples include Taleggio, Époisses, Livarot and Maroilles.
What is blue cheese?
Blue cheese contains characteristic blue or blue-green mould growth through its interior. Examples include Roquefort, Gorgonzola, Stilton and Danish Blue.
What does sharp cheese mean?
Sharp describes a pronounced biting or acidic flavour and is particularly common in descriptions of mature Cheddar. It is a sensory description rather than one universal measurement.
What does nutty cheese mean?
A cheese described as nutty has flavours or aromas reminiscent of nuts such as hazelnuts or walnuts. The term is often used for aged cheeses such as Gruyère and mature Gouda.
What does earthy cheese mean?
Earthy describes aromas or flavours reminiscent of soil, mushrooms, cellars or other savoury natural characteristics.
What does lactic mean in cheese?
Lactic describes flavours associated with fresh cultured milk and lactic acidity, sometimes reminiscent of yoghurt or fresh dairy products.
What does pungent mean in cheese?
Pungent means the cheese has a powerful, penetrating aroma. A pungent smell does not necessarily mean the cheese will taste equally strong.
What does creamy mean in cheese?
Creamy can describe both texture and flavour. A creamy cheese has a smooth, rich character and may soften considerably as it ripens.
What is fresh cheese?
Fresh cheese is eaten without extended ageing. Examples include ricotta, cottage cheese, cream cheese, mascarpone and many forms of fresh goat cheese.
What is the difference between soft and hard cheese?
Soft cheeses generally retain more moisture and have a yielding texture. Hard cheeses contain less moisture and develop a denser, firmer structure. Ageing and production methods also affect the distinction.
What are cheese eyes?
Eyes are openings or holes inside a cheese. Emmental is particularly famous for its large eyes.
What are the crunchy bits in aged cheese?
They are usually cheese crystals. Different types can form, including tyrosine and calcium lactate crystals.
Is mould on cheese always bad?
No. Mould is deliberately involved in producing many cheeses, including bloomy-rind and blue cheeses. Unintended mould on a cheese that is not supposed to have it is a different issue and should be assessed according to the type of cheese and food-safety guidance.
What is goat cheese called?
The French word chèvre, meaning goat, is commonly used in English for goat cheese, particularly fresh or soft goat cheese.
What is sheep’s-milk cheese called?
There is no single universal name for all sheep’s-milk cheese. Pecorino is an Italian family of sheep’s-milk cheeses, while Manchego and Roquefort are other well-known examples.
What are some famous cheeses?
Famous cheeses include Brie, Camembert, Cheddar, Feta, Gorgonzola, Gouda, Gruyère, Halloumi, Manchego, Mozzarella, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Roquefort, Stilton and Taleggio.
What words can describe cheese?
Useful cheese descriptors include buttery, creamy, crumbly, earthy, elastic, firm, fruity, lactic, mellow, milky, mushroomy, nutty, pungent, salty, sharp, smoky, supple, tangy and umami.
