Cheese Database

Russian cheese vs Tilsit cheese

Russian cheese

Facts

Milk
Cow
Texture
Semi-hard
Type
Pressed
Rind
Waxed or sealed
Country
Russia
Place
similar to German Tilsiter

Russian cheese is a semi-hard cow's milk cheese made in Russia. English labels use that plain name, and Russian speakers call it Rossiysky syr. Dairies across the country make it from pasteurized milk, so it is a style, not the product of one farm. The paste is pale yellow, elastic, and dotted with small irregular holes. A wax coat or a tight film usually covers the outside.

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.