Cheese

Cheese is a dairy food made from milk with a fibrous texture. Cooks bake it and pair it with crackers, grapes, nuts, celery, or chutney.

Dairy
May contain animal rennet
Allergen: milk

About the plain ingredient, not packaged products; general information, not medical advice. Details

Category: Dairy & eggs
Made from: Milk
Part used: Milk
Texture: Fibrous
Cooked most in: Europe, Asia, The Americas
Top country: Indonesia
Dishes: 44 in the catalogue
Energy: 376 kcal per 100 g

Photo: Daderot · CC0 1.0 · Wikimedia Commons

In the kitchen

How to use cheese

Typical ways to cook or use it

Bake

Preparing it

Let cheese reach room temperature before eating to improve its flavor and texture.

Cooking with it

Most hard cheeses melt when heated above room temperature. Acid or starch can help some cheeses melt smoothly instead of separating.

Goes well with

Flavour

Taste and texture

Texture

Fibrous

Nutrition

What 100 g of cheese holds

Per 100 g. Averages from USDA; real values vary by variety, season and growing conditions.

Protein 44%Fat 51%Carbohydrate 5%of the macronutrients by weight

Nutrition per 100 g of cheese
Energy	376 kcal · 1,573 kJ
Protein	25 g
Fat	29 g
of which saturated	19 g
Carbohydrate	3.1 g
Fibre	0 g
Sodium	690 mg
Cholesterol	93 mg

Nutrition per 100 g of cheese: minerals and vitamins
Potassium	93 mg
Calcium	673 mg
Iron	0.64 mg
Magnesium	22 mg
Zinc	2.9 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)	271 µg
Folate	18 µg
Vitamin B12	0.27 µg

Source: USDA FoodData Central (food 173413), public domain. Minerals and vitamins are listed only where USDA measured a non-zero amount.

Around the world

Where cheese is cooked

44 dishes in the catalogue use cheese. Here is where they come from.

Dishes by continent

Countries whose dishes use it most

Counts are catalogued dishes from each country that list cheese among their ingredients.

Origins

5,500 BCE · Poland
The earliest archaeological evidence of cheesemaking was found in present-day Poland.
5,200 BCE · Croatia
Evidence of cheesemaking was found on the Dalmatian coast.
1815 · Switzerland
The first industrial cheese factory opened in Switzerland.
1851 · United States
Jesse Williams began making cheese on an assembly line in New York.

On the table

Dishes made with cheese

39 of the 44 catalogued dishes that use it, spread across the countries they come from.

Crawfish Monica
United States
Makaroni schotel
Europe, Indonesia
Hamburger
Germany, United States
Mimosa salad
Adjidjat
Algeria
Babuko
Türkiye
Creamy porridge
Montenegro
Dagobert
Belgium
Doria
Japan
Kewa datshi
Bhutan
Pizza Poro
Finland
Quesabirria
Mexico
Repocheta
Nicaragua
Mandrykas
Ukraine
Pane frattau
Italy
Cheese on toast
United Kingdom
Cheese tteokbokki
South Korea
Cuñapé
Bolivia
Malakoff
Switzerland
Saganaki
Greece
Lapis talas Bogor
Indonesia
Amtrak Natural Angus Burger
United States
Harşo
Bourek
Algeria
Enfrijoladas
Mexico
Leker Cake
Indonesia
Disco fries
United States
Quesadilla
Mexico
Kumspî
Putri salju cake
Indonesia
Sînor
Javanese fritters
Indonesia
Green chile cheeseburger
Cholera
Stuffed tomatoes
Yaroa
Cheese omelet
Cherry tomatoes stuffed with cheese
Jalapeño peppers stuffed with cheese

Dish lists come from Wikidata; a dish counts when its recorded ingredients include cheese.

Good to know

Diet and allergens: cheese in detail

These notes describe the plain ingredient. Packaged and prepared products vary, so read the label; for allergies and medical diets ask a doctor or dietitian.

Allergens: Contains: milk
Animal origin: From: dairySometimes animal rennet (many cheeses are made with animal rennet; vegetarian cheeses use microbial rennet)Checked and not found: egg, fish, meat, honey, insect, poultry, shellfish, other animal.
Caffeine: None

Family

Related forms

Made from: milk
Kinds: Cheddar cheese, Emmental, Époisses, feta, Fontina PDO, fresh cheese, goat cheese, Gouda, mozzarella, paneer, Parmesan, pecorino, Pecorino Romano PDO, Sulguni