There are more than 1800 types of cheese. They come in many different shapes, flavors, textures, colors and styles. Some cheeses are more expensive because they require more effort or time to make; some are more expensive because they are made with rare ingredients that are more expensive than regular cheese. However, there are also cheeses that are more expensive because there isn’t enough supply!
Global cheese production is valued at $72 billion. Although cheese has been around for thousands years, the number of people who eat it has increased significantly in recent decades.
There are two types of cheese in the cheese world: soft cheeses like brie and camembert, and hard cheeses such as cheddar or parmesan. Hand-made artisanal cheeses are made in small batches. These cheeses are made using traditional techniques.
Most cheeses are free from unnecessary additives. These unprocessed cheeses are also known by the name “natural cheese”.
The World’s Most Expensive Cheeses
Which cheese is the most expensive in the world? It might surprise you to learn that not all expensive cheeses are made from cow’s milk. Some of these cheeses are expensive because they are made with goat’s or sheep’s dairy.
The reason some cheeses are more expensive than others is due to their composition and manufacturing process. Certain cheeses take more time to make than others.
A cheddar cheese can mature in 2 months, while an ewe’s-milk cheese may take up to two years. These types of cheeses are priced based on their rarity and how long it takes to make them.
The world’s most expensive cheese
However, you can still find great tasting cheeses at a lower price if you look for Colby or Monterey Jack.
New York’s Serendipity3 restaurant claims it has the highest priced sandwich in the world at $214. Quintessential Grill Cheese Sandwich contains caciocavallo podolico, one of the most costly cheeses in the world, along with gold flakes and Dom Perignon Champagne.
Because of their rarity and high quality ingredients, expensive cheeses can be very costly. We will be looking at the most expensive cheeses on Earth.
16. Oaxaca Cheese
Oaxaca cheese, a Mexican cheese, is named after the Oaxaca state of southern Mexico. This semi-soft, white cheese has a mildly salty but mellow flavor.
Oaxaca cheese is versatile and can be used in both sweet and savory dishes. It’s often paired well with avocados, tomatoes, chilies and avocados. Enchiladas and quesadillas are some of the most loved dishes with Oaxaca cheese.
Oaxaca cheese, made from cow’s dairy, has a high fat level. This artisan string cheese can be purchased in pasteurized or unpasteurized versions.
Oaxaca Cheese is one the most expensive cheeses around. A 2 pound package of this luxurious cheese can run up to $30. Oaxaca cheese
15. Sbrinz AOP Swiss Cheese
Sbrinz AOP, a hard Swiss cheese, has been around for centuries. It is made from cow’s dairy and has a fruity, nutty flavor.
Sbrinz AOP is great for melting and grating and goes well with wine and beer. It is a wonderful addition to any cheeseboard, having been aged for at least 18 months.
Sbrinz AOP Swiss cheese is the best choice if you are looking for authentic Swiss cheese. Sbrinz AOP cheese is available for as low as $35 per pound. Sbrinz cheese
14. Vintage Cave Aged Gruyere cheese
Vintage Cave-aged Gruyere is a matured cheese that has been aged for at least 9 months in Alpine caves. It has a delicate, refined taste. This cheese matures well in caves because of their cool temperatures and humidity.
Cave aged Gruyere is made from cow’s dairy and has a mild, nutty taste. It also has a crumbly texture. It is an excellent choice for recipes that require melted cheese as it will not overpower other ingredients. The cost of aged gruyere is approximately $45 per pound.
13. Jasper Hill Farm’s Winnimere Cheese
Made from raw cow’s dairy milk, Jasper Hill Farm Winnimere cheese is made in Greensboro, Vermont, USA. This artisan cheese is characterized by a strong aroma, a creamy, earthy taste and hints of fruits.
Jasper Hill Farm Winnimere cheese is aged for 60 day to fully develop its flavor. The young cheeses are then wrapped in spruce strips made from Jasper Hill Farm’s woods. The cheese is then rinsed in salt brine to make the rind smoother.
