【3/4】Japanese Natural Cheese, Tasted and Reviewed (Hard & Semi-Hard Cheeses)

This post rounds up my notes on every hard and semi-hard Japanese natural cheese I've tried so far. These are honest, personal tasting notes rather than professional reviews, but I hope they're useful if you're exploring Japanese cheese yourself.

• Tenerello Shiralica（テネレロ・シラリカ）
• Gouda（ゴーダ）
• Pecorino Ishikarino（ペコリーノ・イシカリノ）
• Smoked Rakuka（スモーク・ラクカ）
• Tomu（トム）

11. Tenerello Shiralica（テネレロ・シラリカ）

Maker: Shiranuka Rakukeisha | Purchased: August 19, 2025 | Price: ¥821 for 110g (as of September 20, 2026, per this shop) | Website

Clean and mild, without much depth, and the salt is light. Probably about what you'd expect for the price. It's better than processed cheese, but not exceptional. A little underwhelming, honestly.

12. Gouda（ゴーダ）

Maker: Ashoro Cheese Workshop | Purchased: February 2024 (approximate) | Price: ¥1,420 (as of September 21, 2026, per the shop site) | Website

The flavour is thin. It has that hard-to-cut, processed-cheese feel. On bread, it barely registers. Eaten plain, it's a mild-flavoured cheese. I'm honestly not sure what to pair it with.

13. Pecorino Ishikarino（ペコリーノ・イシカリノ）

Maker: Arc Trade | Purchased: July 16, 2025 | Price: ¥984 | Website

This is a sheep's milk cheese made by Cheese Market, a specialty cheese shop in Sapporo. When I tried it in-store before, it felt a bit under-aged. This particular batch had less salt and stronger umami — the kind of pecorino you could easily eat a generous amount of.

14. Smoked Rakuka（スモーク・ラクカ）

Maker: Sarabetsu Cheese Workshop | Purchased: July 16, 2025 | Price: ¥1,672 | No dedicated website

True to its name, the smoky flavour is strong. A completely different character from something like Parmigiano. Distinctive and delicious. It's so firm that grating it is genuinely tiring on the hands. In a pasta sauce with eggplant, tomato, and ground meat, the smokiness disappears. Last time, I grated it over capellini and it was excellent that way.

15. Tomu（トム）

Maker: Tomita Farm | Purchased: February 15, 2024 | Price: ¥1,057 | Website

Doesn't really taste like a Gouda. It has a semi-hard feel, but it's easy to slice. The flavour is more like processed cheese — maybe because the one I bought was only aged 4 months? A bit underwhelming. It's in the Comté family, but this one is too young to compare fairly. I'd like to try the 12-month version.

• 【1/4】Japanese Natural Cheese, Tasted and Reviewed (Hard & Semi-Hard Cheeses)
• 【2/4】Japanese Natural Cheese, Tasted and Reviewed (Hard & Semi-Hard Cheeses)
• 【3/4】Japanese Natural Cheese, Tasted and Reviewed (Hard & Semi-Hard Cheeses)
• 【4/4】Japanese Natural Cheese, Tasted and Reviewed (Hard & Semi-Hard Cheeses)

This channel is run by a Japanese woman living in Japan, sharing a look at everyday Japanese food and culture. I hope it gives you some fun souvenir ideas and a few useful tips for everyday life along the way.