Foodies, these 10 expensive cheeses will wow your taste buds
The most expensive and exquisite cheeses that will wow your taste buds include Pule, White Stilton Gold, Wyke Farms Cheddar, Moose cheese and Cabrales. These cheeses are prized for their rarity, complex production, and unique flavour profiles that are a world apart from everyday options.
Source: UGC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- Pule cheese is the world’s most expensive cheese,costing around $600 per pound.
- Moose cheese follows closely at about $500 per pound, produced only at one farm in Sweden using moose milk.
- White Stilton Gold, priced around $400 per pound, stands out for its creamy taste and real gold flakes.
- Wyke Farms Vintage Cheddar, selling for about $200 per pound, is a rich, aged English cheddar known for its deep, nutty flavour.
Most expensive cheeses that will wow your taste buds
Around the world, there are some cheeses so rare and special that they cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars. These cheeses are made with unique ingredients, such as donkey milk, or aged for many years in special caves. Here are some of the expensive cheeses that stand out for their taste, texture, and exclusivity.
Cheese | Country of origin | Made from | Estimated price (per pound) |
Pule | Serbia | Milk of Balkan donkeys | $600 |
Moose cheese | Sweden | Milk of moose at the Elk House farm | $500 |
White Stilton Gold | England | Cow’s milk mixed with edible gold flakes | $400 |
Wyke Farms Cheddar | England | Cow’s milk | $200 |
Bitto Storico | Italy | Cow’s milk mixed with a little goat’s milk | $150 |
Caciocavallo Podolico | Southern Italy | Milk of Podolica cows | $50 to $150 |
Rogue River Blue | United States | Cow's milk | $45 and $70 |
Beaufort d'Été | French Alps, France | Cow’s milk | $45 |
Cacio di bufala | Italy | Buffalo milk | $45 |
Cabrales | Asturias, Spain | A mix of cow, goat, and sheep milk | $25 and $40 |
1. Pule
Source: Getty Images
- Origin: Serbia
- Made from: Milk of Balkan donkeys
- Flavour and texture: Crumbly, creamy, and mildly salty
- Price: $600 per pound
Pule cheese is the most expensive cheese in the world. It comes from Serbia and is made using milk from a rare type of donkey called the Balkan donkey. Making this cheese takes a lot of work because donkeys produce very little milk each day.
Pule is known for its nutty, tangy flavour and a uniquely crumbly texture. Because of how rare and special it is, Pule cheese costs approximately $600 per pound, per Allrecipes. It takes about 25 litres of milk to make just one kilogram of Pule cheese, which is one reason why it is so costly.
2. White Stilton Gold
Source: UGC
- Origin: England
- Made from: Cow’s milk mixed with edible gold flakes
- Flavour and texture: Mild, creamy, and slightly sweet with a crumbly feel
- Price: $400 per pound
White Stilton Gold is a special type of cheese made in England. It is called “gold” because it is mixed with real edible gold flakes, which makes it shine and look fancy. The cheese itself is made from cow’s milk and has a crumbly, creamy texture. It’s usually sold during holidays due to its luxurious appearance and price.
This cheese has a mild, slightly sweet flavour that goes well with fruit or biscuits. According to Forbes, White Stilton Gold cheese costs about $400 per pound, making it one of the most expensive cheeses in the world. It’s very expensive because it’s made with real gold flakes and sold in small amounts.
3. Moose Cheese
Source: UGC
- Origin: Sweden
- Made from: Milk of moose at the Elk House farm
- Flavour and texture: Mild, creamy, and slightly tangy
- Price: $500 per pound
Moose cheese is a rare and expensive cheese made in Sweden. It comes from the milk of moose, which are large animals similar to deer. They are produced exclusively at the Elk House (Älgens Hus) farm in Bjurholm, Sweden by Christer and Ulla Johansson.
The cheese has a smooth, creamy texture and a mild, slightly tangy taste. There are four varieties of moose cheese: a soft white mould, a creamy blue cheese, a dried blue cheese, and a feta-style cheese. Since moose are difficult to milk and only produce milk seasonally, from May to September, the cheese is extremely rare and can cost over $500 per pound, according to Atlas Obscura.
4. Wyke Farms Cheddar
Source: UGC
- Origin: Somerset, England
- Made from: Cow’s milk
- Flavour and texture: Sharp, smooth, and slightly nutty, firm texture
- Price: $200 per pound
Wyke Farms Cheddar is a rich and aged cheese made in Somerset, England. It has been produced since the 1860’s by Wyke Farms, a family-run business that has been making cheese for generations. The cheddar is aged for about 12 to 15 months.
The cheese tastes sharp, smooth, and slightly nutty. It is often used in sandwiches, on crackers, or melted in dishes. Because of its long ageing process and high quality, Wyke Farms Vintage Cheddar is considered one of the best and more expensive cheddars in the world, retailing at approximately $200 per pound.
5. Bitto Storico
Source: Getty Images
- Origin: Lombardy, Italy
- Made from: Cow’s milk mixed with a little goat’s milk
- Flavour and texture: Sharp, nutty, slightly sweet; firm and crumbly when aged
- Price: $150 per pound
Bitto Storico, also known as Storico Ribelle, is a traditional Italian alpine cheese from the Orobic Alps, made from the raw milk of Alpine Brown cows and native Orobica goats. The cheese is aged for many years, sometimes up to 10 or even 15 years, and is and is produced in very small quantities annually.