This delicious cheese can be used to make cheese plates or in cooking. Jasper Hill Farm cheeses go well with wines like Gewurztraminer and Pinot Noir. Winnimere costs $35 per pound. Winnimere is a very expensive cheese.
12. Gorau Glas Cheese
Gorau Glas is one of the most costly cheeses in the United Kingdom. Caws Gorau Glas Farm, Anglesey, Wales makes this soft blue cheese. It has a mild salty flavor and a crumbly texture.
This rare cheese is used often in Welsh dishes like cawl or rarebit. You can also eat it as is. Gorau Glas cheese costs $40 per pound.
11. Rogue River Blue Cheese
Rogue River Creamery, an organic cheese producer, was founded by Tom Vella in Central Point, Oregon. To great effect, the creamery uses techniques and recipes from Roquefort in France.
It was named the World Champion of World Cheese Awards, Bergamo, Italy in 2019. This was the first American-made cheese to receive this award.
This limited edition seasonal cheese is made from cow’s milk and aged in caves for nine to eleven months. It has a complex, nuanced flavor. This is due to the hand-wrapped Syrah grape leaves that have been soaked in pear spirit and are wrapped around each cheese wheel.
Rogue River Blue cheese is available for $75 per quarter wheel (around 18oz).
10. Cacio Bufala
Cacio di Bufala, a type of Italian cheese, is made from full-fat buffalo milk. Semi-hard cheese with a creamy texture is used often in pizza and pasta.
Cacio Bufala cheese is distinguished by its fine yellow rind, and distinctive drum shape. Cacio Bufala cheese is usually aged for between 8 and 10 months in natural caves or cellars. This cheese is available in specialty grocery stores or online.
Cacio di Bufala cheese prices vary depending on where you buy it, but they are generally $43 per pound.
9. Beaufort d’Ete
This is a well-known and beloved cheese. It’s made in the . Beaufort d’Ete cheese is a hard cow’s-milk cheese that’s made only in summer using milk from June through October.
Beaufort d’Ete cheese is often pressed. This results in a very solid structure with very few cracks. It can vary in color depending on how long the cheese has been aged but is generally pale yellow.
Beaufort d’Ete is known for its nutty taste that becomes more intense with time. The cheese has a faint aroma of tiny mountain flowers growing between the cracks in the Alpine rocks.
Each year, only 52,000 Beaufort d’Ete wheel are made and the price is $44/pound. Beaufort d’ete cheese
8. Jersey Blue Cheese
This popular cheese is made with unpasteurized Jersey milk and a yogurt fermentation. It’s produced in Lichtensteig, in the St.Gallen region of Switzerland. Willi Schmid, a renowned cheesemaker, has created a creamy blue-colored cheese with a dome.
Willi and his brothers have several cows, and Willi carefully chooses the milk for each batch. He gently squeezes the cheese wheels until the blue vein structure is visible below.
Jersey milk is rich in beta carotene and has a soft, creamy flavor. Jersey Blue Cheese costs $45 per pound.
7. Caciocavallo Podolico
Caciocavallo Podolico, made from organic raw milk from the Podolica cow is a rare Italian cheese. It is made in southern Italy’s Campania region since the 14th Century.
Cacciocavallo is Italian for horse cheese. This may be due to the fact that the cheeses were transported by horse from the Italian alps. This unusual cheese is edible and has flavors that are similar to berries or mountain grasses. It’s also a summertime food source for the cows.
This Italian delight is a filata Cheese. This cheese is made with a curd stretched. Caciocavallo Podolico cheeses have a stretched curd.
6. Extra-Old Bitto Butter
This delicacy, also known as Bitto Storico and Bitto Ribelle, is a delicious Lombardy-based delight. Italy can be aged up to 18 years.
It is the oldest known edible cheese. It is possible to age for a long time because it contains 10-20% goat cheese and cow’s milk.
This rich cheese is $150 per pound and has grassy and hay aromas. Bitto cheese – photo: Distretto Agroalimentare di Qualita della Valtellina
5. Wyke Farms Cheddar Cheese
Wyke Farms Cheddar cheese is made according to Grandmother Ivy’s secret recipe in Somerset. It’s definitely worth trying, if you can find it. This semi-hard cheese is made from fresh cow’s milk.
