List of Israeli Cheeses

Cheese in Israel encompasses both familiar household products and a diverse range of specialty cheeses. Common broad descriptions divide cheeses into “white” and “yellow,” or “soft” and “hard,” but these categories do not capture the range of shapes, textures, colors, milk types, and production methods represented in the country’s food culture.[1] Israeli cheeses include local traditional styles as well as products made in Israel in styles also known elsewhere; a cheese’s presence in the Israeli market does not by itself show that it originated in Israel.[2][3]

The category is therefore best understood as a varied collection rather than a closed national inventory. A 2013 government overview called feta, brinza, kashkeval, labane, and several Bulgarian varieties among the best-known cheeses in Israel, while emphasizing that these were only a small part of a much larger range, especially among goat’s- and sheep’s-milk cheeses.[4] A separate survey of food in Israel likewise describes the cuisine as shaped by North African, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and Eastern European food cultures and as continuing to evolve.[5]

Cheeses also appear in ordinary patterns of eating. A description of a large Israeli breakfast includes a variety of cheeses alongside salads, olives, bread, juice, and coffee, while an academic study of family dinners found that bread, cheese, eggs, and fresh vegetables remained a socially recognized “classic” evening meal even as cooked dinners became more common.[6][7] Dairy foods are also especially visible around Shavuot, when Israeli dairy companies promote their products and cheese-based foods feature in holiday writing and recipes.[8]

The history of cheese in the land is longer than the modern Israeli dairy industry, but the available account of its earliest stages is cautious. Archaeological sites dating to about 7,000 BCE indicate that sheep and goats were being domesticated; one guide suggests that this may have led to the development of early soft, white cheeses. It presents this as a possibility, not a definitive date or account of the beginning of cheesemaking.[1]

A broad historical outline describes soft white cheeses as more traditional in Israel, associating that pattern with the warm climate, and says harder yellow cheeses were introduced in the 1800s and 1900s.[1] These observations give context for the continuing prominence of fresh and soft cheeses, but they do not constitute a complete history of the region’s dairy practices. Some familiar cheeses have histories connected to particular immigrant communities or producers, while many products combine local production with methods and styles that are international.[2]

Commercial dairy production developed during the early twentieth century. Tnuva began operating in 1926 as a cooperative founded by managers of 13 Hebrew farms to coordinate the processing, production, and marketing of fresh agricultural products. It first marketed milk and later produced other dairy products; an archival photograph records cheese production at its Tel Yosef factory in 1949.[9] A separate photograph documents workers machine-packing cheese at the Eden cheese factory in Tel Aviv in March 1939, though it does not identify the cheese or give production figures.[10]

These records show that cheesemaking had become an industrial activity alongside the emergence of cooperative dairy marketing. A National Library of Israel description of a Tnuva advertisement identifies seven kinds of cheese pictured in the advertisement, including a wheel of Tel HaEmek, yellow-cheese blocks—one labeled Gad—a cylinder of Bashan, Roquefort, and several softer spreadable cheeses.[11] The image is evidence of products presented to consumers, not an exhaustive catalogue or proof that every cheese shown originated in Israel. The names Gad and Bashan refer to areas east of the Jordan, while Tel HaEmek refers to the Jezreel Valley west of the Jordan.[11]

Small-scale and boutique production later added further variety. A government cultural page reported that 16 small dairies were producing goat’s- and sheep’s-milk cheeses at the time it was written, and described delicatessens as an important outlet for products not stocked in supermarkets.[4] That count and retail description are specific to the page’s publication period, not current statistics. Contemporary accounts describe a boutique-dairy scene that developed as consumers became more open to imported cheeses and producers began making cheeses locally using traditional methods.[2]

White cheese and yellow cheese are widely used everyday categories in Israel, but each covers products with different textures and uses. Gvina levana, literally “white cheese,” is described as a fresh, soft, creamy cheese made from cow’s milk, similar to German quark. One account says German Templer settlers brought it to Palestine at the beginning of the twentieth century; it subsequently became a popular breakfast food and an ingredient in baking, including local cheesecakes.[12] A recipe booklet uses gvina levana in fried cheese puffs and gives farmer’s cheese, cottage cheese, and ricotta as alternatives, without claiming that those alternatives originated in Israel.[13]

