Cheese Database

Liptauer vs Pimento cheese

Liptauer

Facts

Texture
Fresh
Type
Fresh
Rind
No rind
Country
Hungary

Liptauer is a seasoned cheese spread from Hungary, sold in pots and also mixed at home. Soft white curd cheese is blended with sweet paprika, onion, and warm spices until the paste turns rosy orange. The result is not a wheel and it has no rind. It is a spoonable mixture meant for bread and raw vegetables. In Hungarian cooking the same spread is widely known as körözött, and paprika is the flavor people expect first.

Pimento cheese, field guide plate
Pimento cheese, photographed

Pimento cheese

Facts

Texture
Soft
Rind
No rind
Country
United States

Pimento cheese is a cheese spread from the United States. Cooks stir sharp or mild cheddar with mayonnaise and chopped pimento peppers until the mix is soft and spoonable. Some recipes add a little cream cheese, onion, or a pinch of cayenne, but the three core ingredients define the dish. It is a prepared food, not a wheel with a rind. Jars and tubs are common in grocery stores, and many households still mix a bowl at home.