If you want to make the cheeses of the world without leaving your own kitchen, this is the kit that takes the idea literally. Ten cheeses in one box: Italy's ricotta, mascarpone, mozzarella and burrata, French chèvre, Cypriot halloumi, Indian paneer, queso blanco from the Americas, squeaky cheese curds and homely cottage cheese, all made from regular store-bought milk and obsessively tested recipes. This is the full tour: where each cheese calls home, the order to tackle them in, what actually comes in the box and who the kit suits best.
What is the Cheeses of the World Kit?
The Cheeses of the World Kit contains all the essential ingredients you need to make homemade cheese in only a few hours. You add regular store-bought milk and you are on your way.
Every cheese in the kit is a fresh cheese, which is exactly where home cheesemaking should begin. Aged cheeses like cheddar are far more complex and often need specialist equipment to mature; fresh cheeses need a pan, an afternoon and a little patience. We have been putting together cheese kits since 2011 and have sold tens of thousands, and this one is our introduction to cheese making with the widest horizons.
Where in the world do the ten cheeses take you?
Here is the itinerary.
First stop: Italy
Four of the ten call Italy home, which feels fair given how much Italy has done for cheese. Ricotta literally means "recooked", because it was traditionally made with the whey left over from another cheese; our recipe uses fresh milk instead, which is easier and gives a larger yield. Spread it on toast with a little crushed pepper and you may decide against sharing. Mascarpone follows a very similar method with double cream in place of milk, and its much smaller curds produce the deliciously creamy cheese that sweet desserts are built on.
Mozzarella is our favourite cheese in the kit to make. The final stage, stretching hot curds until they transform into silky mozzarella, is proper kitchen theatre. Homemade mozzarella will not melt quite as easily as the supermarket sort, but it is still pretty delicious on a pizza. And burrata is essentially mozzarella with a secret: a little parcel holding a rich filling of cream and soft curds. Shaping them takes a bit of practice, but drizzled with good olive oil the creamy centre makes the effort well worth it.
Across to France for chèvre
Chèvre is quite a different cheese from everything else in the booklet. Goat milk forms far smaller curds than cow milk, so small you may not see them form in the pan at all, and it is those tiny curds that give the cheese its uniquely creamy texture. You will need fresh goat milk for this one, and the reward is a soft log of goat's cheese to roll in herbs, black pepper or chilli flakes.
South to Cyprus for halloumi
Halloumi, the Mediterranean's great frying cheese, is one of the most satisfying makes in the box: pressed firm, cooked in its own hot whey and gloriously salty, fried or grilled. It can be eaten as soon as it has cooled, but it is at its best after 24 hours in the fridge.
East to India for paneer
Paneer is the Indian cheese behind dishes like saag paneer and matar paneer. It is a simple and rewarding cheese to make, quite similar to ricotta, but pressed into firm cubes so it holds together in a curry. It also adds richness to veggie burgers and helps bind the other ingredients together.
Over to Mexico and South America for queso blanco
Queso blanco, literally "white cheese" in Spanish, is widely used in Mexican and South American cooking. Its party trick is that it does not melt when heated; it softens without losing its shape, which makes it work amazingly on top of hot dishes. This is also the recipe where the kit's little cheese moulds earn their keep, pressing the cheese with a couple of tin cans as weights.
North to Canada for cheese curds
Cheese curds are an essential part of Canadian poutine, which is pretty much cheesy chips with gravy and all the better for it. The aim here is small individual curds with a proper squeak. Fifteen seconds in the microwave after pressing turns the squeak up, and they are squeakiest eaten fresh.
And home again for cottage cheese
Cottage cheese needs no passport. It is a gently set, homely cheese that keeps for a week in the fridge and grows tangier as it matures, so late-week batches are best used to add a fresh note to savoury cooking.
What order should you make the cheeses in?
The recipe book is structured to run roughly from the easiest cheese to the most complex, so your skills build as you progress. Think of it as a ladder:
- Ricotta is a great place to start. Warm the milk, stir in citric acid, and curds begin forming almost at once. It teaches you draining, salting and the rhythm of the craft.