Soft white cheese is also referred to in recipes as “Israeli ‘ski.’” A cheesecake recipe calls for a soft white cheese of that description and offers whipped cream cheese as a substitute; this documents a particular culinary use rather than establishing “ski” as a distinct cheese variety or proving an Israeli origin for it.[14] Accounts of food in Israel also mention “white cheese” as a familiar item, alongside cottage cheese and fried haloumi.[5]

Labneh is a smooth, creamy, soft white cheese made by straining yogurt. It is described as a staple in Israeli kitchens and eaten at different times of day. Mass-produced labneh is typically made from cow’s-milk yogurt, while artisanal versions may use goat’s milk and have a tangier flavor. The style is popular across the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean, so its presence in Israel is part of a wider regional food tradition.[1] A government overview likewise lists labane among Israel’s best-known cheeses, while boutique producers offer goat labneh among their products.[4][15]

Tzfatit, named for Tzfat (Safed), is a moist, brined cheese described as one of the first cheeses developed in modern-day Israel. It was originally made from sheep’s milk and is associated with the family-run HaMeiri dairy, founded in 1840 by Persian immigrants. Traditionally, it was molded in rattan baskets that left an imprint; mass-produced versions are commonly made with cow’s milk and sold in plastic baskets.[1] Ynet reports that Tzfatit has been made in Safed for more than a century and describes Meiri’s production as dating to the nineteenth century, while the sources do not treat every product sold under the name as the work of one maker or a single fixed method.[2][16]

Descriptions of Tzfatit differ by producer and product. A local boutique-cheese guide describes Meiri’s version as feta-style, made for decades using a process that includes local spring water. It is characterized as white, soft, yielding, and rich in sweet-sour and salty flavors, and sold in cubes in a brine of salt and whey.[17] A Jerusalem Post account of Tiberian food traditions, by contrast, calls gvina tzfatit a traditional hard white cheese made by the Kadosh family in Safed. It describes the cheese as salty and says it is used in calzones eaten in Tiberias on Shabbat; a shopkeeper noted that it was sold beyond Safed.[18] The differing descriptions reflect the range of local products and naming in the sources, rather than a basis for assigning one texture or production method to all Tzfatit.

Yellow cheese in Israel is generally described as semi-hard and made from cow’s milk. Emek, produced by Tnuva, is a popular example; its recipe dates to 1942 and was developed to replicate a European-style cheese. It is light yellow and mild, comparable in use and taste to mild Cheddar or young Gouda, and is used on pizza and in grilled sandwiches known in Israel as “toast.” Gilboa is another popular yellow cheese, described as somewhat more mature than Emek but still mild.[1] The National Library’s account of a Tnuva advertisement also identifies yellow-cheese blocks among the products shown, including one labeled Gad.[11]

Several salted white cheeses are common in Israel’s food market. A 2002 account identifies Tzfatit, Bulgarian cheese, feta, brinza, and Hamad as five principal products in that category.[19] A later guide describes Israeli feta as mildly salty and crumbly, though less crumbly than Greek feta; it can be sliced for sandwiches or added to salads. Small-scale versions are often made from goat’s or sheep’s milk, while mass-produced versions more commonly use cow’s milk.[1] Bulgarian cheese is described as a soft, brined white cheese that is saltier and creamier than Israeli feta.[1] Another report characterizes Bulgarian cheese as crumbly and coarse-textured, and distinguishes it from feta by saying it is pressed and firmer, while feta tends to crumble.[20] The labels encompass products available in Israel and do not prove that each style originated there.[3]

Cottage cheese is among Israel’s most prominent dairy foods. It is sold in grocery stores in fat-content varieties ranging from 0% to 15%, and is commonly eaten at different times of day, often on or beside toast and with vegetables such as tomato, avocado, and cucumber.[1] One account reports that a Dairy Board of Israel study found 67% of Israelis chose cottage cheese as their favorite dairy product. It describes the cheese as thick enough to spread on pita and lists toppings and accompaniments including tomato, cucumber, herbs, olives, avocado, smoked salmon, and beetroot.[21]

