Cheese Dish

Mămăliguță cu br&acirc;nză și sm&acirc;ntănă combines traditional Romanian-style cornmeal porridge with cheese and sour cream. To make mămăliguță or mămăligă, cornmeal is gradually added into boiling salted water and cooked until thickened and smooth. The porridge can be more on the softer or thicker side, depending on individual preferences, and it can either be layered with grated cheese, sour cream, and (sometimes) boiled eggs before serving, or simply accompanied by grated cheese and a few dollops of sour cream on the side. Typical types of cheese used in the preparation of this dish include Romanian cheeses such as telemea (similar to Greek feta), br&acirc;nz&aacute; de burduf (sheep&rsquo;s milk cheese), or br&acirc;nză de vaci (a type of cottage cheese). This simple dish is a common way to enjoy one of Romania&rsquo;s staples - cornmeal porridge.

Mămăliguță cu brânză și smântănă

India

Mattar paneer is a popular vegetarian dish of North Indian origin, made with peas and paneer cheese in a garam masala-spiced tomato sauce. The rich, thick curry is a specialty of Punjab, but it is widely enjoyed throughout India. Traditionally, the dish is served either for lunch or dinner, accompanied by rice and Indian flatbreads such as naan, kulcha, roti, or paratha. Variations abound, so corn, yogurt, or cream are often added as thickeners. Mattar paneer is commonly garnished with freshly chopped coriander and mint leaves on top, giving it a refreshing flavor.

Mattar paneer

Georgia

Mingrelian khachapuri is a Georgian khachapuri variety originating from Samegrelo. Although it's quite similar to its Imeretian cousin, this khachapuri is round and it's topped with even more cheese (usually chkinti-kveli Imeretian cheese). The dough is prepared with flour, water, yeast, sugar, and salt. Once it has risen, the dough is topped with a combination of eggs and cheese, then baked until the cheese becomes bubbly and golden brown. Before serving, this khachapuri variety can be rubbed with butter, if desired.

Megruli khachapuri

Colombia

Mote de queso is a traditional soup originating from the Atlantic Coast area of the country. It's made with a combination of yam, salty and crumbly Coste&ntilde;o cheese, onions, garlic, scallions, tomatoes, cumin, and lime juice. There are many variations on the soup and most families have their own recipe. Once cooked, the soup should have a creamy consistency, with small and tender yam chunks here and there. It's often served with fried plantains or tostones on the side.

Mote de queso

Germany

This Bavarian cheese spread was originally invented to make use of ripened soft cheese. It consists of a creamy combination of butter, paprika, and typically Camembert and Brie, or optionally Romadur, Limburger, and sometimes even cottage cheese. The spread is usually enriched with onions or shallots, caraway, or various herbs, while some versions may include beer, wine, or milk-based products. It is believed that obazda was popularized in the 1920s by Katharina Eisenreich, who served it at her Braustuberl pub in Freising. Nowadays, the spread is a Bavarian staple that is served in numerous restaurants and pubs, usually alongside pretzels and various snacks.

Obazda

This khachapuri variety originates from Ossetia, Georgia. Similar in shape to the Imeruli khachapuri, this one is made with boiled potatoes and cheese that are folded between two layers of dough. People love this khachapuri variety because the cheese is creamier than the one found in Imeruli khachapuri, and it is also less salty.

Osuri khachapuri

Italy

Pallotte cacio e uova is a traditional dish originating from the Abruzzo region. The dish is a classic example of the cucina povera &ndash; it's believed that these cheese and egg balls probably started as a way to use up leftover cheese and stale bread. The bread and cheese are mixed with eggs and shaped into balls which are then fried and gently simmered in a hearty tomato sauce. Common additions to the balls include garlic, thinly sliced red bell peppers, and chopped parsley. Regarding the cheese, many recipes call for pecorino or parmesan.

Pallotte cacio e uova

Kathi roll is a popular Indian street food consisting of flatbreads filled with meat, vegetables, or both. This version of a kathi roll features paneer or Indian cottage cheese. The cheese is cut into cubes and it's then usually marinated in a combination of garam masala, dahi, ginger-garlic powder, red chili powder, and salt. It is then fried until golden brown, and often mixed with onions and green peppers. The combination is placed on a flatbread such as roti or paratha, which is then folded and heated with a bit of oil or ghee. Paneer kathi roll is typically sered with a green chutney on the side.

