17 Different European Cheeses You Need To Try At Least Once

Hard, soft, aromatic, mild, crumbly, smooth, aged, or fresh: the world of cheese is vast, beautiful, tasty, and sometimes stinky. Cheese is the stuff of charcuterie boards, dinner parties, and fancy restaurants. In that image, Europe has become synonymous with cheese: creamy Bries, orange cheddar, and tangy feta are only some of what the continent has to offer.

But, Europe isn't necessarily the homeland of cheese. A two-part article from The Cheese Grotto traces the history of the beloved good back to the Fertile Crescent (a region in Southwest Asia) where cheese-makers got their start with goats and sheep. As humans migrated to Europe, they brought their cheese-making ways with them. In Europe, cheese made its way, allegedly, through the Mediterranean, where it then spread throughout the half continent (via The Cheese Grotto). It's also worth mentioning that the settlement of North African Muslims on the Iberian Peninsula was also responsible for the import of cheese and cheese-making equipment to the far-reaches of Western Europe.

The rise of Christianity proved fruitful for cheese, and the milk culture associated with monasteries gave rise to the dairy-based cheese that arguably defines Europe. Over time, cheese continues to hold a presence in Europe. Cheese began to have an ever-increasing regional identity, where each corner of the continent boasted a unique take on the delicacy. That's why nowadays it seems like each country has one, if not many, one-of-a-kind cheeses to whet the palate. Below are 17 cheeses that may not be as familiar, but are worth digging into.

Stilton is an English blue cheese and has been referred to by some as the "king of cheeses" (via Delighted Cooking). Stilton is defined, as per the Encyclopedia Britannica, as a cow's milk cheese with a rich and intense flavor. This particular cheese has a semi-soft texture with an ivory to yellow color that is marked with blue and green mold veins that embolden and define the cheese's flavor. Unlike other cheese's on the list, Stilton blue cheese does not have an edible rind. 

But, there's one more caveat! As noted by Delighted Cooking, Stilton cheese has a protected origin designation, which means that to be qualified as this particular blue cheese, it needs to meet certain standards. In this case, it also needs to come from one of three counties: Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, or Derbyshire. Out of these three counties, there are, as noted by Delighted Cooking, only six creameries that are certified to produce Stilton.

There's one more thing to be wary of when it comes to Stilton! In an interview with NPR the Secretary of the British Cheese Board reported that some sleep studies have shown that people who have eaten a relatively small amount of Stilton before bed experienced outlandish dreams. As the secretary joked, it's certainly the stuff of dreams for psychoanalysts. For a bit of sizzle on the palate and the subconscious, this blue cheese may be the perfect nightcap.

This cheese has a reputation that precedes it: Limburger cheese ranks among the stinkiest of the cheeses (via Cheese House). As one Wisconsin cheese site advises, don't eat this cheese with your nose! While some compare the cheese's stench to that of gym socks, the more romantically inclined describe Limburger as having an earthy aroma that is just as much an experience as all other parts of the cheese eating experience (via NBC15).

This particular cheese originates from the bygone Duchy of Limburg that held control of contemporary Germany, Holland, and Belgium (via Wisconsin Cheese Man). The cheese is ivory white and made from a bacteria that lends to a distinct earthy, yet mushroom-like flavor. The Wisconsin-based cheese site describes three stages in that maturation process of Limburger cheese. Fresh Limburger cheese has a mild feta-like texture, but by the maturation process past four months, Limburger begins to take on a sweaty and runny texture, and of course its signature smell. 

The site describes its flavor as bold, yet not as sharp as cheddar or as pungent as blue cheddar. While Limburger cheese is enough of a show on its own, the Wisconsin site describes the cheese as a working man's cheese that historically pairs well with some rye bread, a bratwurst, and of course, a hearty beer or black coffee.

Be still my heart! The romantically-shaped Neufchatel is said to have first been shaped by the hands of lovelorn French milkmaids during The Hundred Years War as their British soldiers trudged into battle (via Culture Cheese Magazine). The rest is history, as they say! Structurally, Neufchâtel is the same as cream cheese. In fact, cream cheese was said to have come from one New York-based food scientist who sought to recreate the French cheese stateside. Though never quite achieving the perfect knock-off, because of this happy accident, Neufchâtel and cream cheese can still almost be used interchangeably.

It is nonetheless important to keep differences in mind. Neufchâtel, for one, is made out of raw cow's milk, but a lower fat content than cream cheese. The French version is a bit creamier and tangier as well, due to the fact that it does not use cream unlike cream cheese (via Master Class). The French cheese also has a slightly grainier texture. At first glance, the heart-shaped darling may indeed seem a bit closer to another cheese: Camembert or Brie. Similarly, it also has an edible rind. Neufchâtel also has a similar status as other traditional European cheeses; without the appellation d'origine contrôlée, or designation of origin, it's technically not the same heart!

The Canary Islands, also known as the Canaries, are a chain of islands just off the coast of North Africa, that technically are a part of Spain. Since antiquity, indigenous peoples have herded cattle and goats throughout the islands (via Culture Cheese Magazine). The same magazine notes that in the early modern period, the Canary Islands became an outpost for colonizers traveling West. In short, Europeans brought their cheese sensibilities with them. The presence of herded cattle and goats provided the structure for future cheese-making. Indeed, the influence of Spanish cheese-making practices can still be seen to this day. 