Cottage cheese’s place in Israeli eating has been connected to older Jewish food traditions as well as present-day habits. The account notes nineteenth-century Ashkenazi recipes for noodles with cheese and kugel, as well as Sephardic dishes using similar crumbly cheeses.[21] A study of family dinners offers a broader setting for such foods: bread, cheese, eggs, and fresh vegetables remained a socially legitimate model for an evening meal among the interviewed mothers, even as cooked dinners became more common.[7]

Boutique dairies produce cheeses that vary by milk, aging, rind, flavoring, and local production method. The Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the range at small dairies as extending from soft and sweet to firm and salty, as well as from hard and pungent to gently herbed cream-style cheeses.[4] The government page reported 16 small dairies making goat’s- and sheep’s-milk cheeses at the time, but that figure should not be read as a current count.[4]

A selection of five cheeses chosen for an international cheese book illustrates geographic and stylistic range. Ambar, from Sh’eeret Ro’im in the Jordan Valley, is a semi-hard sheep’s-milk cheese; Ketem, from the Korngold dairy in the Negev, is made from goat’s milk; Turquoise, from Barkanit in the Jezreel Valley, is also a goat’s-milk cheese; labneh is presented as a traditional regional cheese made in Israel from goat, sheep, or cow milk; and Tzfatit comes from the Meiri dairy in Safed.[16] Turquoise is described as velvety, refreshingly tart, and slightly salty, with Roquefort-like notes if matured.[16]

Other named cheeses show how producers develop distinctive variations. A guide to boutique cheeses describes Tal HaGalil as a semi-hard goat cheese from Ein Kamonim wrapped in dried bay leaves, and Yuvalim as a soft blue cheese from HaNoked. Barkanit’s Hidden Blue is made from sheep’s milk and has a blue layer that becomes visibly blue when exposed to air after cutting. Korngold’s Ketem is a smooth, white-mold cheese.[17]

The same guide describes Michal, a hard goat cheese made by Shai Zelcer, as washed during production in Cabernet grappa and sold in versions aged two or three years. Nirit, from Sh’eeret Ro’im, is a sheep’s-milk cheese with chestnut-wood charcoal. Sahaf, from Kibbutz Be’eri, is a mild cow’s-milk cheese coated with local olive oil; Caprino Pepper from Halav Im HaRuach is a peppered goat cheese.[17] Together these products demonstrate the range of ingredients and finishing techniques used by small producers, rather than defining a standard national style.

Afaim farm in Moshav Idan makes a group of hand-produced goat’s-milk cheeses. Amali is an organic goat cheese slowly drained and covered in white mold; Miriam is a fresh, spreadable cheese with a sweet milk flavor; and Amatzia is ripened, washed in arak, and aged for three months. Zuta is a small lactic-set cheese with a white bloom, Ein-Kerem is a soft cylinder wrapped in chestnut charcoal, and Tzimaon is a hard cheese washed in brandy and aged for at least 18 months. The farm’s cheeses are described as organic, supervised, and kosher.[15]

Other dairies make products that draw on both local ingredients and internationally familiar styles. Alto Dairy in Kibbutz Shomrat makes Carmal-Blue, a goat’s-milk Roquefort-style cheese. Tzuk Dairy in the Elah Valley produces Moran, a soft Camembert-style cheese aged in grape leaves, as well as goat’s-milk labneh. Markovitz Dairy makes Avivit, a white-mold cheese with a soft, velvety interior wrapped in nasturtium flowers; the report does not specify the milk used for Avivit.[15]

At Halav Im HaRuach, goats are raised on natural pasture and their milk is used for cheeses including smoked ricotta, grape-leaf-wrapped shabriya, hard cheese with Egyptian fennel seeds, saffron-rolled cheese, Caprino Pepper, and charcoal-coated Pahia. A report describes the farm’s herd as numbering 200 goats at the time of publication, a time-specific figure rather than a current count.[2]

