Exploring the Diverse World of Semi-Soft Cheese: From Mild to Bold and Everything in Between
Explore the delightful world of semi-soft cheeses with my full list below. From creamy Havarti to robust Gouda, semi-soft cheeses offer a perfect balance of smooth texture and rich flavor. Ideal for melting, snacking, and enhancing your favorite dishes, these cheeses are versatile and delicious. Dive in to learn more about these tasty cheeses and how to use them in your culinary adventures.
Don’t forget you can learn how to make some of these semi- soft cheeses by looking at my guides here!
What is Semi-Soft Cheese?
Semi-soft cheeses are a category of cheese that falls between soft and firm in texture. They typically have a moisture content between 36% and 45%, which gives them a pliable, smooth texture that melts beautifully. Semi-soft cheeses can be made from various types of milk, including cow, goat, and sheep, and are often aged for a short period to develop their flavors.
Types of Semi-Soft Cheese
1. Havarti
Havarti is a Danish cow’s milk cheese with a mild, buttery flavor and a smooth, creamy texture. It often features small, irregular holes throughout the paste. Havarti can be aged for longer periods to develop a sharper taste and a more crumbly texture.Havarti is a versatile cheese that works well in both hot and cold applications. It’s delicious on sandwiches, melted in sauces, or as a topping for burgers. Havarti also pairs well with fruit, nuts, and crackers on a cheese board.
2. Gouda (young)
Young Gouda is a Dutch cow’s milk cheese with a mild, slightly sweet flavor and a smooth, supple texture. It’s aged for a shorter period than its more mature counterparts, resulting in a softer consistency and a more delicate taste.Young Gouda is perfect for melting, making it an excellent choice for grilled cheese sandwiches, quesadillas, and fondues. It also works well in salads, on crackers, or as a snack on its own.
3. Fontina
Fontina is an Italian cow’s milk cheese with a nutty, slightly sweet flavor and a smooth, pliable texture. It has a pale yellow interior and a thin, natural rind. Fontina is often used in cooking due to its excellent melting properties.Fontina is a key ingredient in many Italian dishes, such as fonduta (a cheese fondue) and risotto. It’s also delicious in panini, on pizza, or melted over roasted vegetables.
4. Munster
Munster is a French cow’s milk cheese with a mild, slightly tangy flavor and a soft, smooth texture. It has a distinctive orange-red rind that is washed with brine during the aging process, contributing to its pungent aroma.Munster is often enjoyed on its own with crusty bread and a glass of Alsatian wine. It also melts well, making it a great choice for grilled cheese sandwiches, tarts, and gratins.
5. Stilton (blue)
Stilton is an English blue cheese made from cow’s milk. It has a rich, complex flavor with a balance of creaminess and tanginess, and a crumbly, semi-soft texture. Stilton is known for its distinctive blue veins and wrinkled rind.Stilton is often served as a dessert cheese, paired with port wine, figs, or walnuts. It can also be crumbled over salads, melted into sauces, or used as a topping for burgers and steaks.
6. Edam
Edam is a Dutch cow’s milk cheese with a mild, slightly salty flavor and a smooth, firm texture. It has a distinctive red or yellow wax coating that helps preserve the cheese during aging. Edam is known for its spherical shape and pale yellow interior. Edam is a great snacking cheese, perfect for slicing and serving with crackers or fruit. It also works well in sandwiches, on cheese boards, or cubed in salads.
7. Raclette
Raclette is a Swiss cow’s milk cheese with a nutty, slightly sweet flavor and a smooth, creamy texture. It’s named after the traditional Swiss dish, where the cheese is melted and scraped onto various accompaniments.Raclette is most famously used in its eponymous dish, where it’s melted and served with boiled potatoes, cured meats, and pickled vegetables. It’s also delicious in fondues, gratins, and sandwiches.
8. Jarlsberg
Jarlsberg is a Norwegian cow’s milk cheese with a mild, buttery flavor and a smooth, supple texture. It’s known for its large, round holes and pale yellow interior. Jarlsberg has a slightly sweet and nutty taste that becomes more pronounced with age.Jarlsberg is a versatile cheese that works well in both hot and cold applications. It’s delicious on sandwiches, melted in sauces, or as a topping for burgers. Jarlsberg also pairs well with fruit, nuts, and crackers on a cheese board.
9. Port Salut
Port Salut is a French cow’s milk cheese with a mild, slightly tangy flavor and a smooth, creamy texture. It has a distinctive orange rind that is washed with brine during the aging process, contributing to its subtle aroma.Port Salut is often enjoyed on its own with crusty bread and a glass of light red wine. It also melts well, making it a great choice for grilled cheese sandwiches, quiches, and fondues.
10. Provolone (young)
Young Provolone is an Italian cow’s milk cheese with a mild, slightly sweet flavor and a smooth, pliable texture. It’s aged for a shorter period than its more mature counterparts, resulting in a softer consistency and a more delicate taste.Young Provolone is perfect for melting, making it an excellent choice for pizza, pasta dishes, and sandwiches. It also works well in salads, on crackers, or as a snack on its own.
11. Mozzarella (low-moisture)
Low-moisture Mozzarella is an Italian cow’s milk cheese with a mild, slightly tangy flavor and a firm, elastic texture. It has a lower water content than fresh Mozzarella, which gives it a longer shelf life and makes it ideal for shredding and melting.Low-moisture Mozzarella is most commonly used as a pizza topping, but it’s also delicious in pasta dishes, sandwiches, and salads. It can be melted into sauces or used as a filling for lasagna and other baked dishes.
