Top 7 Countries That Produce The Most Cheese

Cheese is a type of dairy product famous for its range of flavors, textures, and unique pungent smell. It is an ingredient used in many types of dishes or can even be eaten raw.

The presence of cheese dates back thousands of years ago to this day when we witness the production of cheese kept on escalating. In some countries, cheese is not only used as their main food source but also as an export commodity to support the growth of the economy.

Here we would like to share with you the top 7 countries in the world that produce the most cheese

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7. Poland

Poland has been known to have produced cheese for 5500 years BC. So it is not surprising to see cheese being part of the country's culture with it being the main food source of the country being served with creams.

The country produces 870 thousand tons of cheese each year and the figure itself is comparable with the amount of consumption of the country. Generally, the cheese made in Poland consists of two main textures mainly hard and soft.

The hard ones are mainly served in sandwiches or salads whereas the soft ones are mixed into food. Poland-made cheese is of the best quality out there with names like Rokpo, Falmer, Golka, Bundz, Bryndza, and Balticky.

6. Netherland

The country famous for its wind turbine is the sixth largest cheese producer in the world. Various types of cheese are produced in this country like Edam, Gouda, Limburger, Liedse, and Alkmaar that aged for more than 400 years.

On average, the Dutch produce 900 thousand tons of cheese each year, and the recipes have been passed down by generations with a relatively sweet taste to their cheese. There are still many shops around that practised the traditional ways of cheese making.

5. Russia

Milk has become the main part of their diets in Russia and in fact, there are many types of dairy products available and one of them being cheese. Based on its history, cheese was brought in by Peter the Great who was on an expedition in Europe and decided to stop by the Netherlands.

Fast forward to this day, Russia managed to produce as much as 970,000 tonnes per annum. There are many types of cheese in Russia with some of them being very hard in texture. Sausage cheese is one of the most popular forms of cheese in Russia.

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4. Italy

Pizza, a food made for peasants is the most popular dish in Italy and also the whole world with its main ingredient being cheese. It will not be a complete pizza without the yellowish-grated cheese placed on top so it makes sense that Italy is also on this list.

In terms of production, Italy produces 1.3 million tons of cheese every year and cheese has become the key ingredient in many types of Italian dishes with the most popular ones being mozzarella.

Mozarella has a very soft texture to it, easily melts, and has a very nice pull to it. The traditional mozzarella cheese is still being made in this country from water buffalos while most of the ones on the market now are made from cow's milk.

3. France

A country that is well known for its iconic Eiffel Tower is another European country with the highest cheese production. France is one of the countries that put an emphasis on its agro-industries, one of them being the manufacturing of dairy products into cheese.

This country makes more than 1000 variants of cheeses with the main key ingredients starting from sheep's milk and goat's milk made into Brocciu cheese. The cheese is made from pasteurized milk into Brie cheese and Bleu d'Auvergne to the famous Camembert Cheese and Abondance.

It has been recorded that France produces 1.9 million tons of cheese each year with the main regions being Normandia, Pas De Calais, Burgundy, Alsace, and many more. This is supported by a subtropical climate and great geography which help produce the highest quality of cheeses.

2. Germany

The biggest cheese producer among the European countries will be non-other than Germany making 2.3 million tons of cheese annually. With the highest production level, cheese is considered a very crucial commodity for Germany.

Some of the popular regions producing these cheeses include Saxony Anhalt, Bavaria, Schleswig Holstein, and Mecklenburg. The country's geography made it very conducive for cheese production so you can expect to get premium cheese from this country.

Some of the ranges of cheese that can be found here are Ziegel, Tilsit, Cambozola, Rauchkase, and Allgauer Bergkase. It has been reported that more than 600 types of cheese in the world are made in Germany.

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1. United States

The Americans are the highest producer of cheese in the world as Uncle Sam produced a whopping 5.9 million tons of cheese each year. The main regions producing these cheese delicacies will be California and Wisconsin.

The relatively cheap cost followed by high capital has made it possible for this nation to produce a huge amount of cheese.

There are several types of cheese being made here with Parmesan and Mozarella being the favorites. However, unlike the ones in Europe, most of the cheese production in the US has been modernized without maintaining the traditional ways of making it based on generations. 

This is because the whole cheese operation has been industrialized to upkeep high demands.

Source:

• Ilmu Geografi

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