Best German Pasteurized Milk Cheese Types
Bavaria Blu is a German blue cheese that was originally introduced to the market by Bergader in 1972. The cheese is handmade from high-quality pasteurized cow's milk coming from the Bavarian Alps. The rind is mold-ripened and the texture is soft and creamy.
The aromas are rich and intense, while the flavors are sharp, creamy, and strong. There are also other versions of this cheese such as Bavaria Blu Rich and Creamy and Bavaria Blu Fitness, with a lower fat content. It's recommended to pair Bavaria Blu with aromatic reds such as Lagrein or Dornfelder, or whites such as Silvaner or Riesling.
Pair with
Rauchkäse is a German smoked cheese that's typically made in Bavaria, but it's also popular throughout the country. The most famous variety is produced by Basils, named after a dairy entrepreneur Basil Weixler. The cheese is semi-soft and has a natural rind.
Its texture is dense, soft, and compact, while the aroma is smoky. The flavors are smoky, spicy, and salty, which is a result of smoking the cheese over Bavarian birch and spruce. Made from high-quality cow's milk, Rauchkäse is suitable for a variety of hot and cold dishes, and it's especially great for melting in au gratin or raclette dishes.
Cambozola is an unusual German triple-cream cheese made from cow's milk. The cheese is produced in the region of Allgäu since the early 1970s by Käserei Champignon, although it first appeared in the 1900s. This cross between Camembert and Gorgonzola (hence the name) has a bloomy rind that hides a creamy and smooth texture of the paste underneath.
On the exterior, grey mold is clearly visible, and on the inside, there are pockets of blue veins. The aroma is strong, while the flavors are sharp, nutty, and slightly sweet. It's recommended to pair Cambozola with a glass of Chardonnay and serve it with honey, crackers, and fruit.
THE BEST Cambozola Cheeses
Käserei Champignon Hofmeister
Cambozola Black Label
World Championship Cheese Contest - Best of Class 2022, 2020, 2018
Characterized by its pungent smell, Limburger is a semi-soft, smear-ripened cheese made from cow’s milk. It was first produced in the 19th century by Trappist monks in the Duchy of Limburg, which is nowadays divided between Germany, the Netherlands, and Belgium.
Today, most of Limburger cheese is produced in Germany. It has a straw-colored washed rind, while the flavor can best be described as mild, grassy, and reminiscent of mushrooms. The texture changes as it ripens – in the beginning, it is crumbly and firm, but after six weeks it becomes smooth and creamy.
Butterkäse is a semi-soft German cheese made from cow's milk. Its texture is smooth and creamy, while the flavors are mild and buttery, hence the name. The cheese ripens for one month and develops a natural golden rind. It also melts exceptionally well, which is the reason why it's used in some pretty good stuff such as grilled cheese sandwiches, fondues, omelets, and burgers.
If you can, pair it with a glass of ice cold beer on the side.
This semi-hard cheese is produced from either raw or pasteurized cow’s milk. It is shaped into a wheel or a loaf with a thin, yellow-brown rind, and it can only be spiced with caraway. The body of the cheese is light-yellow in color, while its texture is supple and springy and features eyes and cracks.
Depending on the aging, the flavor of the cheese ranges from mild and aromatic to sharp and spicy. The production of Holsteiner Tilsiter started in the late 19th century in the Schleswig-Holstein region, and all steps in the production process must take place in the same geographical area.
Edelpilz is a German blue cheese that's often compared with Danish Blue Cheese (Danablu). The cheese is made from cow's milk and has a fat content of 22%. The rind is soft, and underneath it the texture is semi-soft and creamy.
The aromas and flavors are strong, savory, and slightly spicy. Edelpilz is great for melting over au gratin dishes or as a stuffing for fish, meat, and vegetables, as well as sauces and dressings. It's recommended to pair it with robust red wines such as Dornfelder or white wines with residual sweetness such as Pinot Gris from Alsace.
Pair with
Harzer is a German cheese made from cow's milk. It hails from the Harz mountain region, hence the name. The cheese ripens for a few days up to a week before it's ready for consumption. It contains only 1% fat, which is why it's often used in the world of sport and fitness.
Harzer has a strong and pungent aroma, it is often flavored with caraway, and it is usually shaped into small or long logs which are typically wrapped in cellophane before being sold. There are two types of Harzer – one is smeared with yellow bacteria, and the other one with red bacteria, in a version that is spicier than the yellow variety.
Pair with
The name and the size of Hessen Handkäse are both derived from its traditional manufacturing method, in which the cheese was molded by hand. Handkäse is a German regional sour milk cheese produced in Frankfurt Rhine-Main and Rheinhessen.
It has a fat content of less than 1% and an impressive protein content of 25%. Hessen Handkäse is a delicious cheese with quite a pungent aroma, and it is usually served sprinkled with caraway seeds and topped with sliced onions. Traditionally, this cheese is served either plain or as 'Hessen Handkäse mit Musik', seasoned with salt and pepper and marinated with onions in oil and vinegar, occasionally with some water or a dash of cider or wine added to the marinade.
Bonifaz is a traditional cheese made from cow's milk in the Bavarian Alps. The cheese has a natural rind that hides a creamy and soft texture underneath. Due to the fact that there are many versions of the cheese, the flavors can range from creamy, mild, and milky to garlicky, mushroomy, spicy, and herbaceous.
Bonifaz is available in the following versions – garlic, garden herbs, chili, wild mushrooms, original, green pepper, and yogurt. It can be enjoyed on rustic bread, as a part of cheese platters, or it can be added to sauces, dressing, and salads.
Pair with
Best German Pasteurized Milk Cheese Producers
AWARDS
World Cheese Awards - Super Gold
2022
World Cheese Awards - Gold
2024, 2023
BEST Molkerei Söbbeke Cheeses
Best German Pasteurized Milk Cheeses
AWARDS
World Cheese Awards - Gold
2024
TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.