Walk into any Israeli supermarket and ask for white cheese, and you'll get something most English speakers have never even tasted.
Ask for yellow cheese, and you'll get a question back. Which percent? Sliced or a block?
That's because in Israel, "white cheese" is the name of one specific cheese, while "yellow cheese" is a whole category with its own questions.
Here's the whole aisle, cheese by cheese: what each one is called, what it tastes like, and how Israelis actually eat it. So the next time you're in Israel, you know exactly what you're putting in your cart.
The Cheese Aisle in Israel
Yellow, White, and Salty: The Three Groups of Israeli Cheese
The Hebrew word for cheese is גְּבִינָה /g-vee-'nah/, and Israelis sort their cheese into three big groups: yellow, white, and salty.
It's also an old word. In the book of אִיּוֹב /ee-'yov/ Job, he says: Didn't You pour me out like milk and curdle me like cheese? וְכַגְּבִנָּה תַּקְפִּיאֵנִי /ve-kha-g-vee-'nah tak-pee-'e-nee/. That same word is on every package in an Israeli supermarket today.
Here's what each group means.
The first is גְּבִינוֹת צְהֻבּוֹת /g-vee-'not tse-hoo-'bot/. Yellow cheeses. The hard and semi-hard cheeses you slice or melt. Gouda, cheddar, Emmental.
The second is גְּבִינוֹת לְבָנוֹת /g-vee-'not le-va-'not/. White cheeses. The soft fresh ones. Cottage, cream cheese, labaneh, and more.
The third is גְּבִינוֹת מְלוּחוֹת /g-vee-'not me-loo-'khot/. Salty cheeses. Bulgarian, feta, tzfatit.
And then there's one specific cheese called simply גְּבִינָה לְבָנָה /g-vee-'nah le-va-'nah/. White cheese. We'll get to that one in a minute, because it's not necessarily what you think it is.
Now look at almost any cheese package in Israel. Yellow, white, or salty, there's a big number on it. That's the fat percentage. Israelis don't ask for light cheese. They ask for the number.
Yellow Cheese in Israel: Why Everyone Asks for Emek
The most famous yellow cheese in Israel is called עֵמֶק /'e-mek/. It means valley. Generations of Israeli kids grew up with a slice of it in the sandwich in their school bag.
It's so famous that a lot of Israelis just ask for עֵמֶק /'e-mek/ when they mean yellow cheese. You'll see it at 28 percent, and lighter versions all the way down to 9 percent.
You can buy it sliced in a pack, as a whole block, or grated for pizza and pasta. Grated is מְגֻרֶּרֶת /me-goo-'re-ret/. Or you go to the deli counter and they slice it for you. And you'll hear something there all day long.
If you ask for the brand, the verb (sliced) is in masculine. 200 grams of Emek sliced thin: מָאתַיִם גְּרַם עֵמֶק פָּרוּס דַּק /ma-'ta-yeem g-'ram 'e-mek pa-'roos dak/.
If you ask for the cheese, the verb (sliced) is in feminine. 200 grams of yellow cheese sliced thin: מָאתַיִם גְּרַם גְּבִינָה צְהֻבָּה פְּרוּסָה דַּקָּה /ma-'ta-yeem g-'ram g-vee-'nah tse-hoo-'bah p-roo-'sah dak-'kah/.
Same cheese. Same counter. Israelis say it both ways.
Israeli White Cheese: Soft, Tangy, and Not Cream Cheese
Now the one you came for. גְּבִינָה לְבָנָה /g-vee-'nah le-va-'nah/.
It's soft, smooth, and spreadable, and it comes in a tub. Usually 5 percent fat.
It's not cream cheese. And it's not low fat cream cheese either. It's lighter, fresher, and a little tangy. Think of something between thick yogurt and cream cheese.
Israelis spread it on fresh bread with tomato and cucumber on the side. Some add salt and pepper. Some add olive oil. It's on every Israeli breakfast table and every hotel breakfast buffet.
And on שָׁבוּעוֹת /sha-voo-'ot/ Shavuot, it's what Israeli cheesecake is made of. That's why Israeli cheesecake is so much lighter than the cheesecake you know.
Right next to it you'll see גְּבִינָה בְּמִרְקַם שַׁמֶּנֶת /g-vee-'nah be-meer-'kam sha-'me-net/. Cheese with a cream texture. Same idea, smoother and richer.
The Rest of the White Cheese Family: Cottage, Labaneh, and Cream Cheese
Cottage. קוֹטֶג' /'ko-tej/. Israeli cottage cheese is a national treasure. In 2011 Israelis boycotted it over the price, and it became one of the most famous consumer protests in Israel's history.
Ask any Israeli living abroad what they miss, and cottage comes up fast. Not because you can't find cottage cheese anywhere else. Because it doesn't taste the same. No offense.
