The ranking of the 12 most expensive cheeses in the world in 2024 includes some of the most valuable and peculiar varieties around the world.
If you are a fan of cheese, you will know that there are varieties that can cost a small fortune.
In this article, we will explore the top 12 most expensive cheeses in the world as of March 2024.
Each cheese has its uniqueness and its high price can be attributed to various factors, such as the origin and rarity of the ingredients, the difficulty of production, and the craft of the master cheesemakers, combined with time and production processes and maturing, which can take years. These are all aspects that influence the price of a cheese.
In the ranking of the most expensive cheeses created by Money.it we find cheeses that cost a little less than caviar, a good wine, or even more than a bottle of French champagne.
The varieties include three Italian cheeses and are considered some of the most expensive in the world. They are a delicious treat for the taste buds but can be quite pricey.
1. Serbian Pule ($1,300/kg)
The most expensive cheese in the world comes from Serbia: it is produced with donkey’s milk, has a white and crumbly texture, and is very difficult to find. The reason for its high cost? Each donkey produces around 20 liters of milk in an entire year, but to make one kilogram of this delicious cheese you need at least 25.
The costs also rise due to the necessary manual milking to be done 3 times a day and the transformation process, which requires very complex steps.
Furthermore, there are only around one hundred donkeys where it is produced and they live happily in the Zasavica Nature Reserve. The price starts from $1,300 per kilogramgram.
2. Moose Cheese ($1,000/kg)
Moose Cheese is the only cheese in the world made from moose milk. The idea was born in Sweden by Christer and Ulla Johansson, who adopted three abandoned moose specimens.
It is produced in three varieties and to taste it you have to go all the way to Sweden, right on the Elk House farm in Bjurholm, considered the only producer of elk cheese in the world.
The three animals that live there can produce milk for around 300 kilogramgrams of cheese per year; due to its rarity, it is sold for around $1,000 per kilogramgram.
3. White Stilton Gold ($900/kg)
For those who want to make an impression at the table, White Stilton Gold is the perfect cheese. Its peculiarity is the drops of edible gold with which it is embellished and its hint of gold tip liqueur. It is a creamy cheese, also suitable as a dessert. It is one of the few products in the United Kingdom to have the PDO mark. To get a kilogramgram of it you will have to shell out around $900.
The third of the most expensive cheeses in the world is produced by Clawson, also known for two other record-breaking cheeses: White and Blue Stilton, defined as the "king" of British cheeses. Only six dairies in the world can produce them.
4. Wyke Farms Cheddar ($500/kg)
This luxurious cheese also comes from the United Kingdom. Produced by Wyke Farm since 1860, the "Golden Cheddar" owes its strong taste to the addition of white truffle and edible gold flakes.
It takes a year for the cheese to reach its true potential, but when it does it becomes a true connoisseur’s meal. It has been awarded several times for its taste and quality. The price is around $500 per kilogram.
5) Historic Bitto ($300/kg)
The first Italian cheese on the list, Bitto Storico is produced in the mountain pastures of the Orobie Prealps, from raw cow’s milk and milk from Orobic breed goats, a native species at risk of extinction.
It is done between June and September and its quality depends on the type of grass consumed by the animals, which must be highly selected. It requires great cheesemaking skill and can be stored and matured for over ten years. For this reason, it costs around 300 euros per kilogram.
6) Caciocavallo Podolico ($100/kg)
Caciocavallo Podolico is a cheese produced from the milk of cows of Ukrainian origin introduced during the barbarian invasions and bred in Italy in the regions of Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Molise and Puglia.
It is considered a noble cheese, which ages for up to five or six years and is characterized by complex aromas of pasture and scrubland, as well as an inimitable persistence on the palate. To fully appreciate its flavor, a budget of approximately $100 per kilogram should suffice.
7) Old Ford ($100/kg)
Old Ford is an English goat’s milk cheese, which is characterized by a very particular citrus and floral aroma. It is still seasoned and pressed by hand today. During the summer, when temperatures are warmer, it matures in about three months, while in autumn it can take up to eight months to reveal its peculiarities. This also costs around $100 per kilogramgram.
8) French Epoisses ($95/kg)
Epoisses is a French cheese that is eaten soft and is produced with raw cow’s milk and cooked in a wooden box. It is sold at a price of around $95 per piece. The rind takes on coppery hues thanks to a wash carried out with brandy, its soft and buttery texture, consequently, takes on a strong flavor with an alcoholic scent.
9) Jersey Blue ($90/kg)
Produced strictly by hand since 1986, since 1990 only milk from Jersey cows has been used to make this particular soft cheese. Jersey Blue is a full-fat, short-aged cheese. Its peculiarity is the characteristic blue veins, which look a bit like those of gorgonzola. It costs $90 per kilogram.
10) Cacio Bufala ($85/kg)
Caciobufala is another Italian cheese produced with buffalo milk from the Piana del Sele farms, calf rennet and salt, from the well-known Casa Madaio dairy. It has an aromatic spun paste and a characteristic long, rounded shape. It can be found on the market at around 85 euros per kilogram.
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11) Comté 40 months ($70/kg)
Comté 40 months is the expensive French cheese of France, with a price of just over $70 per kilogram. It is aged for over 40 months, which gives it a fruity and sweet flavour, with a very crumbly texture. During the ripening period, the affineurs turn and brush each wheel of cheese regularly.
12) Gray Owl ($60/kg)
Gray Owl is a goat’s milk cheese produced by Fromagerie Le Detour in Notre-Dame-du-Lac, Quebec, Canada. It has a "wrinkled" and gray rind, from which it takes its name. Under the rind, we find a compact white paste that softens towards the edge. The Gray Owl has a price of around $60 per kilogram. It has a pleasantly salty and slightly acidic flavor, with a smooth, silky texture that melts in your mouth.
Original article published on Money.it Italy 2024-03-09 14:12:02. Original title: I 12 formaggi più costosi al mondo. La classifica