- Mascarpone repeats the trick with cream, and asks for a little faith, because the curds are so small you may barely see them.
- Mozzarella introduces rennet, cutting the set curd into a grid, and the famous hot stretch.
- Queso blanco, cottage cheese and paneer bring in pressing and firmer textures.
- Burrata combines the mozzarella stretch with a cream filling and quick hands.
- Halloumi and cheese curds add longer, more careful processes: cooking the wrapped cheese in hot whey, or holding curds at temperature for a patient hour.
- Chèvre is probably one of the last to tackle, with its nearly invisible curds and slow, unhurried draining.
Nothing on the ladder is difficult in itself; each rung borrows moves from the ones below. By the top you will be cutting clean grids and stretching mozzarella like a veteran.
What comes in the box, and what do you add?
Inside the kit you will find:
- Vegetarian rennet, the coagulating agent that sets milk into thick curds, so every cheese you make is vegetarian too.
- Citric acid, which splits milk into curds and whey for the acid-set cheeses.
- Cheese salt, a Himalayan pink salt that seasons the cheese and extends its shelf life; without salt, fresh cheese lasts closer to 2-3 days.
- A thermometer, because temperatures matter in cheesemaking, with every recipe given in both Celsius and Fahrenheit.
- Cheese moulds for shaping your finished cheeses into more presentable forms, and for pressing the queso blanco.
- A cotton cheese cloth, raw and unbleached; give it a warm rinse before first use.
- A half-teaspoon measuring scoop for accurate doses of citric acid and salt.
- The recipe book, with all ten cheeses ordered from easiest to most complex.
You supply the milk: fresh whole pasteurised milk from any supermarket. The rule that matters more than any other is never use UHT or ultra-pasteurised milk, which will not curdle, and skip milk alternatives and powdered milk too. Chèvre needs fresh goat milk, and mascarpone needs real double cream rather than an artificially thickened substitute. From your own kitchen you will want a large stainless steel pan (non-reactive, so not aluminium, cast iron or unlined copper), a colander and a slotted spoon. A microwave makes mozzarella far easier, and burrata does need one, though the booklet includes a slightly trickier no-microwave mozzarella method as well.
Who is the Cheeses of the World Kit for?
Two people, mainly. The first is the beginner who wants a project with a long tail. Nothing in the kit assumes experience, ricotta is genuinely easy, and the ingredients stretch across many batches, so this is not one afternoon's entertainment but a whole season of weekend projects.
The second is the upgrader. If you have worked through our Beginner's Cheese Kit and its five cheeses, ricotta, mozzarella, mascarpone, burrata and a creamy goat's cheese, then the Cheeses of the World Kit keeps the favourites and adds the more challenging styles: halloumi, paneer, queso blanco, cottage cheese and squeaky cheese curds. It is the natural second act, and a lovely gift for the friend who would enjoy telling everyone the halloumi is homemade.
Cheeses of the World kit FAQs
Do I need any cheesemaking experience?
No. The recipes are written for complete beginners and ordered so the easy wins come first. Start with ricotta, follow the steps, and build from there.
What milk should I buy?
Fresh whole pasteurised milk from the supermarket. Never UHT or ultra-pasteurised milk, which simply will not curdle, and no milk alternatives or powdered milk. Use fresh goat milk for the chèvre and real double cream for the mascarpone.
Do I need a microwave?
For burrata, yes. For mozzarella, a microwave is the easiest and simplest method, but the booklet includes an alternative hot-water method if you do not have one. It is a little trickier, but it works.
Is the kit vegetarian?
Yes. The rennet included is vegetarian, so all ten cheeses are too.
How long do the cheeses keep?
These are fresh cheeses, made for eating fresh. Ricotta, mascarpone and paneer are best within 3 days, halloumi keeps for up to 5 days, and mozzarella, cottage cheese, queso blanco, cheese curds and chèvre for up to a week, all sealed in the fridge.
What do I do with all the whey?
Do not pour it away. It makes a great addition to smoothies, works in place of water in baking, and is an excellent cooking liquid for rice, couscous, potatoes or grains. Some recipes also use the whey later on, so read to the end before you repurpose it.
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