Labaneh. לַאבָּנֶה /'la-ba-neh/. Strained yogurt, thick, rich, and tangy. It's a food the whole region shares, and the name comes from Arabic. It comes plain, or topped with olive oil שֶׁמֶן זַיִת /'she-men 'za-yeet/, or with za'atar זַעְתָּר /'za-a-tar/, or both. You scoop it up with pita and you can't stop.
And cream cheese. גְּבִינַת שַׁמֶּנֶת /g-vee-'nat sha-'me-net/. The closest to what you know from home. It comes in full fat or light.
Salty Cheeses in Israel: Bulgarian, Feta, and Tzfatit
Now the salty ones. גְּבִינוֹת מְלוּחוֹת /g-vee-'not me-loo-'khot/.
Bulgarian cheese. בּוּלְגָּרִית /bool-ga-'reet/. White, salty, crumbly, and kept in brine. In summer it goes with one thing: ice cold watermelon. אֲבַטִּיחַ עִם בּוּלְגָּרִית /a-va-'tee-akh eem bool-ga-'reet/. If you've never had that on a hot day in Israel, you haven't had an Israeli summer.
Feta. פֶטָה /'fe-ta/. Creamier and milder than בּוּלְגָּרִית /bool-ga-'reet/ and often made from sheep or goat milk.
Tzfatit. צְפַתִּית /ts-fa-'teet/. Named after צְפַת /ts-'fat/ Safed, the city in the Galilee where it was first made. It's firm but soft, mild, and a little salty, and you'll see the pattern of the basket it was shaped in on the outside. Cut into cubes on the breakfast plate.
How to Read an Israeli Cheese Label
Here's what confuses people most. You found the cheese you want, and there are five versions of it on the shelf. These are the words that tell them apart.
- Sheep. כְּבָשִׂים /k-va-'seem/. Made from sheep milk. Stronger and richer. You'll see it a lot on בּוּלְגָּרִית /bool-ga-'reet/ and feta.
- Goat. עִזִּים /ee-'zeem/. Made from goat milk. A little tangier.
- Delicate. מְעֻדֶּנֶת /me-oo-'de-net/. The milder, smoother version. Less salt, less bite.
- Traditional. מָסָרְתִּית /ma-sor-'teet/. The original taste. Usually saltier and sharper.
- Classic. קְלָאסִית /k-'la-seet/. The standard version everyone knows.
- Reduced fat. מֻפְחֶתֶת שֻׁמָּן /moof-'khe-tet shoo-'man/. And next to it, that number again.
So when you see פֶטָה עִזִּים מְעֻדֶּנֶת /'fe-ta ee-'zeem me-oo-'de-net/, you know exactly what you're holding. Delicate feta made from goat milk. Mild and smooth.
And if you'd rather skip the label altogether, you can walk up to the deli counter and ask for it by name like a local.
Common Questions About Cheese in Israel
What's the difference between white cheese and yellow cheese in Israel?
Yellow cheeses, גְּבִינוֹת צְהֻבּוֹת /g-vee-'not tse-hoo-'bot/, are the hard and semi-hard ones you slice or melt, like Gouda, cheddar, and Emmental. White cheeses, גְּבִינוֹת לְבָנוֹת /g-vee-'not le-va-'not/, are the soft fresh ones, like cottage, cream cheese, and labaneh.
What is Israeli "white cheese" and is it the same as cream cheese?
No. גְּבִינָה לְבָנָה /g-vee-'nah le-va-'nah/ is soft, smooth, and spreadable, usually 5 percent fat and sold in a tub. It's lighter, fresher, and a little tangy, something between thick yogurt and cream cheese.
What does the big number on Israeli cheese packages mean?
It's the fat percentage. Israelis don't ask for "light" cheese, they ask for the number, and you'll find it on yellow, white, and salty cheeses alike.
What cheese do Israelis eat with watermelon?
Bulgarian cheese, בּוּלְגָּרִית /bool-ga-'reet/. It's white, salty, crumbly, and kept in brine, and ice cold watermelon with Bulgarian cheese is a classic Israeli summer pairing.
Why is Israeli cheesecake lighter than other cheesecakes?
On שָׁבוּעוֹת /sha-voo-'ot/ Shavuot, Israeli cheesecake is made from white cheese, גְּבִינָה לְבָנָה /g-vee-'nah le-va-'nah/, which is lighter and fresher than cream cheese.
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Cheese Isn't a Side Thing in Israel
In Israel cheese isn't a side thing. It's breakfast. And in many Israeli homes it's dinner too. A light dairy meal with fresh bread, a chopped salad, eggs, and a few of the cheeses you just met.
Now you can walk down that aisle and know every one of them by name.
Which one would you try first? Tell me in the comments.
And if you want to understand and say the words on that shelf, and everything around them, that's what my programs are built for. Practically Speaking Hebrew (online Hebrew course) is where the understanding and the speaking happens. Add Hebrew 1-2-3 and you'll read the labels too.
Learn about Practically Speaking Hebrew
Inbal Amit is a native Israeli Hebrew teacher, Amazon bestselling author, and the creator of Practically Speaking Hebrew - a speaking and understanding program built specifically for English speakers.