All cheese is basically the same thing: coagulated milk curds. The milk might come from cows, sheep, goats, water buffalo, even yaks or camels. The curds are usually compressed and often cured — that is, ripened or matured — and typically salted.
Then the fun begins: Cheeses may be wrapped in cloth, walnut or chestnut leaves, or bark, among other things; coated in wax or ash, or even wool; washed in brine, beer, wine, or various alcohols; inoculated with mold (to make blue cheese); smoked; colored; flavored with truffles, nuts, or many different kinds of herbs or spices; aged for various periods in a variety of ways.
To compile a list of America’s favorite types of cheese, 24/7 Tempo reviewed a YouGov survey conducted in March 2021 with almost 9,000 respondents.
There are thousands of kinds of cheese. The annual International Cheese Awards in England showcases more than 5,000 entries from around the world every year. An ever-increasing number are produced in the U.S.
Wisconsin makes more cheese than any other U.S. state. The state produced nearly 3.4 billion pounds in 2019, about a quarter of all U.S. cheese production that year.
There are some interesting differences between men and women as well as age groups when it comes to one’s favorite cheese. In the survey, women were twice as likely to pick brie cheese as their favorite, while men were twice as likely to prefer blue cheese. Baby boomers, those born between 1946 and 1964, were more than five times more likely than Gen Z-ers, those born after 1997, to say their favorite cheese was Swiss. On the other hand, Gen Z-ers were twice as likely as boomers to say that they loved American cheese.
Cheese is often a staple in sandwiches, which vary in type about as much as cheese. The great thing about sandwiches is that they can be made with almost anything — these are the best local sandwiches in every state.
To compile a list of America’s favorite types of cheese, 24/7 Tempo reviewed a YouGov survey conducted in March 2021. The survey was conducted using an online interview completed by nearly 9,000 adults. Respondents were given a list of 19 answers, including 16 different types of cheese as well as the options “other,” “Don’t know,” and “N/A – I don’t like cheese.”
16. Ricotta
> Adults who say Ricotta is their favorite cheese: 1%
Ricotta means recooked in Italian. This type of cheese, which can be made from milk of cows, sheep, goats, as well as water buffalo, is light and creamy. Ricotta cheese is made from leftovers of whatever other cheese has already been made with the curds separated from the milk.
15. Muenster
> Adults who say Muenster is their favorite cheese: 2%
Muenster cheese is the American version of the French Munster cheese. Unlike the French type, which is made from unpasteurized milk, Muenster cheese, which has a mild flavor but strong smell, is made from pasteurized cow’s milk.
14. Gruyère
> Adults who say Gruyère is their favorite cheese: 2%
Gruyère is a type of smooth-melting Swiss cheese made from unpasteurized cow’s milk. It usually takes more than six months to make. Because it’s made with raw milk, Gruyère cheese imported in the U.S. has to be aged for at least two months. Gruyère is a popular choice in fondue recipes.
13. Goat
> Adults who say Goat is their favorite cheese: 2%
Goat cheeses come in a wide variety of flavors and textures — from soft, which is used as a spread, to crumbling, which is used for salads. Some types of goat cheeses contain less fat than cheese made from cow’s milk.
12. Feta
> Adults who say Feta is their favorite cheese: 2%
Feta cheese is brined curd cheese made from cow’s, sheep’s, or goat’s milk. Traditional feta cheese is made from a blend of sheep’s and goat’s milk. Feta cheese is very popular in Mediterranean dishes.
11. Parmesan
> Adults who say Parmesan is their favorite cheese: 3%
Parmesan is a cheaper supermarket alternative for Italy’s venerable Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. In 2016, the Food and Drug Administration reported that major brands of mass-market Parmesan had been found to contain cellulose, an additive that prevents clumping. Cellulose is a polymer found naturally in wood and cotton — and only unnaturally in cheese.
10. Brie
> Adults who say Brie is their favorite cheese: 3%
Either in its natural state or baked in a pastry case, brie is the definitive party cheese. There are American versions, but mass-produced brie from France, its country of origin, is commonly available in the U.S. As it matures and grows runny, brie gains pungency, but when young, it’s lightly flavorful.
9. Gouda
> Adults who say Gouda is their favorite cheese: 4%
Gouda is a Dutch cheese named after the city of Gouda in the Netherlands. Gouda cheese, one of the oldest European cheeses, is made from Dutch milk called Noord-Hollandse Gouda.
8. Blue
> Adults who say Blue is their favorite cheese: 4%
Blue cheeses are made from cow’s, goat’s, or sheep’s milk all over the world. Cultures of the Penicillium mold give them blue, green, or sometimes gray or black veins, either streaked here and there or permeating the entire cheese. Some of the world’s most famous cheeses are blue, including Roquefort and Gorgonzola. Many people, however, find them too pungent and are sometimes put off by the very sight of the mold.
7. Provolone
> Adults who say Provolone is their favorite cheese: 5%
Provolone is a semi-hard Italian or Italian-style cheese with buttery, slightly tangy flavor, a pleasant aroma, and a mild but pronounced aftertaste. It’s another popular deli cheese and practically indispensible on antipasto plates.
6. Pepper Jack
> Adults who say Pepper Jack is their favorite cheese: 7%
Pepper Jack is a variation of Monterey Jack cheese that is spiked with bits of spicy chili peppers and herbs. The semi-soft cheese is often added to burgers and quesadillas. Pepper Jack is tied with Colby Jack (sometimes called Monterey Jack), with 7% of respondents choosing each as their favorite cheese.
5. Colby Jack/Monterey Jack
> Adults who say Colby Jack/Monterey Jack is their favorite cheese: 7%
Monterey Jack is a true American cheese, first made in Monterey, California, as early as the 1700s. The cheese was popularized in the 19th century by (and eventually named for) dairyman David Jacks. The semi-soft cheese is a mild, creamy cheese, and great for melting.
4. Swiss
> Adults who say Swiss is their favorite cheese: 8%
“Swiss” is a generic name for a family of American-made cheeses inspired by Switzerland’s Emmental cheese and its relatives. The Swiss cheese flavor is slightly sweet and is often described as nutty. Swiss is a deli sandwich essential and often appears in cubed form on party platters.
3. Mozzarella
> Adults who say Mozzarella is their favorite cheese: 9%
Mozzarella cheese can be anything from the rubbery supermarket stuff to artisanal Mozzarella di Bufala from Italy, or even trendy Burrata, which is mozzarella with a creamy center. Americans consume about 12 pounds of “mozz'” per capita every year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
2. American
> Adults who say American is their favorite cheese: 13%
American cheese, usually sold in the form of those familiar light yellow or yellow-orange (or sometimes white) slices, either individually wrapped or separated by waxed paper, is a processed cheese product made from milk, milk solids, various fats, and whey protein.
1. Cheddar
> Adults who say Cheddar is their favorite cheese: 19%
Cheddar cheese dates back to the 12th century and originates from the village of Cheddar in Somerset, South West England. A popular story about its origin goes that a milkmaid forgot a pail of milk in a cave and when she went back to pick it up she found out that the milk had hardened into the cheddar cheese we eat today.