Other examples range from familiar European forms to experimental local products. A feature on Shavuot cheeses describes Herut as a sheep’s-milk cheese aged from two months to two years and resembling Gouda. “The Little Cheese” is described as a hard goat’s cheese decorated with pansy flowers, while local-goat-milk Brie and Camembert are characterized by white, velvety rinds.[22] The same feature mentions Gad Dairy’s stracciatella—fresh mozzarella shreds wrapped in dairy cream—and a holiday truffle burrata filled with truffle cream. Zuriel Farm offered Bulgarian cheese in jalapeño and garlic-and-herb versions; the feature separately described traditional goat labneh and goat feta from Ramat Hagolan Dairy.[22]

Some accounts describe small dairies whose work is closely tied to a particular landscape. Shai Seltzer Cheese & Goats at Sataf Springs was founded by Shai and his family in 1974. A report said the herd numbered more than 170 goats at the time described and that the cheeses were strongly influenced by their surroundings.[23] Ein Kamonim was described as an early Israeli farm dairy making boutique cheeses on site; its Alpine goats, a breed originally from France, supplied milk for more than 30 types of cheese, though the report did not name the varieties.[23]

The Kornmehl Goat Cheese Farm in the Negev makes versions of well-known French cheeses, which the account connects to the owners’ training in France. Hanan HaGaban Boutique Dairy in the Sharon region makes goat’s-milk Brie.[23] These examples show how Israeli-made cheese can be associated with local farms and milk while using styles developed elsewhere; they should not be confused with claims that all such styles originated in Israel.[3]

Jacob’s Dairy, also called Jacob’s Cheese, is a family producer in Kfar HaRoeh whose history begins with Isaac and Ruth Jacobs, who established a small farm there in 1936. Accounts differ slightly on the timing of the modern dairy: one places its establishment in 1996 and another says the family’s cheesemaking tradition was renewed in 1997 with a dairy beside the barn.[15][24] The latter account describes a beginning with a family recipe notebook, followed by knowledge acquired from traditional European dairies.[24]

Reports describe Jacob’s range as comprising about 25 cheeses or about 30 kinds, made from cow’s, goat’s, and sheep’s milk. Its products include hard and semi-hard mature cheeses, mold cheeses, and soft cheeses.[15][24] A boutique-dairy survey names caciotta, pecorino, Roquefort, Italico, Camembert, Gouda, Tom, Manchego, Ofir, Saint-Maure, Shahar, cream cheese, labneh, Ez-Ma, feta, and Tzfatit among the dairy’s products, without assigning a particular milk to each named cheese.[15]

The family’s production also includes individual, locally distinctive products. One report says that each grandchild has a cheese named after them and describes a hard cheese marinated in Golan Winery merlot for Shavuot.[25] An earlier account says Isaac and Ruth’s grandsons Eran and Assaf later ran the business and sold its cheeses throughout Israel.[23] The range illustrates the distinction between cheeses made in Israel and cheese styles that may be known internationally.[3]

Other producers combine regional practice with specialized techniques. Ynet describes Afaim’s goat cheeses as lactic-set and made by hand without mechanization.[2] Circassian cheese—once prepared at home by Circassian women—is now made by two boutique dairies specializing in it: Shabso in Rehaniya and Elbrus in Kfar Kama. Ivri Dairy makes Iraqi and Georgian cheeses: the Iraqi product began as a small-batch cheese requested by customers, and Georgian neighbors later asked the family to make a cheese resembling one they recognized. The dairy subsequently added ricotta, mascarpone, and kashkaval after the family studied cheesemaking in Italy.[2]

The same Ynet account notes labneh and jibneh in Arab cuisine and homemade Circassian cheese, placing these alongside the broader development of small-scale Israeli cheesemaking.[2] The examples underscore the variety of communities, producer histories, and culinary references involved, without implying that the resulting products share a single origin or method.

