# Do other countries make non-native types of cheeses? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 17, 2004, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-countries-make-non-native-types-of-cheeses/245599 "2004-05-17T14:05:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![According\_to\_Pliny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@According\_to\_Pliny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/According_to_Pliny)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-countries-make-non-native-types-of-cheeses/245599/1 "2004-05-17T14:05:05Z")
The US cheese industry seems to make all the major kinds of foreign cheeses, swiss and romano… Do the other cheese producing countries also make all kinds? Do they make a holey cheese in the Netherlands? Cheddar? Monterey Jack? Feta? Does England make cheese with sheep’s and goat’s milk? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-countries-make-non-native-types-of-cheeses/245599/2 "2004-05-17T14:39:32Z")
Yup, here in the UK, it is possible to buy native ‘versions’ of various cheeses; some of them are better imitations than others, some of them are called odd things due (I think) to naming restrictions. There are also a huge range of native cheeses, made from a variety of different milks or blends of milks; some of these are traditional, having been around for decades or centuries, others are fairly new. There are also ‘cheese food products’, but I’d rather not talk about those. ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-countries-make-non-native-types-of-cheeses/245599/3 "2004-05-17T15:03:59Z")
Some of the best cheddar cheese is actually made in Canada. Feta is made in several countries, though to be fair, several of them claim it as a local specialty. There’s camembert manufactured in Hokkaido, Japan. It’s not that great, but Japanese cream cheese can be surprisingly good. Anyway, it’s pretty common and not limited to the US at all. Germany and Australia seem to produce a lot of non-native cheese, among other countries. ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-countries-make-non-native-types-of-cheeses/245599/4 "2004-05-17T15:06:17Z")
The more popular cheese type - cheddar, mozzarella, emmenthal, brie and so forth - are produced pretty well all over the world. Ireland, for instance, has a huge dairy industry and is either Europe’s or the world’s largest producer of a number of common cheese types which are not regarded as distinctively Irish. In fact, the production of distinctively Irish cheeses is tiny. And I would guess that Ireland is not untypical. Quite a number of countries have large diary industries but no particular cheeses associated with them. They largely produce cheeses which are associated with other countries. ---
**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-countries-make-non-native-types-of-cheeses/245599/5 "2004-05-17T15:50:33Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > There are also a **huge range** of native cheeses, made from a variety of different milks or blends of milks; some of these are traditional, having been around for decades or centuries, others are fairly new. This “huge” range consists of Cheddar, Mild Cheddar, Mature Cheddar and Extra Mature Cheddar. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-countries-make-non-native-types-of-cheeses/245599/6 "2004-05-17T16:04:49Z")
> [@Dog80](#): > > This “huge” range consists of Cheddar, Mild Cheddar, Mature Cheddar and Extra Mature Cheddar. :rolleyes: What? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![curly\_chick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ba0ec/32.png) [@curly\_chick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curly_chick)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-countries-make-non-native-types-of-cheeses/245599/7 "2004-05-17T16:15:51Z")
> [@Dog80](#): > > This “huge” range consists of Cheddar, Mild Cheddar, Mature Cheddar and Extra Mature Cheddar. :rolleyes: What a load of old tosh. Cheddar is indeed an English cheese, and is apparently the only one you’ve ever heard of, but there is a huge range of English cheese. Lancashire, Cheshire, Stilton, Wendesleydale, Double Gloucester, Sage Derby, Red Leicester etc, and they are only the well known ones. Any rural spot in England will have some class of a local cheese that you don’t even get in the next village. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-countries-make-non-native-types-of-cheeses/245599/8 "2004-05-17T16:27:39Z")
More and more cheese had there names protected in the EU. So, you can’t make Roquefort in England (only in a tiny part of France, actually), Parmeggiano in Poland or Feta in Denmark (and this one, actually had been a big issue because it was largely produced in several EU countries, precisely including Denmark, and not even using ewe’s milk, but plain cow milk) ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-countries-make-non-native-types-of-cheeses/245599/9 "2004-05-17T16:39:17Z")
> [@curly chick](#): > > Cheddar is indeed an English cheese, and is apparently the only one you’ve ever heard of, but there is a huge range of English cheese. > Lancashire, Cheshire, Stilton, Wendesleydale, Double Gloucester, Sage Derby, Red Leicester etc, and they are only the well known ones. And let us not forget Caerphilly. 🙂 With regard to cheese in Canada, [Agriculture Canada](http://atn-riae.agr.ca/supply/3299_e.htm) says: > [@](#): > > In 2002, Canadian cheddar cheese production continued its growth to 122,943 tonnes. Specialty cheese production also increased to 211,687 tonnes. Mozzarella led the way, accounting for 57 per cent of total specialty cheese production. Overall, Canada produces more than 300 different varieties of fine cheeses including raw milk cheeses and goat and sheep cheeses. Australian cheese production is quite as prolific, but Dairy Australia notes that: > [@](#): > > Specialty cheese production has grown from around 15,000 tonnes a year to just over 31,000 tonnes in the last decade. That’s a lotta cheese. ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-countries-make-non-native-types-of-cheeses/245599/10 "2004-05-17T16:41:02Z")