12. Caciocavallo
Caciocavallo is an Italian cow’s milk cheese with a mild, slightly salty flavor and a firm, smooth texture. It’s known for its distinctive teardrop shape and is often tied with a string and hung to age. Caciocavallo has a pale yellow interior and a thin, natural rind.Caciocavallo is often enjoyed on its own as a snacking cheese or grated over pasta dishes. It also works well in sandwiches, on cheese boards, or melted into sauces.
13. Taleggio
Taleggio is an Italian cow’s milk cheese with a strong, tangy flavor and a soft, creamy texture. It has a distinctive pinkish-gray rind that is washed with brine during the aging process, contributing to its pungent aroma.Taleggio is often enjoyed on its own with crusty bread and a glass of red wine. It also melts well, making it a great choice for risottos, polenta dishes, and fondues.
14. Reblochon
Reblochon is a French cow’s milk cheese with a nutty, slightly fruity flavor and a soft, velvety texture. It has a distinctive orange-yellow rind that is washed with brine during the aging process, contributing to its subtle aroma.Reblochon is most famously used in tartiflette, a French potato and bacon gratin. It’s also delicious on its own with crusty bread, melted into sauces, or as a topping for salads and tarts.
15. Limburger
Limburger is a German cow’s milk cheese with a strong, pungent flavor and a soft, creamy texture. It’s known for its distinctive aroma, which intensifies as the cheese ages. Limburger has a pale yellow interior and a thin, natural rind.Limburger is often enjoyed on its own with dark bread and onions. It also works well in sandwiches, on cheese boards, or melted into sauces for a bold flavor.
16. Bel Paese
Bel Paese is an Italian cow’s milk cheese with a mild, buttery flavor and a soft, creamy texture. It has a pale yellow interior and a thin, natural rind. Bel Paese is known for its delicate taste and smooth mouthfeel.Bel Paese is a versatile cheese that works well in both hot and cold applications. It’s delicious on sandwiches, melted in sauces, or as a topping for pizza. Bel Paese also pairs well with fruit, nuts, and crackers on a cheese board.
17. Butterkäse
Butterkäse is a German cow’s milk cheese with a mild, buttery flavor and a soft, creamy texture. It’s known for its rich, slightly sweet taste and smooth mouthfeel. Butterkäse has a pale yellow interior and a thin, natural rind.Butterkäse is perfect for melting, making it an excellent choice for grilled cheese sandwiches, quesadillas, and fondues. It also works well in salads, on crackers, or as a snack on its own.
18. Oaxaca
Oaxaca is a Mexican cow’s milk cheese with a mild, slightly salty flavor and a soft, stringy texture. It’s known for its distinctive ball shape, which is formed by rolling and stretching the cheese. Oaxaca has a pale white interior and a thin, natural rind.Oaxaca is most commonly used in Mexican dishes, such as quesadillas, enchiladas, and queso fundido. It melts beautifully, making it perfect for any dish that requires a gooey, stretchy cheese.
19. St. Nectaire
St. Nectaire is a French cow’s milk cheese with a nutty, slightly earthy flavor and a soft, creamy texture. It has a distinctive grayish-brown rind that is washed with brine during the aging process, contributing to its subtle aroma.St. Nectaire is often enjoyed on its own with crusty bread and a glass of red wine. It also works well in sandwiches, on cheese boards, or melted into sauces for a rich, complex flavor.
20. Tomme de Savoie
Tomme de Savoie is a French cow’s milk cheese with a mild, slightly nutty flavor and a semi-soft, supple texture. It has a grayish-brown rind that is covered in a thin layer of white mold. Tomme de Savoie has a pale yellow interior with small, irregular holes.Tomme de Savoie is a versatile cheese that works well in both hot and cold applications. It’s delicious on sandwiches, melted in sauces, or as a topping for gratins. Tomme de Savoie also pairs well with fruit, nuts, and crackers on a cheese board.
21. Asiago Pressato
Asiago Pressato is an Italian cow’s milk cheese with a mild, slightly tangy flavor and a soft, pliable texture. It’s aged for a shorter period than its more mature counterpart, Asiago d’Allevo, resulting in a softer consistency and a more delicate taste.Asiago Pressato is perfect for melting, making it an excellent choice for pizza, pasta dishes, and sandwiches. It also works well in salads, on crackers, or as a snack on its own.
22. Mahon
Mahon is a Spanish cow’s milk cheese with a mild, slightly salty flavor and a soft, creamy texture. It’s known for its distinctive square shape and orange-yellow rind, which is rubbed with paprika or oil during the aging process.Mahon is often enjoyed on its own with crusty bread and a glass of white wine. It also works well in sandwiches, on cheese boards, or melted into sauces for a rich, savory flavor.
23. Dolcelatte
Dolcelatte is an Italian blue cheese made from cow’s milk. It has a rich, creamy flavor with a balance of sweetness and tanginess, and a soft, spreadable texture. Dolcelatte is known for its distinctive blue veins and ivory-colored paste.Dolcelatte is often served as a dessert cheese, paired with figs, pears, or honey. It can also be spread on crackers, melted into sauces, or used as a topping for salads and crostini.