Unique Cheeses Around the World

If you're a curd nerd, your cheese repertoire may extend beyond British Cheddar and Spanish Manchego, but chances are you haven't heard of Nagelkaas, a clove-studded Gouda from the Netherlands, or Anthill, a soft goat cheese from Australia encrusted with dried green weaver ants (they taste like fresh citrus)!

- TENAYA DARLINGTON, AKA MADAME FROMAGE

When you travel, try seeking out local cheeses, just as you would local wines or beers. Most countries have active artisan scenes, not to mention festivals and even private tours to meet makers. 

This list offers a sampling to get you started, whether you're excited by indigenous finds or inventive flavors. To become a cheese adventurer, seek out cheese shops wherever you go to ask, "What's local?" You'll be amazed by your dairy discoveries. 

01 Turducken of Cheese Queso Bola de Ocosingo (QBO)

CHIAPAS, MEXICO

This unusual artisan cheese from Chiapas is made by stuffing a soft cheese into a firm cheese that forms a crust to form a sphere. The first branded cheese of Mexico, it must be made from the raw milk of local Zebu-Brown Swiss cows.

02 Royal Pick Grey Owl

QUEBEC CITY 

When Grey Owl was ordered for a dinner party surrounding Prince Harry's wedding in 2018, it made international news. Besides being one of Duchess Meghan Markle's favorites, Grey Owl is a stunning soft goat cheese with an ashy rind from a small creamery, Fromagerie le Détour, run by husband-and-wife team Ginette Bégin and Mario Quirion.

The silver rind looks feathery, hence the name.

03 Rare Choice Queijo do Serro

SERRO REGION, BRAZIL 

Gold explorers started artisan cheese production here during the 18th century. One of the country's oldest cheeses, Queijo do Serro is still made by hand from native starter cultures, known as pingo. Often sold fresh or aged for eight to 60 days, Serro cheese can go from mellow and yogurty, when it's still young, to buttery and slightly piquant when aged. This cheese has been inducted into Slow Food's Ark of Taste, a catalog of "distinct, delicious and endangered" foods.