“Well and what’s cheese? Corpse of milk,” said James Joyce. Cheese is probably the most popular dairy product in the world and there are a lot of “corpses of milk” around: some of which are rare and incredibly expensive.
Here are the 5 highest priced cheeses in the world.
5. Caciocavallo Podolico - 70 euro/kg; US $42/pound
This cheese, meaning “Horse Cheese,” is traditional and very popular in the south of Italy. It is not made from horse’s milk, rather its name originates from the fact that in the past, it was hung from horses so it could be transported during curing. Caciocavallo has a pear shape and a creamy white filling. It comes from the milk of a rare Italian breed of cow (only 25,000 exist) called the Podolica, which only lactates from May to June.
4. Bitto storico – 245 euro/kg; US $150/pound
This rare Italian cheese is aged and prestigious: the oldest block is from 1996 and is stored in the Sanctuary of Bitto, in Gerola Alta, where the cheese is produced. A whole cheese aged 16 years and weighing 20 kg (44 pounds) was sold to ProFood Hong Kong, which will distribute small portions of the cheese to several resellers all around China.
3. Moose Cheese – Over 500/kg; US $300/pound
Produced in Sweden by the Moose House, this cheese is made only from the milk of Gullan, Haelga, and Juno. These three cows were abandoned by their mother and adopted by the Johannson family. Moose only lactate from May to September and require the most tender of handling during milking since disturbances can cause the animals to get flustered and dry-up. Each animal produces about 5 liters (1.3 gallons) of milk per day, so each year the farm can only offer 300 kg (660 pounds) of cheese. The cheese contains 12 percent fat and 12 percent protein.
2. White Stilton Gold – 700 euro/kg ; US $420/pound
One of the few British cheeses labeled PDO (Protected Denomination Origin), White Stilton Gold is made by Clawson, the producer of White and Blue Stilton. Stilton is called ‘The King” of British cheeses and only six creameries in the world are allowed to make it. The White Gold, suitable for dessert, is as creamy as the plain White, with the difference that it is crumbly—and it contains real gold.
1. Pule (or “donkey’s pet” in Serbian) – 1,000 euro/kg; US $600/pound
Only available on demand, this unique cheese strengthens the immune system, since it is low in fats and rich in vitamins and proteins. It is made of smoked donkey’s milk, and is produced only in the Balkans by Zasavica Special Nature Reserve, home to a hundred donkeys. They affirm that the high price is due to the amount of milk required to make 1 kg of cheese: 25 liters (3 gallons to make 1 pound). Female donkeys are milked manually, since there are no suitable machines to do the job.
