Most Expensive Cheese in the World

Cheese, glorious, cheese! Some contend that it makes everything better (we agree!). There are cheesemakers around the world producing some delicious and interesting cheeses, but delicious and interesting often comes with a hefty price tag. We’ve done some research and while there are some conflicting opinions about expensive cheeses, all sources seem to point to one cheese as the most expensive cheese in the world: Pule Cheese.

The milk of Balkan donkeys goes into the Pule cheese from Serbia. What makes it worth $600 (or more) per pound? The limited production. It takes 6.6 gallons of donkey milk to yield just 2.2 pounds of pule. Adding insult to injury, there are only about 100 donkeys that are in use for the production.  Hand milking those 100 donkeys three times daily produces the milk for the limited specialty. However, it is not just the donkeys that make this the most expensive cheese in the world.  The secret to the unique flavor of the Serbian pule is that they smoke the cheese as part of the production process.

Beyond pule, there is no shortage of expensive cheese, though we’ve chosen three that are tantalizingly appealing.  Read on for our list of three of the most expensive cheese products in the world then let us know which is your favorite.

White Stilton Gold, $420 per pound

First, we have Stilton that is known as The King of British cheeses.  This White Stilton Gold is as creamy as the plain White Stilton and is suitable for dessert, but what sets the White Gold apart is its crumbly texture and the fact that it contains real gold. Clawson describes their most expensive cheese like this: “White Stilton is aged for four weeks and has a light, fresh flavour and crumbly texture. It is a great alternative to feta cheese and is delicious used in cheesecakes, or as a quick and easy dessert topped with figs and drizzled with honey. Try with Pinot Grigio for the perfect accompaniment.”

Moose Cheese, $455 per pound

Our next contender is Moose Cheese and it is expensive because of its source.  It is made with the milk from Gullan, Haelga, and Juno, three moose cows who were abandoned by their mother and adopted by the Johannson family. These three moose only produce milk from May to September and if they feel stress or become startled, they’ll stop and their milk will dry up. Think of this as a calm cheese and perhaps most expensive cheese in the world.

Horse Cheese, $42 per pound

The Italian name, Caciocavallo Podolico del Gargano, translates to “horse cheese” however this cheese isn’t made from horse milk.  The name refers to the method by which the cheese is ripened – either hanging from sticks in bunches, or by hanging from a horse (the more traditional method, hence, the name). The least expensive on our list, Caciocavallo Podolico del Gargano is a type of stretched-curd cheese made out of sheep’s or cow’s milk. Some say the flavor is similar to a Provolone while others consider it the Parmigiano Reggiano of the south of Italy.

So have you had the pleasure of tasting any of these cheeses?  Which was your favorite? Are you ready to try the most expensive cheese in the world? For more dairy goodness, enjoy our article about the best cheeses to pair with your red wines.