Cheese Database

Passendale cheese vs Tilsit cheese

Passendale cheese

Facts

Milk
Cow
Texture
Semi-soft
Type
Pressed
Rind
Natural rind
Country
Belgium

Passendale cheese is a semi-soft cow's milk cheese from Belgium. It is made from pasteurized milk, and the wheels are round with a bulging shape that some people compare to a small loaf. The rind is brown, firm enough to hold the cheese, and dotted with light mold, and it is edible. Inside, the paste is golden, creamy, and marked with small holes. The taste is mild and slightly sweet, which makes it an easy table cheese.

Tilsit cheese, field guide plate
Tilsit cheese, photographed

Tilsit cheese

Facts

Milk
Cow
Texture
Semi-hard
Type
Washed rind
Rind
Washed rind
Country
Germany
Place
a light yellow semi-hard smear-ripened

Tilsit cheese is a semi-hard cow's milk cheese from Germany, and the paste is light yellow under a washed rind. The style belongs to an East Prussian tradition, and German dairies still make it in wheels and in blocks. Makers rub the surface during ripening so a savory smear can develop. The interior stays moist and elastic, with small irregular holes or short cracks. Shoppers meet it as a table cheese that also melts.