Types of Soft Cheese

Cheeses can be soft or hard based on their moisture content. A cheese is labeled as soft when it has a high moisture level, which makes it soft and easily spreadable.

Cheese production typically involves curdling the milk, draining the whey, and then molding and treating the curd for months or even years. This ‘aging’ gives different types of cheese their characteristic flavor, texture, and hardness.

Soft cheeses are aged for no longer than a few weeks, leaving them with more than 50% moisture content that gives them their characteristic soft texture. Most of them are prepared directly from the curd, leaving the whey and other milk liquids in. For example, cream cheese, the most recognized soft cheese, needs no aging time as it is ready to consume almost as soon as the milk is curdled.

All soft cheeses have a shorter shelf life of only a few days or weeks at the most when stored under refrigeration.

List of the Commonly Eaten Types of Soft Cheese

Most of the cheeses mentioned in the table are widely available and consumed in the United States. Some of them, like catupiry, stracchino, and queso de mano, may only be available in cuisine-specific gourmet stores.

Name	Milk Source	Taste & Texture	Place of Origin	Calories/oz.	How to Eat
Burrata	Cow	Creamy, soft exterior with a runny center	Italy	~70 kcal	Salads, pizza, pasta
Cottage Cheese	Cow	Fresh, curdy texture	United States	~20 kcal	Snacking, salads, desserts, and with fruits
Mascarpone	Cow	Creamy, buttery	Italy	~120 kcal	In desserts like Tiramisu and as a topping for fruits
Queso Fresco	Cow or Goat	Crumbly, mild	Mexico	~70 kcal	In salads, tacos, and other Mexican dishes
Cream Cheese	Cow	Smooth, creamy	United States	~100 kcal	Spreads, dips, and in cheesecakes
Paneer	Cow	Firm, crumbly	India	~80 kcal	In Indian curries, snacks, and desserts
Gorgonzola	Cow	Creamy with blue veins	Italy	~100 kcal	Salads, pasta, and as topping for steak
Quark	Cow	Creamy, similar to yogurt	Germany	~30 kcal	Desserts, dips, and as a spread
Ricotta	Cow	Grainy, mild	Italy	~50 kcal	In Italian dishes like lasagna, cannoli, and desserts
Brie	Cow	Soft, creamy with a bloomy rind	France	~95 kcal	Served with fruits, bread, or crackers
Muenster Cheese	Cow	Semi-soft, mild	United States	~100 kcal	Sandwiches, melts, and as a snack
Boursin	Cow	Creamy, flavored with herbs	France	~110 kcal	As spread on crackers and in cooking
Camembert	Cow	Soft, creamy with a bloomy rind	France	~90 kcal	Served with bread, and sometimes baked
Feta	Sheep or Goat	Crumbly, tangy	Greece	~75 kcal	Salads, pastries, and Mediterranean dishes
Buffalo Mozzarella	Buffalo	Soft, moist	Italy	~80 kcal	Caprese salads and on pizzas
Cheese Curd	Cow	Fresh, squeaky	Canada	~110 kcal	Snacking and in dishes like poutine
Roquefort	Sheep	Creamy with blue veins	France	~100 kcal	Often crumbled over salads and desserts
Asadero Cheese	Cow	Semi-soft, mild	Mexico	~100 kcal	In Mexican dishes like quesadillas and sometimes melted over meats
Cambozola	Cow	Creamy with blue veins	Germany	~120 kcal	Served as a dessert cheese or with fruits and bread.
Catupiry	Cow	Creamy, spreadable	Brazil	~110 kcal	In Brazilian dishes, especially on pizzas and pastries
Stracchino	Cow	Soft, creamy	Italy	~100 kcal	Enjoyed on its own or spread on bread and crackers
Farmer Cheese	Cow	Mild, crumbly	Various	~90 kcal	In various desserts and savory dishes
Robiola	Cow, Goat, or Sheep	Soft, creamy	Italy	~100 kcal	As a snack, and in pasta dishes and salads
Queso de Mano	Cow	Firm, aged	Venezuela	~110 kcal	Enjoyed on its own or with bread and fruits
Limburger	Cow	Soft, pungent	Germany	~100 kcal	Served on rye bread with onions and mustard
Reblochon	Cow	Semi-soft, creamy	France	~110 kcal	Traditionally used in French dishes like Tartiflette
Kefir Cheese	Cow, Goat, or Sheep	Creamy, tangy	Caucasia	~50 kcal	Salads, dips, and spreads
Mató	Cow or Goat	Soft, mild	Spain	~50 kcal	Served fresh with honey and in desserts
Caprino Cheese	Goat	Creamy, tangy	Italy	~90 kcal	Salads, pasta, and on bread
Dolcelatte	Cow	Creamy with blue veins	Italy	~100 kcal	Served on its own and in salads and pasta
Galbanino	Cow	Semi-soft, mild	Italy	~90 kcal	In sandwiches and with fruits
Vacherin Mont d’Or	Cow	Soft, creamy	Switzerland	~120 kcal	Baked and served with bread or potatoes
Neufchâtel	Cow	Soft, creamy with a bloomy rind	France	~70 kcal	Served with bread or fruit (similar to Brie)
Saint Albray	Cow	Semi-soft, mild	France	~90 kcal	Eaten on its own or with bread and fruits
Chhurpi	Yak	Similar to paneer with a coarse texture	Nepal/Bhutan	~80 kcal	In curries, soups, and dumplings

