Looking for cheeses that start with I? It is a surprisingly good letter for cheese lovers. You get smoky Spanish sheep’s cheeses, bold Irish cheddars, soft British goat’s cheese, Georgian brined cheese and a few lesser-known regional favourites that are well worth tracking down.

This guide is written for curious food fans, quiz solvers, cheeseboard planners and anyone building an alphabet foods list. I have included the best-known real cheeses beginning with I, plus practical UK shopping tips, cheaper swaps and ideas for using leftovers without wasting a crumb.

Cheeses That Start With I: Quick List

Here is a handy overview before we get into the details.

1. Idiazabal

Idiazabal is one of the finest cheeses that start with I. It comes from the Basque Country and Navarre in northern Spain and is made with milk from Latxa or Carranzana sheep. It is a firm, aged cheese with a dense texture and a deep savoury flavour.

Some Idiazabal is smoked, which gives it a warm, campfire-like edge, while unsmoked versions are more buttery, nutty and sheepy. It is excellent on a cheeseboard but also sturdy enough to grate or shave over hot food.

How to use Idiazabal

• Serve with quince paste, apple slices or roasted peppers.
• Shave over grilled vegetables or a warm lentil salad.
• Use instead of Manchego when you want a slightly bolder flavour.
• Add thin slices to a Spanish-style toastie with ham and peppers.

2. Ibores

Ibores is a Spanish goat’s cheese from Extremadura. It is usually semi-hard, creamy and tangy, with a natural rind that may be rubbed with paprika or olive oil. That paprika coating gives many versions a beautiful rusty-orange colour and a gentle warmth.

If you enjoy goat’s cheese but want something firmer than a fresh log, Ibores is a lovely choice. It has enough character for a cheeseboard without being too sharp.

Money-saving swap

Ibores can be harder to find in standard UK supermarkets. If you need a cheaper or more available alternative, try a semi-hard Spanish goat’s cheese, a mature goat’s cheddar, or even a wedge of Manchego if sheep’s milk is acceptable for your dish.

3. Queso Ibérico

Queso Ibérico, often labelled simply as Iberico cheese, is a popular Spanish mixed-milk cheese. It is commonly made with a blend of cow, sheep and goat milk, giving it a rounded flavour: creaminess from cow’s milk, nuttiness from sheep’s milk and a little tang from goat’s milk.

It is not the same as Manchego, although the two can look similar when sold in wedges. Iberico is usually milder and can be a very useful everyday Spanish cheese for sandwiches, tapas boards and cooking.

Best ways to serve Iberico cheese

• Cube it for tapas with olives and cured meats.
• Slice into baguettes with tomato and rocket.
• Grate into omelettes or tortilla-style potato dishes.
• Pair with grapes, pears or a spoonful of chutney.

4. Imokilly Regato

Imokilly Regato is an Irish hard cheese from County Cork. It is made from cow’s milk and has a firm, grating-friendly texture. The style is often compared with Italian hard cheeses, so it works well over pasta, soups and roasted vegetables.

This is a good one to know if you are looking for cheeses beginning with I that are Irish rather than Spanish or Italian. It has a savoury, salty character and can lift simple budget meals quickly.

How to make it go further

Use a fine grater or microplane rather than cutting chunks. A small amount of finely grated hard cheese spreads flavour over a whole dish, which is handy when you are watching the food budget.

5. Irish Cheddar

Irish Cheddar is a broad category rather than one single protected cheese, but it deserves a place on any list of cheeses that start with I. It is widely available in the UK, often good value, and comes in mild, mature, extra mature and vintage styles.

The texture is usually smooth and creamy, with mature versions bringing that lovely sharpness you want in a jacket potato, cheese sauce or toastie.

Best uses for Irish Cheddar

• Grate into macaroni cheese or cauliflower cheese.
• Use in cheese scones, soda bread or savoury muffins.
• Add to mashed potato for a cheap, filling side.
• Slice into packed lunches with crackers and pickle.

6. Irish Porter Cheddar

Irish Porter Cheddar is cheddar blended or marbled with porter, giving it a dramatic dark pattern and a malty flavour. It is often sold around Christmas, but it can appear in deli counters and larger supermarkets at other times too.

The taste is rich, tangy and slightly sweet from the beer. It is more of a cheeseboard cheese than an everyday cooking cheese, though it does make a memorable toastie.

Reduced aisle tip

Flavoured cheeses often get reduced after seasonal events. If you spot Irish Porter Cheddar marked down, check the date and condition, then use it in toasties, burgers or a ploughman’s-style lunch.

7. Imeruli

Imeruli, also called Imeretian cheese, is a Georgian cheese traditionally used in khachapuri, the famous cheese-filled bread. It is usually mild, fresh or lightly brined, with a soft, springy texture and a clean dairy flavour.

In the UK, Imeruli can be tricky to find unless you have access to Georgian, Eastern European or specialist food shops. It is worth trying if you enjoy cooking regional breads and dumplings.

Substitutes for Imeruli

For Georgian-style baking, many home cooks use a mixture of mozzarella and feta, or mozzarella and a young salty cheese. It will not be identical, but it gives a good balance of melt, stretch and saltiness.

