Argentine cheese
Argentina is a major cheese producer and sits among the top 10 in the world, as well as being the second-largest producer in Latin America. About 45% of the country’s milk goes into cheese, and Argentines are the biggest cheese lovers in Latin America, averaging around 12 kilograms per person each year.
Most cheese is made in the Pampas region, especially in Córdoba, Santa Fe, and Buenos Aires. In the 18th century, Tafí del Valle and Goya cheeses were created, making them some of the oldest cheeses in the Southern Cone. Tafí del Valle is the oldest, from the area that is now Tucumán; Goya comes from Corrientes.
Modern cheesemaking in Argentina grew with European immigration in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, especially from Italy, which brought new techniques and helped shape local cheeses. Popular Argentine cheeses include Reggianito, Sardo, Cremoso, Provoleta, and Pategrás.
The dairy industry is highly developed, and imports are relatively low, mainly coming from Brazil and Uruguay. Argentina exports most of its cheese to Brazil (about 43% of exports in 2011), followed by Venezuela, Russia, Mexico, Chile, and South Korea.
Cheese consumption and production rose in the 2000s. Production jumped from about 431,000 tonnes in 2001 to 508,000 tonnes in 2009, while per-capita consumption increased from about 8.3 kg in 2003 to around 12.4 kg in 2012.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 13:43 (CET).