The Aldi Cheese You Absolutely Need To Try — If You Can Find It

It's fair to say that I absolutely love cheese, a fascination kickstarted by the global cheese history class I took in college. In the spirit of expanding my palate and venturing beyond my usual sharp cheddar or applewood-smoked Gouda — the latter of which is one of the Aldi groceries first-timers shouldn't skip — I've been venturing more and more into Aldi's cheeses. And I've had great luck so far, including finding my go-to cheese for melty quesadillas, and the cheese I consider a snacking essential: the Emporium Selection Butterkäse. 

Butterkäse, as its name suggests, tastes like butter. It's nowhere near as sharp as a standard cheddar, nor is it as flabby as a mozzarella. I would explain it more as a Gouda or a fontina without the nuttiness. To make it, the milk is heated to just over 100 degrees Fahrenehit before the rennet is added, which helps the curds form before they're scooped out and salted. Butterkäse is a very immature cheese, as it is only aged for about a month, which allows it to keep its delicate flavor, milkiness, and buttery overtones. As such, if you don't like sharper or more obtuse cheeses, you may really enjoy it.

You would assume, based on the quality of this Emporium Selection cheese, that it was imported from abroad, perhaps Germany, butterkäse's country of origin. It has all of the great notes of a butterkäse — along with an affordable price point. The only downside is that Aldi doesn't stock it consistently, but when it does, you should definitely get your hands on it.

I wish I could tell you that I was the first person to sing the praises of the Emporium Selection Butterkäse, but it appears other Aldi shoppers have beaten me to the punch. "This is my favorite type of cheese, and it can be tough to find in grocery stores in the [U.S.]," wrote one shopper on Reddit. "Usually I get it from Amish grocers or the farmers market, but this was the first time I'd seen it at Aldi. It's delicious!" Other shoppers on the thread suggested eating it with soft pretzel bites or pretzel bread — and Aldi's pretzel crackers, which make an appearance on every snack board I make — would be a worthy pairing.

Other folks have tried an albeit unconventional pairing for this butterkäse. The cheese went viral after one influencer stuffed a baked sweet potato with it, encouraging others to try Aldi's version in their own sweet potatoes. The result? A melty, ooey-gooey combination that added richness and creamy flavor to complement the root vegetable's natural sweetness. It's a bit odd, sure, and if you are wary about how a sweet potato and cheese would taste together, I implore you to first experiment with butterkäse on a grilled cheese sandwich to get your bearings (it melts so well) and then explore from there. Regardless of how you eat it — from a snack plate, with a potato, or just straight from the plastic packaging — you'll be glad that you added it to your Aldi cart.