Many soft cheeses can be aged longer to produce their harder versions as well. For example, Chhurpi is eaten as a soft cheese before it is aged to produce the famous hard cheese with the same name.

Some More Types of Soft Cheese

• Chhurpi
• Bryndza
• Caciotta
• Sakura Cheese
• Tetilla Cheese
• Cup Cheese
• Kenafa
• Crowdie
• Imeruli
• Kesong Puti
• Red Hawk Cheese
• Akkawi
• Serra Da Estrela (soft variant)
• Tintern
• Tupí
• Wagasi
• Bra Cheese (soft variant)
• Queijo Prato
• Tunworth
• Brocciu
• Telemea
• Cremoso Cheese
• Korall
• Nøkkelost
• Palmita Cheese
• Beddo
• Mish
• Primost
• Gala
• Colonia
• Altenburger Ziegenkäse
• Areesh
• Arish Cheese
• Baladi Cheese
• Bastardo Del Grappa
• Bath Soft Cheese
• Blaťácké Zlato
• Bonchester
• Bonifaz
• Bryndza Podhalańska
• Brânză De Burduf
• Cuartirolo
• Domiati
• Galotyri
• Höfðingi
• La Serena
• Morlacco
• Olomoucké Syrečky
• Omichka
• Paraguay Cheese
• Pultost
• Reblec
• Renegade Monk
• Sfela
• Snøfrisk
• Tomme Vaudoise
• Aris Cheese
• Bresse Bleu
• Gvina Levana
• Kolašinski Sir
• Pálpusztai
• Tesyn
• Hohenheim
• Alpujarra
• Arzúa-Ulloa Cheese
• Chura Loenpa
• Guayanés
• Mahón (soft variant)
• Mohant
• Oxford Isis
• Urdă
• Ballybrie
• Dorogobuzhsky
• Zakusochny
• Charkassiye
• Xygalo Siteias
• Bella Badia
• Boscatella Di Fiavè
• Brebidor
• Brebiblu
• Šar Cheese (soft variant)
• Büsciun Da Cavra
• Adom Cheese
• Rosh Hanikra Cheese
• Charkassiyea
• Turkomani
• Ardsallagh Soft Goat’s Cheese
• Ballyblue
• Boilie Cheese Pearls
• Churu
• Xynomizithra
• Katiki Domokou
• Skyr
• Banon
• Bleu d’Auvergne
• Brillat-Savarin cheese
• Brousse du Rove
• Cabécou
• Maroilles Cheese
• Pont-l’Évêque
• Cancoillotte
• Faisselle
• Cazelle de Saint Affrique
• Rocamadour
• Selles-sur-Cher
• Sainte-Maure de Touraine
• Chaource Cheese
• Chevrotin
• Saint-Marcellin
• Valençay
• Abbaye de Tamié
• Époisses
• Langres Cheese
• Livarot Cheese
• Trou du Cru
• Pouligny-Saint-Pierre
• Coulommiers
• Baguette Laonnaise
• Cathare
• Perail
• Chhana
• Saint-André
• Délice de Bourgogne
• Maroilles
• Vieux-Boulogne
• Rochebaron
• Fromager d’Affinois
• Jibneh Arabieh
• Sussex Slipcote
• Dangke
• Fine Fettle Yorkshire
• Anari (soft variant)
• Sura Kees
• Herve Cheese
• Hermelín
• Cherni Vit
• Jāņi Cheese
• Tulum
• Queijo do Pico
• Tvorog
• Panela Cheese
• Queso Chihuahua
• Queso Costeño

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