Sandwich Cheeses - 8 Popular Cheeses For Sandwiches

In today’s world of culinary fusion, one thing everyone should explore is the type of cheese in their sandwich.

What better way to find which type of cheese you should have in your sandwich than to discover the popular cheeses from around the world. (Lactose intolerant people beware, this article may hurt your stomach)

So let’s begin.

Swiss Cheese Straight from Switzerland

Swiss cheese is the usual go to for many of us, so it’s obvious why it’s mentioned here. It comes from the great country of Switzerland.

If you ever visit Switzerland and want to give off the cool vibe, just call Swiss cheese emmental; that is the native name for it. But anyway, you can not go wrong with a nice amount of Swiss cheese on your sandwich.

Emmental cheese is easily distinguished by its pale yellow color and holes. The centre of the cheese is soft with a hard rind on the outside.

Taste wise it is a mild cheese with a slightly nutty taste mixed with a mainly buttery flavor.

Fontina Cheese from Italy

Only the occasional cheese fan will mention the good ole Fontina cheese that comes from Rome. Basking in glory between the mountains of the Aosta valley, Fontina is made.

Those that spend their day making Fontina cheese get it from their cows, obviously, but then allow it to become its true, cheesy self in the valley’s caves.

The hard work the farmers go through shows in its fine aroma and taste. Once melted and sizzled onto a toasted sandwich, it can hardly be beat.

Mild in taste with a buttery tone, this cheese semi-hard cheese compliments smoked meats well in some classic Italian bread such as ciabatta.

Provolone, the Cousin to Fontina

With both Fontina and Provolone both finding their roots in Italy, you can almost crown the country as one of the few leaders in cheese offerings. Provolone is another classic go-to cheese for a sandwich and never fails to satisfy the palate.

The best way to win someone’s heart is to heat up some provolone and slap it on a ham sandwich. If they are not falling head over heels in love with you by then, you should go for someone else.

This cheese is easy to melt and is also delicious inside a toasted cheese sandwich with some fine prosciutto dry-cured ham.

Gruyere, Swiss Cousin to Emmental

Some actually say Gruyere is the most popular cheese in Switzerland, which was interesting to me when I heard it the first time. I mean, do we not have a cheese literally called Swiss Cheese? But that is neither here nor there.

Gruyere is known for its wonderful, but sometimes too powerful, smell and its usefulness in baking. Some may be familiar with its taste as it is used often in French onion soups and fondues–if you’re into that fancy stuff.

It’s definitely a top notch cheese for combining along with sweet onion and mustard as part of a grilled sandwich.

Havarti Cheese from the Land of Denmark

And now it is time to change up the countries a bit, maybe swing away from Switzerland and Italy. Havarti cheese finds its roots in Denmark.

This cheese is sometimes compared to Swiss cheese so if you enjoy the taste of Swiss cheese then Havarti is right up your alley.

So if you enjoy basic Havarti, which you will, then you can go right ahead and give this classic cheese a try. Havarti is great as part of a combination with fried bacon and egg inside a toasted breakfast sandwich.

Manchego Cheese, the Almighty Spanish Cheese

Manchego cheese is an interesting and tasteful cheese. It traces its roots back to Spain, but, interestingly enough, a cow is not involved in the milk-making process. Manchego cheese comes from the Manchega sheep’s milk.

This cheese is perfect if you want a little more sweetness added to your sandwich, because that is exactly what it is known for, its ability to sweeten up a sandwich.

The sweetness of manchego works well alongside fresh spinach, onion and mushrooms as part of a toasted cheese sandwich filling.

American Cheese from Right Here in the United States

Would a popular cheese list really be a popular cheese list without American cheese. It’s a staple for sandwiches. I mean just have a conversation about a grilled cheese sandwich with someone and this is the first cheese they think of.

It’s a fan favorite for a reason, and if you have not had the chance to try it out you need to right now.

A person has not lived life to the fullest until they experience that gorgeous taste of American cheese in a Philly cheesesteak sandwich.

Pepper Jack Cheese

Yes, the best for last. Not only does Pepper Jack cheese have a bit of spice to it, but it also has that iconic Pepper Jack look with its colorful texture. Throw this bad boy on a sandwich that lacks in spice and you are all good.