Greek Cheeses Reign Supreme: 22 Varieties Among World's Best, 8 in Top Ten

Greek cheeses have achieved remarkable recognition, with 22 varieties making the list of the 53 best-mixed milk kinds of cheese, according to Taste Atlas.

Eight Greek cheeses are featured in the top ten, although the well-known feta surprisingly does not hold a top position this time.

The Spanish cheese queso payoyo tops the list, but Greek cheeses dominate soon afterwards. Naxos graviera, Lemnos melichloro, and Agrafa graviera occupy the second, third, and fourth spots, respectively. Following Montenegro's Pijevaliski cheese at 5th, Greek cheeses continue their strong presence from 6th to 10th place, featuring Cretan graviera, Kos krassotyri, Naxos arsenic, kasseri, and kefalograviera.

Beyond the top ten, other notable Greek entries include metsovone and anthotyro at 12th and 13th positions and Lemnos basket just ahead of feta, ranked 18th. Additional Greek cheeses appearing in the top 30 are kopanisti (21) and Cretan xinomyzithra (22), as well as Mytilene ladotyri (23), Sfela (25), formaella (26), Domokou katiki (28), and galotyri (29).

Overall, Greek cheese-making prowess is highlighted, with Naxos and Lemnos as key islands in production. Italy and Spain claim the second spot in overall representation with seven cheeses each, while Portugal follows with four entries. The list also includes notable contributions from other Balkan and Mediterranean countries, such as Georgia, Bosnia, Croatia, and Montenegro.