Cheese is woven into several everyday meal patterns described in accounts of Israeli food. A large breakfast may include salads, a variety of cheeses, olives, distinctive Israeli bread, juice, and coffee. Evening meals are characterized as generally light, often consisting of dairy products, salads, and eggs, within food traditions shaped by Israel’s varied communities and cultural origins.[6] Research on family dinners provides a more specific account: among upper-middle-class mothers of young children interviewed for a study, the classic meal of bread, cheese, eggs, and fresh vegetables remained socially legitimate even as cooked dinners became more common. The study’s findings describe the group and methods it examined, not every Israeli household.[7]

Shavuot has become a particularly visible occasion for dairy consumption. One article on the history of dairy eating at the holiday reports that contemporary Israeli dairy companies use advertising to make dairy products a prominent feature of Shavuot. It also cites a medieval report of a cheese pastry called beladin eaten on the holiday, but does not identify that pastry as a modern Israeli cheese variety.[8] Recipes and seasonal features connect the holiday with both home baking and the products of Israeli dairies.[22][14]

Everyday cheese consumption can also become a public economic issue. Cottage cheese prices prompted protests in 2011 after prices had risen nearly 40% in three years. An Orthodox cantor started a Facebook group calling for a month-long boycott of cottage-cheese products priced above five Israeli shekels, and the group grew to more than 100,000 members. Consumer pressure led chain stores to reduce prices; in 2013, government price controls imposed on Tnuva lowered product costs by about 20%.[21] The episode reflected cottage cheese’s prominence in daily food as well as its sensitivity to price.

Older reporting on the Israeli dairy market records how some products were categorized and sold at particular moments. A 2002 article lists Tzfatit, Bulgarian cheese, feta, brinza, and Hamad as principal products in the salted-white-cheese category. It also notes that sheep-milk cheeses were sold in shops and delicatessens, naming kashkaval, feta, Roquefort, and Fromage among cheeses served at cheese-and-wine events.[19] These are historical descriptions of products available in Israel; they do not establish that every style in the list originated there.[3]

The same 2002 report describes Israeli-produced sheep-milk cheeses and says that Israeli sheep cheeses, especially sheep’s-milk feta, were exported to the general U.S. market. It reports production of more than 10 million liters of sheep’s milk and over 5 million liters of goat’s milk in Israel for that year.[19] Those figures and market conditions are historical and should not be interpreted as current production statistics.

A separate record of Tnuva advertising shows how commercial presentation could group different products together. The National Library of Israel identifies seven kinds of cheese in one advertisement, including Tel HaEmek, yellow-cheese blocks, Bashan, Roquefort, and softer spreadable cheeses.[11] The Library’s advertising collection describes Bashan as a smoked hard sheep cheese.[26] The advertisement’s mix of named products and styles offers a snapshot of a market, not a complete inventory of Israeli cheeses or proof of origin for each one.

“Israeli cheese” can describe a cheese made in Israel, a local style associated with a place or producer, a familiar product in the Israeli market, or a cheese that has become part of everyday Israeli food. Those meanings should not be collapsed. Sources list cheeses such as Roquefort, Camembert, Gouda, feta, Bulgarian cheese, ricotta, and kashkaval in Israeli contexts, but their appearance in a list of market products or local dairy offerings does not establish that each style originated in Israel.[3][15]

Some names have clear local associations in the supplied accounts. Tzfatit is named for Safed and is linked in the sources to a long-established local cheesemaking tradition.[1][16] Tal HaGalil, Tel HaEmek, and products associated with the Jezreel Valley, the Jordan Valley, the Negev, and other regions also carry geographic associations in producer descriptions.[11][17] The National Library notes that Gad and Bashan refer to areas east of the Jordan and Tel HaEmek to the Jezreel Valley west of the Jordan, but its description of the advertisement does not claim that all pictured cheeses were produced in the locations implied by their names.[11]

The sources also preserve differing claims about the beginnings and historical development of cheesemaking. The possibility that early cheeses developed after sheep and goat domestication is explicitly tentative, while the accounts of Tzfatit and particular dairies describe more specific modern production histories.[1][16] The available material does not provide a comprehensive catalogue of all Israeli cheese varieties, nor does it support a single origin story for every style consumed in Israel.[2][3]