Paneer kathi roll

Paneer makhani is a traditional curry originating from Punjab. The dish has a few versions, but it&rsquo;s usually made with a combination of paneer cheese and a gravy consisting of ghee, tomatoes, cashews, cream, green chili peppers, garam masala spices, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, ginger, garlic, red chili powder, sugar, salt, turmeric, and fenugreek leaves. The gravy is prepared first, and the paneer is added near the end of cooking. This mild and buttery dish dates back to the 1950s, and nowadays it&rsquo;s typically served with butter garlic naan, paratha, or jeera rice on the side.

Paneer makhani

Penovani khachapuri is a Georgian khachapuri variety originating from Samtskhe-Javakheti. In order to prepare it, a combination of Imeruli and Sulguni cheese is grated and combined with egg yolks. The mixture is placed on a piece of puff pastry that's folded into triangles or squares. Before baking, each khachapuri is brushed with a mix of egg yolks and milk. These tasty small pies are ready for consumption after they puff up in the oven and become golden brown. This khachapuri variety is the easiest, speediest, and simplest to make of all the khachapuri versions.

Penovani khachapuri

Polenta con la ricotta is a traditional dish utilizing coarse polenta flour as the key ingredient. This polenta-based dish is paired with ricotta for an extra-creamy flavor and texture. Other ingredients include tomatoes, pancetta, onions, butter, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, seasonings, and olive oil. The polenta is cooked, left to cool, and it's then cut into slices. The onions and pancetta are cooked in olive oil with the tomatoes, salt, and pepper. An ovenproof dish is then greased with butter and slices of polenta, ricotta, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and tomato sauce are arranged in layers, with the final layer of polenta on top. The dish is dotted with butter and baked until golden brown.

Polenta con la ricotta

Canada

Even though its name stems from the French boudin&mdash;a word that usually refers to the pudding-like fillings of sausages&mdash;this soppy treat originating from the French Canadian province of Quebec consists of french fries drowned in a thick, brown gravy dotted with clumps of pale, soft, semi-creamy cheese curds. The potatoes are more coarsely cut than regular fries, and they are sometimes even fried twice so that the exterior remains crispy while the interior remains soft, whereas the cheese does not melt but just softens, adding that special squeakiness to the dish, and the gravy is made with either beef or chicken stock with the addition of vinegar. Since its rise to stardom from the 1950s onwards, poutine has spread all over Canada and became popular in many parts of the USA where it's considered the ultimate late-night snack. Many Canadians consider poutine a true national dish. It is found anywhere from food trucks to fancy restaurants, and even at Canadian McDonald's. Poutine connoisseurs claim that the best versions are served at small roadside stands where the curds are fresh, rubbery, and melt easily. Interestingly, in 2007, poutine was placed at number 10 of an online survey about the greatest Canadian inventions, conducted by CBC.

Poutine

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Prijesnac is a traditional cheese pie originating from the Trebinje area of Herzegovina and the northern parts of Montenegro, but it is also eaten in the entire Bosnia and Herzegovina. The pie is made with a combination of cottage cheese, kaymak or sour cream, eggs, milk, flour, oil, salt, and baking powder. The batter is placed into an oiled baking tray and the pie is then baked until golden brown. Once done, prijesnac is served immediately while still warm. Although there is not much information about this simple peasant dish, it is believed that the locals had originally prepared it in order to make use of leftover cheese.

Prijesnac

Poland

A classic Poznań specialty, pyry z gzikiem is a simple potato and cheese dish. It consists of boiled or baked potatoes accompanied by a mixture of cottage cheese, cream, and onions. The potatoes are served whole or cut in half, typically in their jackets, with the cottage cheese dip either on top or on the side. Finely chopped chives can be added to the cheese filling or used as a garnish, while the cream can be replaced with milk, kefir, or buttermilk. The gzik mixture is usually flavored with dill and cumin, and it can also be served with crackers or sandwiches. The dish is regarded as a traditional specialty and is eaten in numerous Polish households, usually on Fridays.

