Europe’s tastiest cheeses | CNN Travel

(CNN) — It is a truth universally acknowledged that (almost) everyone loves cheese.

And it’s a truth almost as universally acknowledged that Europe makes some of the best.

Here, there are thousand-year-old cheeses. There are cheeses invented centuries ago by monks, cheeses that make cameo appearances in classic literature, and cheeses given intentionally offputting names to encourage people to try them.

There are stinky cheeses, cheeses with added ash, cheeses made in stomach-churning ways, and some of the most expensive cheeses on the planet.

Everyone has their own favorite cheese, of course — but here are 22 of ours.

Grana Padano

Everyone knows parmesan, of course, but you might not be so familiar with this workhorse of Italian cheeses, Grana Padano. Like parmesan, it comes from Emilia Romagna in northern Italy; and like parmesan, its nutty taste, hard-flaking texture is perfect for scattering on salad or grating onto pasta. It’s usually a bit cheaper than parmesan, though — in fact, what you might think of as parmesan might actually be grana padano, which has a slightly softer flavor. That doesn’t mean it’s not good, though — try it in chunks, to enjoy the grainy texture, and smear some chutney or fruit jam on top.

Gruyère

Everyone loves sweet-salty gruyere.

Getty Images

Sweet or savory? With gruyère, you get both — plus a distinctive nuttiness that takes the sweetness down a notch. Made in Switzerland — the village of Gruyères itself enjoys protected status for its cheese — it’s one of Europe’s best loved cheeses, working perfectly with chutney or jam, or incorporated into recipes (even simple ones like a croque monsieur).

Serra da Estrela

Serra de Estrela is so rare that it’s officially a protected cheese.

Getty Images

This pungent cheese, beloved of the Portuguese, is classed as an endangered product by the Slow Food movement, and has been given protected status by…