8. Irkotta

Irkotta is a Maltese fresh cheese similar to ricotta. It is soft, light and creamy, and is used in both savoury and sweet dishes. In Malta, it appears in pies, pastries and pasta fillings, including traditional pastizzi-style fillings.

Because it is fresh and mild, Irkotta is a useful cheese for stretching meals. It can bulk out pasta, pancakes, tarts and vegetable bakes without overpowering everything else.

Budget-friendly ideas

• Mix with spinach and use as a pasta filling.
• Spread on toast with honey or jam.
• Stir into tomato pasta sauce for creaminess.
• Use in place of ricotta in simple bakes.

9. Izmir Tulum

Izmir Tulum is a Turkish cheese associated with the Aegean region. Tulum cheeses are traditionally matured in animal-skin bags, though modern production methods vary. Izmir Tulum is generally firm, crumbly, salty and tangy.

It is the kind of cheese that works well in small amounts. Crumble it over salads, grilled flatbreads, eggs or roasted vegetables. Because it is salty, taste before adding extra seasoning.

10. Isli Cerkez Peyniri

Isli Cerkez Peyniri is a smoked Circassian-style cheese from Turkey. The Turkish letter is often written as İsli, but in English alphabet lists it is commonly included under I. It has a firm, slightly elastic texture and a clear smoky flavour.

If you like smoked cheeses such as smoked cheddar, smoked scamorza or smoked German-style cheeses, this one may be right up your street. It is delicious sliced thinly and warmed gently until just softened.

How to serve it

• Slice into breakfast plates with tomatoes, cucumber and bread.
• Add to flatbread wraps with grilled peppers.
• Serve with olives and pickles.
• Use sparingly in toasties for a smoky kick.

11. Istrian Cheese

Istrian cheese, or Istarski sir, comes from the Istrian peninsula, which includes parts of Croatia and Slovenia. It is usually a semi-hard or hard cheese, often made from sheep’s milk, cow’s milk or a blend depending on the maker.

The flavour can be salty, nutty and aromatic. Some versions reflect the local landscape beautifully, especially when served with olive oil, figs, truffle products or cured meats from the same region.

12. Incanestrato

Incanestrato refers to basket-moulded cheeses from southern Italy. The name is linked to the basket, or canestro, used to shape the cheese and leave a ridged pattern on the rind. It can be made from sheep’s milk or mixed milk, depending on the regional style.

Expect a firm texture, a salty savoury flavour and a rustic look. Aged versions are good for grating, while younger versions can be sliced for antipasti.

Easy serving idea

Serve thin slices with roasted tomatoes, grilled courgettes and a drizzle of olive oil. Add bread and you have a simple, low-effort lunch.

13. Isle of Mull Cheddar

Isle of Mull Cheddar is a Scottish farmhouse cheddar made on the Isle of Mull. It is full-flavoured, savoury and often more rugged than a standard supermarket block. If you love proper mature cheddar, this is a cheese to look out for.

It is usually not the cheapest cheddar on the shelf, so treat it as a flavour cheese rather than a bulk melting cheese. A little goes a long way in a toastie, rarebit or cheeseboard.

How to stretch it

Blend a small amount of Isle of Mull Cheddar with a cheaper mild cheddar when making cheese sauce. You get the depth of the farmhouse cheese without using the whole piece in one meal.

14. Isle of Wight Blue

Isle of Wight Blue is a soft blue cheese from the Isle of Wight. It is creamy, earthy and gently blue rather than aggressively sharp. It is a lovely option for people who enjoy blue cheese but do not want something as punchy as a strong Stilton.

Serve it at room temperature for the best texture. It is good with pears, figs, walnuts, crackers and crusty bread.

Leftover idea

Mash a little Isle of Wight Blue into butter or cream cheese, then spread it on toast or melt it over a steak, mushrooms or roasted potatoes.

15. Innes Log

Innes Log is a British goat’s cheese made in Staffordshire by Innes Cheese. It is a soft, lactic-style goat’s cheese with a delicate texture and a fresh, tangy flavour. Depending on the exact cheese and age, it can be young and bright or a little more developed.

It is excellent with beetroot, roasted squash, toasted nuts, honey or simple green leaves. Because artisan goat’s cheese can be delicate, keep it well wrapped and use it promptly once opened.

Other I Cheese Names You Might See

Some I names are brands, place names or cheese styles rather than distinct cheese varieties. They can still be useful if you are researching alphabet foods.

• Isigny Camembert: A Camembert associated with Isigny in Normandy. Technically, the cheese type is Camembert, but the place name begins with I.
• Ilchester cheese: Ilchester is a British cheese brand known for flavoured cheeses. It is not one single cheese variety, but you may see the name on supermarket shelves.
• Imsil cheese: Imsil in South Korea is strongly associated with cheese production. You may see Imsil cheese used for Korean-style pizza, snacks and dairy products, though it is more regional branding than one fixed traditional cheese.

Best Cheeses That Start With I for a Cheeseboard

If you want an I-themed cheeseboard, aim for contrast: one hard cheese, one soft cheese, one blue cheese and something unusual.