Pyry z gzikiem

Quesadilla is a simple Mexican snack consisting of a flour or corn tortilla filled with cheese that melts well. It is commonly folded in half and consumed. A quesadilla can also have some other ingredients on the inside such as meats, beans, or potatoes, but cheese is always mandatory (with the exception of Mexico City, where cheese in a quesadilla is often an afterthought). Sometimes, it is cut into wedges and served with salsa or guacamole on the side, and it can be topped with vegetables such as diced tomatoes, onions, lettuce, or hot chiles. The origins of quesadilla are somewhat murky, but it is known that the cheese was brought to Mexico by the Spaniards along with other dairy products in colonial times, and the thin flatbreads were already a staple of the Mesoamerican people. The Spaniards named the dish quesadilla (little cheesy thing). In northern Mexico, and parts of the southwestern United States, flour tortillas are more common than corn tortillas, so quesadillas with flour tortillas started to gain popularity throughout the United States as well. Today, there are numerous varieties and fillings for quesadillas such as chorizo, Oaxaca cheese, epazote, and squash blossoms.

Quesadilla

Queso con anchoas is a traditional tapa. This simple bar snack is usually made by topping slices of Manchego cheese with anchovy fillets. The snack is often elevated with the addition of roasted red pepper strips. Before serving, queso con anchoas is sometimes enriched with a drizzle of sherry vinegar in order to provide some sharpness and acidity to the anchovies' saltiness and the nuttiness of the cheese. It's recommended to enjoy this tapa with a glass of wine or beer on the side.

Queso con anchoas

This savory, baked French delicacy consists of a thin flaky pastry crust topped with a delicious cheese mixture. The traditional open tart usually makes use of classic cheese varieties such as Gruy&egrave;re, Camembert, or Roquefort, which are blended into a luscious custard of eggs and milk or cr&egrave;me fra&icirc;che. The creamy filling is often adorned with a variety of fresh herbs or a sprinkling of freshly-grated nutmeg. The baked quiche is a delightful combination of crispy crust, a velvety center, and a perfectly browned top. Quiche au fromage is a staple dish found at French markets or on the menus of traditional French restaurants. It can be enjoyed as a light main course or as a filling snack.

Quiche au fromage

Switzerland

Raclette is a national dish that shares its name with a slightly nutty Swiss cheese made from cow's milk, an appliance for preparing the dish, and a full dining experience. Extremely popular in the ski region Valais and other parts of the Swiss Alps, where it also originated, raclette was invented by the Swiss mountain shepherds who used to gather around a fire while roasting potatoes. As they left some cheese near the fire, it started to melt so they scraped bits of it on the potatoes and raclette was born. The dish takes its name from the French word racler, meaning to scrape. As few people have a fireplace these days, modern appliances such as raclette melter and raclette grill are used instead. The scraped cheese is usually accompanied by roasted or cooked potatoes with their skin still on, vegetables, cold cuts, pickles, onions, and bread. There is also a variety of raclette where the mixture of cheese and other ingredients is scraped onto an opened baked potato. A perfect dish to share with others during cold, winter nights, raclette is best paired with light white wines or traditional kirsch liqueurs.

Raclette

Fried cheese is a traditional specialty that is mainly enjoyed as the main course. It is prepared with a thick block of cheese, usually the semi-hard Trappist, which is breaded and fried until golden and crispy. Although simple, the dish results in an excellent combination of partially melted cheese and a thick, crunchy coating. This common restaurant dish is traditionally served alongside French fries, rice, salads, and various condiments such as mayonnaise, sour cream, or tartar &ndash; a refreshing combination of yogurt and mayonnaise.

Rántott sajt

Ricotta fritta is a traditional dish originating from Molise. It consists of ricotta (preferably sheep's milk) that is fried in olive oil. The ricotta is cut into slices and dipped in flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs. The slices are fried until golden and then set to drain on paper towels before they're seasoned with salt and can be served. Prepared this way, the cheese develops a golden and crunchy layer on the exterior, while the interior remains soft and creamy.