Best Australian Semi-hard Cheese Types
Etzy Ketzy is an Australian cheese hailing from Woodside. The cheese is made with a blend of pasteurized Friesian cow’s milk and goat’s milk in equal measure. This seasonal cheese is only made in the winter and it’s left to age from 2 to 4 weeks.
At 2 weeks, it’s slightly firm, but at 4 weeks it’s fully mature, with clean and herbal aromas and creamy, smooth, earthy, nutty, intense, and herbaceous flavors. Underneath its washed rind, the texture is soft, smooth, and creamy. Etzy Ketzy has won many awards, including a gold medal at the Sydney Australian Specialty Cheesemakers Competition in 2006.
Chelsea Blue is an Australian cheese hailing from Mornington Peninsula, Melbourne, where it’s produced by BoatShed Cheese. This blue cheese is made from pasteurized cow’s milk and it uses Roquefort spores in order to develop sweet, salty, and nutty flavors.
The texture is crumbly, while the aromas are sweet and nutty. It’s recommended to serve Chelsea Blue with fresh salads, crackers, and fresh bread, or use it in risottos. Pair it with a glass of dessert wine.
Grabetto is an Australian semi-hard cheese hailing from Victoria, where it’s produced by Yarra Valley Dairy. The cheese is made from limited-quantity goat’s milk and it’s sold in three versions: fresh, semi-mature, and mature.
Underneath its bloomy ash-dusted rind, the texture of this small conical cheese is crumbly, chalky, and flaky. The aromas are herbaceous and grassy, while the flavors range from nutty when young to tangy and sharp as it ages. Grabetto is mainly used as a table cheese.
Black Pearl is an Australian cheese produced in the region of Mornington Peninsula, Melbourne. The cheese is made from goat's milk and has a wrinkly rind that's dusted with vine ash. Unlike its exterior, the interior is snow-white, oozy, creamy, and silky.
The flavors are milky, sweet, and much milder than most other goat cheeses. Black Pearl is aged for 1 to 2 weeks. When young, it's fresh and light, but as it ages, the flavors become more robust.
Mandolin is an Australian semi-hard cheese made from pasteurized cow’s milk. The cheese is smear-ripened and wrapped in vine until it develops a typical rusty-red visual appearance. Its texture is supple, soft, and crumbly, while the flavors are best described as herbal and grassy.
Best Australian Semi-hard Cheese Producers
Saputo is a dairy processing company founded in 1954 by the Saputo family. It is one of the top ten dairy processors globally, with products ranging from cheese to milk to cream. Saputo operates in Canada, the United States, Argentina, Australia, and the United Kingdom.
The company produces, markets, and distributes an extensive variety of cheeses, including mozzarella, cheddar, and ricotta, alongside other dairy and non-dairy products.
AWARDS

World Cheese Awards - Super Gold
2023

Global Cheese Awards - Gold
2023, 2019

International Cheese Awards - Gold
2023, 2022, 2019
BEST Saputo Cheeses
Best Australian Semi-hard Cheeses
AWARDS

International Cheese Awards - Gold
2024
AWARDS

World Championship Cheese Contest - Best of Class
2024
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