The texture of Bitto Storico changes as it ages, becoming harder and more crumbly. Its taste is sharp, nutty, and slightly sweet. It is considered the most expensive Italian cheese, with a price tag of about $150 per pound, per Medium.
6. Caciocavallo Podolico
Source: Getty Images
- Origin: Southern Italy
- Made from: Milk of Podolica cows
- Flavour and texture: Firm, rich, and slightly spicy
- Price: $50 to $150 per pound
Caciocavallo Podolico is a rare Italian cheese made from the milk of Podolica cows, a special breed found in southern Italy. Considered one of the finest cheeses of Southern Italy, it is shaped like a teardrop and is hung to age for several months or even years.
As it ages, the cheese becomes firm and develops a strong, slightly spicy taste. It is often enjoyed sliced thin or grated over pasta. Because the cows produce milk only for a short time each year, Caciocavallo Podolico is hard to find and and quite expensive. It retails at around $50 to $150 per pound
7. Rogue River Blue
Source: UGC
- Origin: Oregon, United States
- Made from: Cow’s milk
- Flavour and texture: Creamy, tangy, slightly sweet, with blue veins
- Price: $45 to $70 per pound
Rogue River Blue is a famous blue cheese made in Oregon, United States. It is made from cow’s milk and aged in caves for several months. During ageing, it is wrapped in grape leaves soaked in pear brandy, which gives the cheese a unique aroma and flavour.
The cheese has a creamy texture with a strong, tangy, and slightly sweet taste. It is often enjoyed with fruits, nuts, or wine. Because it is handmade in small batches and requires special ageing, Rogue River Blue is rare and very expensive. Its price ranges from $50 to $80 per pound.
8. Beaufort d’Été
Source: Getty Images
- Origin: French Alps, France
- Made from: Cow’s milk
- Flavour and texture: Firm, nutty, and slightly fruity
- Price: $45 per pound
Beaufort d'Été is a hard, artisan Alpine cheese from the Savoie region of France. It made from the cow’s milk during the summer months. The cows graze on fresh mountain grass and flowers, which gives the cheese a rich, aromatic flavour. It is pressed into large wheels and aged for several months.
The cheese has a firm texture and a nutty, slightly fruity taste. It is often eaten on its own, with bread, or melted in dishes. The price for Beaufort d'été cheese can vary depending on the vendor, but online retailers typically sell it for about $45 per pound.
9. Cacio di bufala
Source: Getty Images
- Origin: Italy
- Made from: Buffalo milk
- Flavour and texture: Soft, creamy, and slightly tangy
- Price: $45 per pound
Cacio di bufala is a semi-hard, cylindrical cheese made from pasteurised whole buffalo milk, with a fine yellow rind, and a delicate aroma and tasty flavour. It is usually made in small batches on farms, keeping the cheese fresh and flavourful.
The cheese is smooth and spreadable, often eaten with bread, in salads, or melted over dishes. Because it is made from buffalo milk and produced in limited amounts, Cacio Bufala is more expensive than regular cow’s milk cheeses but loved for its unique taste and creaminess.
10. Cabrales
Source: Getty Images
- Origin: Asturias, Spain
- Made from: A mix of cow, goat, and sheep milk
- Flavour and texture: Strong, tangy, and creamy with blue veins
- Price: $25 and $40 per pound
Cabrales is a blue cheese made in the artisan tradition by rural dairy farmers in Asturias, Spain. It is made by mixing cow, goat, and sheep milk, which gives it a rich and bold flavour. The cheese is aged in natural mountain caves, where the air and moisture help the blue mould grow, giving it its signature sharp taste and smell.
The texture of Cabrales is creamy but can be crumbly in older cheeses. According to Gourmet Food Store and Brooklyn Fare, Cabrales cheese costs between $25 and $40 per pound. In July 2025, a 5-pound wheel of Cabrales set a Guinness World Record by selling for over $42,000 at auction after being aged for 10 months in a cave.
What cheese is the most expensive?
The most expensive cheese is Pule, a Serbian cheese made from endangered Balkan donkey milk that can cost over $600 per pound.
What is the highest quality cheese?
There is no single highest quality cheese, as taste is subjective and quality is judged differently depending on the cheese type.
What is the $20,000 dollar cheese?
The "20,000 dollar cheese" refers to a wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano that an Italian bank accepts as collateral for loans from local cheese producers.
What are some fancy cheeses?
Some fancy cheeses include Pule, Moose cheese, White Stilton Gold, and Wyke Farms Cheddar.
What is gourmet cheese?
Gourmet cheese is high-quality cheese made with special ingredients and care to give it rich flavour and texture.
What is the best Italian cheese?
The best Italian cheeses include Parmigiano-Reggiano, Mozzarella di Bufala, and Gorgonzola.
Expensive cheeses such as Pule, White Stilton Gold, and Moose Cheese show how creative and unique cheese-making can be. Each one has a unique flavour, texture, and story.
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