For a small island chain, there is still a lot of diversity; each of the 8 Canary Islands holds claim to their own unique recipes and cheeses (via Hello Canary Islands). Nonetheless, generalizations can still be made. The vast majority of Canary Island cheeses are goat cheeses that are smooth, sweet and creamy (via Spanish Fine Cheese). Canary Island goat cheeses do well by themselves, in sandwiches, added to salads or soups. A full-bodied wine will also play really nicely with these milder cheeses. Canary Island goat cheeses are not made for export, most are produced by local farms. As one cheesemaker in the Culture Cheese Magazine is quoted as saying, "If you want to try the cheeses, you'll have to come here." If there's any reason for an island getaway, why not this?

Before recoiling, take a closer look! The Guinness Book of World Records classified this as the world's most dangerous cheese and for obvious reason. Casu marzu, a regional cheese unique to the island of Sardinia is, according to the site, an illegally produced sheep's milk cheese that uses maggots as its special ingredient. Yes, that was read correctly: a maggot infused cheese. Its name means rotten cheese, which sheds light on the process behind the infamous cheese. In end effect, Casu Marzu is a Pecorino cheese that's been left to, in essence, rot. The maggots, which actively process the cheese, eat and pass the cheese, which leads to a unique fermentation process. It's the maggot which not only gives the cheese its taste, but leads to its unique creaminess (via CNN). The danger, according to Guinness, is that maggots when consumed en masse can lead to major stomach complications.

CNN asks, however, that readers turn their alleged disgust in the cheese into a cautious curiosity. At the end of the day, Casu Marzu is a traditional cheese, a culture in its own culture. There's a reason why it's stuck around for so long, and a reason why it's persevered, even if it's not understandable. The site does also make the point of noting that there's a certain eco-friendliness to the small in-house produce of the cheese. Besides, as the news source almost cheekily, points out: there hasn't been a major Casu Marzu injury yet.

When thinking about Swiss cheese, it is probably Gruyère that comes to mind. Its pale skin and tiny holes, technically called eyes, are really the aesthetic look that puts the central European cheeses on the map. Gruyère comes from the town of Gruyères where it also got its name. Gruyère has pale yellow skin with what L'Academie somewhat boldly describes as a "pockmarked" rind. Really these pockmarks are a part of the process, they're the result of air bubbles forming and popping while the cheese is being made, according to another L'Academie article. 

In comparison to other Swiss cheeses, Gruyère isn't the holiest of them all. This cheese is made specifically from the unpasteurized milk of free-grazing Swiss cows. While the flesh of Gruyère is creamy, its rind tends to be grainier. This particular cheese tends to sharpen the older it gets, and though it's milder even at its peaks compared to other cheeses on this list, it has what the previously mentioned site describes as pleasant taste. It lends itself well to quiches among other traditional French fare like French onion soup or Croque Monsieur. Of course, Gruyère makes for an especially creamy fondue which is a trademark of Swiss cuisine. Or, without reinventing the wheel, Gruyère makes for a quiet yet formidable presence on the cheese board.

3Cheese at 1,800 meters up the mountain (via Bald auf Käse)! Bergkäse, known as mountain cheese, is often referred to as the baby brother of Emmentaler cheese (via True Foodies). While just like Emmentaler cheese, it's from the German mountains, albeit from the other side of the border. Bergkäse, sometimes referred to as mountain cheese in English, utilizes a similar approach to grazing and manufacturing this stunning cheese. It's the type of dairy that results from the mountain's cornucopia of herbs and flowers that many speculate gives this cheese its light and astounding aroma. It retains a similar yellow coloring to Emmentaler cheese, but, is much harder and has much smaller holes, as noted by the foodie website. Similar to the Swiss cheese, the German cousin is an artisanal cheese that has earned its product of designated origin label, in fact, Bergkäse is the only PDO in Germany, as of the date of this article.

Bergkäse is a Spring cheese that can mature well over 16 months at a time. It's a hard cheese with a bold flavor and a fat content at a whopping 62%. Perhaps this little brother isn't so little after all! Though both come from the Alpine region, there's certainly enough of both cheeses to keep you coming back for more.

The infamous scene stealer from the Devil Wears Prada, Jarlsberg does more than make $8 (burnt) grilled cheeses (via Medium). After all, there had to be a reason that Nate was so willing to shell out dollars for this creamy golden yellow cheese! But, there's more to this mild cheese than its role in critically acclaimed films — though that is an amazing credit.

It seems that there's some consensus on the subject. Hailing from Norway, Jarlsberg accounts for around 60% of total cheese exports (via Cheese of the Month Club). Jarlsberg is made from cow's milk and semi-soft; it has a bit of chew to it. The Scandinavian cheese has a remarkably nutty taste, and is visually appealing with its bright color and many considerably large holes. The cheese club compares the cheese as having the "consistency, texture, and hole-formation" of Emmentaler cheese, with a sweeter flavor of its own. This particular cheese is best described as "all-purpose;" it does just as well as a slice (in a grilled cheese, anyone?), or in many different recipes that call for cheese (via Cheese). It seems that Jarlsberg is popular — and popular for good reason.