• Hard cheese: Idiazabal, Iberico, Imokilly Regato or Isle of Mull Cheddar.
• Soft cheese: Innes Log or Irkotta.
• Blue cheese: Isle of Wight Blue.
• Something different: Izmir Tulum, Isli Cerkez Peyniri or Ibores.

Add crackers, bread, chutney, grapes, sliced apples, pickles and a small bowl of olives. You do not need huge wedges. Smaller portions of three or four interesting cheeses are usually better value than buying too much and letting it dry out in the fridge.

Where to Buy Cheeses Beginning With I in the UK

Some of these cheeses are easy to find, while others need a bit of hunting.

• Large supermarkets: Irish Cheddar, Irish Porter Cheddar, Iberico and sometimes Idiazabal or Spanish cheese selections.
• Cheesemongers: Best for Idiazabal, Ibores, Isle of Mull Cheddar, Isle of Wight Blue and Innes goat’s cheeses.
• International food shops: Good places to look for Imeruli, Izmir Tulum and Turkish smoked cheeses.
• Online cheese retailers: Useful for artisan British cheeses and more unusual European cheeses, especially if you are planning a special board.
• Reduced sections: Watch for seasonal cheddars, deli wedges and cheeseboard packs close to their date.

Money-Saving Tips for Buying Cheese

Cheese can be pricey, especially artisan and imported varieties. These tips help keep costs sensible.

• Buy the right amount: A small wedge of a strong cheese often gives more flavour than a big block of something bland.
• Use bold cheese as seasoning: Grate hard cheeses finely over pasta, soup or eggs instead of serving large chunks.
• Check price per kilo: Pre-sliced and novelty packs can cost more than a simple wedge.
• Freeze hard cheese for cooking: Cheddar and other firm cheeses can be grated and frozen, then used straight from the freezer in sauces, toppings and bakes. Texture may change, so it is best for cooking rather than cheeseboards.
• Use every bit: Dry ends of hard cheese can still flavour sauces, soups and breadcrumbs if they are not mouldy or spoiled.
• Plan leftovers: Put cheeseboard remnants into omelettes, toasties, pasta bakes or savoury muffins.

Simple Pairings for I Cheeses

How to Store Cheese Safely

Store cheese in the fridge and follow the use-by date where one is given. Hard cheeses generally keep better than soft cheeses once opened, but all cheese should be wrapped properly and checked before eating.

• Keep cheese chilled and return it to the fridge after serving.
• Wrap cheese in waxed cheese paper, baking parchment or the original packaging, then place it in a container if needed.
• Keep strong-smelling cheeses separate so they do not flavour everything else.
• Use soft fresh cheeses promptly once opened.
• Do not eat cheese that smells unpleasant in a spoiled way, has unexpected mould on soft cheese, or has a slimy texture.

For hard cheese, small spots of surface mould can often be cut away generously, but with soft cheese it is safer to discard it if unwanted mould appears.

FAQs About Cheeses That Start With I

What cheese starts with I?

Cheeses that start with I include Idiazabal, Ibores, Iberico, Imokilly Regato, Irish Cheddar, Irish Porter Cheddar, Imeruli, Irkotta, Izmir Tulum, Istrian Cheese, Incanestrato, Isle of Mull Cheddar, Isle of Wight Blue and Innes Log.

What is the most famous cheese beginning with I?

Idiazabal is probably one of the best-known traditional cheeses beginning with I, especially among Spanish cheese fans. Irish Cheddar is easier to find in UK supermarkets, so it may be more familiar to everyday shoppers.

Is Iberico cheese the same as Manchego?

No. Manchego is made from sheep’s milk and comes from La Mancha in Spain. Iberico cheese is usually made from a blend of cow, sheep and goat milk. They can look similar in wedges, but the flavour and production style are different.

Which I cheeses are easiest to buy in the UK?

Irish Cheddar, Irish Porter Cheddar and Iberico are usually the easiest to find. Idiazabal, Isle of Mull Cheddar and Isle of Wight Blue are often available from cheesemongers or online cheese shops. Imeruli and Izmir Tulum are more likely to be found in specialist international shops.

Which cheeses that start with I are good for cooking?

Irish Cheddar is excellent for sauces, toasties and bakes. Imokilly Regato works well grated over pasta and soups. Imeruli is ideal for Georgian-style cheese bread, while Iberico melts nicely in sandwiches and omelettes.

Which I cheese is best for a cheeseboard?

For a balanced cheeseboard, try Idiazabal or Iberico as the firm cheese, Innes Log as the soft goat’s cheese, and Isle of Wight Blue as the blue cheese. Add chutney, fruit, crackers and pickles to keep it simple.

Are there any British cheeses that start with I?

Yes. British cheeses that start with I include Isle of Mull Cheddar, Isle of Wight Blue and Innes Log. Irish Cheddar is also widely available in the UK, though it is Irish rather than British.

Can you freeze cheese?

Hard and semi-hard cheeses such as cheddar usually freeze best when grated first. The texture may become more crumbly after freezing, so frozen cheese is better for cooking than serving on a cheeseboard. Soft fresh cheeses do not usually freeze as well.