Argh… forgot to fill in the URL for Dairy Australia: [http://www.dairyaustralia.com.au/template\_content.asp?Page=Content/Australia/Industry\_Intelligence/Specialty\_Cheese/index.htm](http://www.dairyaustralia.com.au/template_content.asp?Page=Content/Australia/Industry_Intelligence/Specialty_Cheese/index.htm) ---
**Author:** ![curly\_chick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ba0ec/32.png) [@curly\_chick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curly_chick)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-countries-make-non-native-types-of-cheeses/245599/11 "2004-05-17T16:45:12Z")
> [@Cerowyn](#): > > And let us not forget Caerphilly. 🙂 Is Caerphilly not Welsh? See me - I was being pragmatic, the OP specifically stated England, so I didn’t want to muddy the waters with the whole “UK is not England mallarkey”, which we might have seen on here a time or ten squillion. Caerphilly is very nice though. 🙂 Can’t argue with that. And I also meant to say that **UDS** has it pegged for Ireland, there is an enormous amount of “foreign” cheese made here. As well a mind boggling array of food ingredients which are derived from milk. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-countries-make-non-native-types-of-cheeses/245599/12 "2004-05-17T17:25:10Z")
> [@clairobscur](#): > > More and more cheese had there names protected in the EU. So, you can’t make Roquefort in England (only in a tiny part of France, actually… That’s okay. Stilton’s better, anyway. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-countries-make-non-native-types-of-cheeses/245599/13 "2004-05-17T17:36:14Z")
> [@curly chick](#): > > Cheddar is indeed an English cheese, and is apparently the only one you’ve ever heard of, but there is a huge range of English cheese. > Lancashire, Cheshire, Stilton, Wendesleydale, Double Gloucester, Sage Derby, Red Leicester etc, and they are only the well known ones. I actually live in Cardiff for the time being. I haven’t tried all of these, but some taste like Cheddar too. Red Leicester for example is simply coloured Cheddar ---
**Author:** ![According\_to\_Pliny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@According\_to\_Pliny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/According_to_Pliny)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-countries-make-non-native-types-of-cheeses/245599/14 "2004-05-17T17:57:52Z")
I never would have suspected that this was so extensive. I suppose that I could be eating Canadian Mozzarella right now on my pizza and simply be unaware of the origin. ---
**Author:** ![Gartog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/22d042/32.png) [@Gartog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gartog)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-countries-make-non-native-types-of-cheeses/245599/15 "2004-05-17T20:22:46Z")
> [@Dog80](#): > > I actually live in Cardiff for the time being. I haven’t tried all of these, but some taste like Cheddar too. Red Leicester for example is simply coloured Cheddar umm…No it’s not. First match on Google for 'making Red Leicester: [Red Leicester](http://www.shop-headquarters.com/cheese/products_information/p_item_289.html) Andd Cheddar: [Cheddar](http://www.shop-headquarters.com/cheese/products_information/p_item_288.html) Only Cheddar tastes like Cheddar, unless you’re buying some really bad cheese. The wide variety of cheeses all taste different, some may be a little similar, but none are the same. ---
**Author:** ![Gartog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/22d042/32.png) [@Gartog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gartog)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-countries-make-non-native-types-of-cheeses/245599/16 "2004-05-17T20:26:42Z")
Apologies for the typos, and a link to Cecil’s column on coloured Cheddar: [Why is Cheddar Oange?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a981002b.html) ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-countries-make-non-native-types-of-cheeses/245599/17 "2004-05-17T21:35:49Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > That’s okay. Stilton’s better, anyway. 😉 Stilton is great, but very difficult to find, over here. Besides, they’re quite different. The Stilton is made with cow’s milk, the Roquefort with ewe’s milk. They taste is significantly different, and the Stilton’s is less “strong”. Not even mentioning the part about the Porto. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-countries-make-non-native-types-of-cheeses/245599/18 "2004-05-17T22:06:11Z")
I _strongly_ recommend seeking out genuine Cheddar cheddar. It’s sensational - nothing else compares to it. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-countries-make-non-native-types-of-cheeses/245599/19 "2004-05-17T22:48:46Z")
> [@curly chick](#): > > Is Caerphilly not Welsh? > See me - I was being pragmatic, the OP specifically stated England, so I didn’t want to muddy the waters with the whole “UK is not England mallarkey”, which we might have seen on here a time or ten squillion. At least you didn’t say that the OP _ **carefully** _ specified England so as to exclude Caerphilly! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2004, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-countries-make-non-native-types-of-cheeses/245599/20 "2004-05-17T23:45:07Z")
> [@Dog80](#): > > This “huge” range consists of Cheddar, Mild Cheddar, Mature Cheddar and Extra Mature Cheddar. :rolleyes: This is terribly wrong and fails even as hyperbole; setting aside the independent delicatessens, even the mainstream supermarkets have a range of British cheeses that must number somewhere around a hundred varieties, including hard cheeses, some of which are not entirely dissimilar to Cheddar, but there is huge diversity besides. I can understand that you could be oblivious to the incredible diversity of local and small-production cheeses, many of which are not seen outside a few shops in their own locality, but how could you possibly be under such a gross misconception that all the British cheese generally on offer is Cheddar, or is indistinguishable from it? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-other-countries-make-non-native-types-of-cheeses/245599.md?page=2)