Wyke Farms has been producing farmhouse Cheddar cheeses for more than 150 years using traditional methods and the best ingredients. Every farmhouse cheddar is stored in wooden boxes, and the Master Cheese Grader inspects them regularly.
This gluten-free cheese can mature for more than 15 months. Wyke Farm’s vintage cheddar cheese can be as high as $200 per pound. However, they also offer vintage cheese starting at $14.
4. White Stilton Gold Cheese
Long Clawson Dairy is well-known for its Stilton cheeses. They have been in existence since 1911. This farming cooperative makes 100% British cheese. It is located in Melton Mowbray (Leicestershire), UK.
This cheese was a special edition from Long Clawson Dairy and contained real gold flakes and gold liqueur. It retailed at $420 per pound. Due to the extra-long ageing process and gold leaf, this cheese was extremely expensive.
Clawson cheesemakers now offer a wide variety of specialty cheeses, including Rutland Red or Blue Shropshire. Clawson cheesemakers also offer cheese cakes that can be served to 40-160 people, which is a great feature for weddings and other special events.
3. Moose cheese
This cheese is made with moose milk from the Elk House farm, or Algens Hus (in Swedish). This is believed to be the only location in the world where moose cheese is produced.
Three lactating moose are found on the farm in Bjurholm in Sweden. The cheeses can be enjoyed in the restaurant. On a guided tour, visitors can meet the tame mouse moose.
Each year, around 300 kg of moose cheese is produced in this area. The price per pound is approximately $455 A baby moose
2. Cabrales Cheese
Cabrales, an artisanal blue cheese, has the distinction of being one of the most expensive at auction. This semi-hard cheese is made in Spain by the Valfriu cheese plant.
At the Cabrales Cheese Competition, August 2018, 15 restaurants offered to buy a 5.78-lb (2.62kg) piece of Cabrales cheese. The winning bid was a staggering $16,000 after 2 hours.
Ivan Suarez, the owner of Llagar de Colloto, purchased this expensive cheese. He is a huge fan of Cabrales cheeses, and has them on the menu at his restaurant.
Cabrales cheese can age in Spanish mountain caves for up to 3 to 6 months. To help the cheese mature, the Picos de Europa mountain range shepherds turn it regularly. Cabrales blue cheese – PDPhoto.org via Wikimedia commons
1. Pule Cheese
This unique cheese is made from goat’s milk as well as the milk of Balkan donkeys. It tops our list for the most expensive cheeses. Why is pule cheese so expensive? It costs between $600 and $700 per pound.
This is because donkeys don’t give much milk. It takes 25 liters to make one kilogram donkey cheese. Balkan’s most beloved cheese has low fat but high levels of protein, calcium, and omega 3 acids. Legend has it that Cleopatra used donkey milk to beautify her skin.
Even though donkey milk can be good for us and used in anti-aging skincare, ice cream and cheese, it takes a lot of donkey milk just to make a tiny amount of Pule cheese.
This white, crumbly cheese is strong and has a strong, earthy flavor. You should definitely have a try of this cheese if you are visiting Serbia or Montenegro.
How to Save Your Expensive Cheeses
Cheese is mainly made up of fat and protein. This makes it very sensitive to heat and humidity. The types of packaging found in supermarkets are not suitable for long-term storage. You can get the best out of your cheese by investing in a handcrafted grotto.
If you are able to properly store cheese, it doesn’t need to be kept in a refrigerator. Clear wrapping will protect cheese from light exposure, while airtight containers will keep humidity out.
If wrapped in wax paper or plastic, precious varieties can be left on the counter for up three days. Cheese should be kept away from other smelly foods in order to keep their scents from affecting its delicate flavors. A handmade cheesegrotto
The Most Expensive Cheeses
These cheeses are not only for those who have a strong appetite and a large budget. Cheese lovers can enjoy these delicious delicacies for long periods of time if they are stored properly.
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