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What to eat in Europe? Top 30 European Whey Cheeses

Last update: Thu Feb 6 2025
Top 30 European Whey Cheeses
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Best European Whey Cheese Types

01
Anthotyro
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Anthotyro is a Greek cheese made from goat’s and sheep’s milk. The name anthotyro means flowery cheese, referring to the strong aromas of wild herbs. There are two varieties of this cheese – fresh and dry.


The fresh variety is known as anthotyro fresco and has a soft texture and mild flavor. It is typically consumed as a table cheese or used in the preparation of pastries and pies. Combine it with honey and fresh fruits such as apples, pears, and figs. 
02
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Ricotta di Bufala Campana is a product obtained through the processing of the 'first whey' (sweet) obtained in the cheese-making process which uses milk from the Mediterranea Italiana buffalo breed. The production area is within the provinces of Benevento, Caserta, Naples and Salerno in Campania; the provinces of Frosinone, Latina and Rome in the Lazio region; the Province of Foggia in the Apulia region and Isernia in the Molise region.


Since the arrival of buffalo in Southern Italy in the XVI century, the production of Ricotta di Bufala Campana and Mozzarella di Bufala Campana has been very closely linked. Ricotta di Bufala Campana is different from other ricotta cheeses due to its creamy consistency, softness, color and sweet milky aromas, characteristics which are given to the fact that buffalo whey is richer in fats and free from lipase, an enzyme that can influence the sensory properties of fat. 
03

Cheese

CRETE, Greece
4.3
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Myzithra is a traditional cheese made from the whey of goat’s or sheep’s milk cheeses. It comes in three main varieties: fresh, sour, and aged. The fresh one is soft in texture and unsalted, typically shaped into eggs or balls.


Its aroma is pungent, while the flavor is quite mild. Sour myzithra is prepared with sheep’s or goat’s milk, yeast, and salt, while the aged variety is hard in texture and very salty. The first two varieties are often used in baked pastries and desserts, while the aged variety is best when grated over pasta, soups, and casseroles.

04

Cheese

THESSALY, Greece
4.3
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Manouri is a silky smooth fresh whey cheese made exclusively in the areas of Central and Western Macedonia and in Thessalia. It is a particular type of unsalted myzithra cheese known from the Byzantine period. Manouri produced in the province of Mplatsi in Macedonia is considered to be one of the best and it is made by adding milk and cream to the whey of sheep's or goat's milk, or a mixture of the both derived from hard cheese production, usually from making feta cheese.


Although it is quite soft, it is firm enough to be sliced. Its flavor is similar to feta, but this cheese is less salty and more creamy. It is described as having a milky, slightly sour aroma. This cheese, cylindrical in shape, is also known as Manoypi
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05
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This soft table cheese is made from whey from the processing of Graviera or Kefalotyri Kritis cheeses and the addition of sheep or goat milk, or a mixture of the two. Its name is a combination of two words – mizithra and xyno – meaning 'acidic whey cheese'.


It is produced on the beautiful island of Crete in the Chania, Rethymno, Heraklion, and Lasithi prefectures, where it has been produced since the 17th century. Today, Xynomyzithra Kritis is one of the most popular cheeses made on Crete. This lovely, white, rindless cheese has a distinctive sweet and sour taste, and its texture can vary from creamy to granular. Xynomyzithra Kritis can be used in a variety of recipes, as it becomes milder and softer when cooked.

06
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Ricotta di bufala is an Italian cheese made from full-fat water buffalo's milk and the whey from mozzarella di bufala. The texture is firm, fluffy, creamy, and grainy. The aromas are rich and fresh, while the flavors are subtle and slightly sweet.


The mouthfeel is creamy, smooth, bitter-sweet, and citrusy. This cheese is ideal for desserts such as cheesecakes and cannoli. It's recommended to pair it with a glass of sparkling wine.

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07
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Ricotta di pecora, or sheep milk ricotta, is produced in many Italian regions, and each cheese has a slightly different flavor. Sicilian ricotta is seasonal, the best one is made in the period from November till May when the ewes are feeding on new grass and produce the most milk, but due to very high demand, nowadays it is also produced during the warmer months, usually using a mixture of sheep's and cow's milk.


Ricotta di pecora technically isn't a cheese but a creamy curd made by reheating sheep's whey, a watery liquid that remains as a byproduct of cheesemaking – hence the name ricotta, which literary means re-cooked. A small quantity of sheep's milk can be added to whey in order to improve its softness and flavor - generally, sheep milk ricotta has a slightly richer flavor than the one made with cow milk. 
08

Cheese

SICILY, Italy
4.1
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Ricotta salata is the saltier, aged version of the famous fresh ricotta. This Italian cheese hails from Sicily and it's made from sheep's milk whey. The cheese is salted, formed into a wheel, then aged for about 3 months. The texture is creamy, but firm and the flavors are salty, mild, and nutty.


Ricotta salata can be crumbled, grated, and even sliced. And anywhere you'd usually use feta cheese, try ricotta salata instead.

09
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Cacioricotta is a cross between cacio (meaning cheese in the local dialect) and fresh ricotta, produced by combining two techniques of cheese-making. Originally hailing from the Apulian city of Salento, nowadays it is produced in many southern Italian regions using – depending on the region – goat, sheep, or cow milk.


Generally, the milk is heated to 85-90 degrees, then left to cool down to 37 degrees before adding the rennet, which causes both the milk and the whey to coagulate. The curd is then hand-squeezed, formed into small cylinders using basket-shaped containers, and left to dry. 
10

Cheese

VISEU DISTRICT, Portugal
4.1
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Serra da Estrela cottage cheese is a milk product obtained by heating and curdling unpasteurized sheep milk from the Churra Bordaleira and Mondegueira breeds, which are raised in the Beira littoral and interior. After heating, rennet is added to the milk to curdle it, and when it separates, it is strained and packaged in parchment immediately. Serra da Estrela cottage cheese ranges in texture from creamy to grainy.


It is white and takes the shape of the vessel in which it is placed, and it has a mild and pleasant flavor and aroma.
The history of Serra da Estrela cheese is well documented. In the past, the cheese was packaged in the oldest form of packaging – it was wrapped in cabbage leaves and transported in wicker baskets. 
11
Cheese
CASTELO BRANCO DISTRICT, Portugal
4.1
12
13
Cheese
APULIA, Italy
3.9
14
15
Cheese
CORSICA, France
3.8
16
17
18
19
Cheese
ROMANIA
3.7
20
Cheese
MYKONOS, Greece
3.7
21
Cheese
CATALONIA, Spain
3.4
22
Cheese
CASTELO BRANCO DISTRICT, Portugal
2.7
23
24
Cheese
ISTRIA, Croatia
n/a
25
26
Cheese
PROVENCE, France
n/a
27
Cheese
SWITZERLAND
n/a
28
29
Cheese
AOSTA VALLEY, Italy
n/a
30

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. For the “Top 30 European Whey Cheeses” list until February 06, 2025, 2,885 ratings were recorded, of which 1,616 were recognized by the system as legitimate. 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.

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European Whey Cheeses