How to Spot Raw Cheese at Costco

If the thought of raw dairy is frightening to you, I have some news to share. You’ve probably consumed it several times and don’t even realize it. And look. You are just fine. Must I point out that the last listeria outbreak was due to peaches, plums, and nectarine? So stop being a raw dairy wuss.

I used to think that I had to live a dairy-free life to look and feel my best. But ever since I let raw dairy into my life, I realize that that belief was the furthest from the truth. Raw dairy is delicious and highly beneficial to your gut microbiome because of the diverse probiotic cultures that are kept intact.

My favorite raw cheeses that I bet you didn’t know were raw are Roquefort (French sheep’s milk blue cheese), Gruyere, and Pecorino-Romano. A real Parmigiano-Reggiano is raw. I have bought all of these cheeses at Costco at some point in time.

If you’re getting your cheese from Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s they clearly label the cheeses with “raw milk” listed first in the ingredients. For whatever reason Costco does not do that. You just have to know, and this is how you’ll know:

If it’s a pasteurized cheese, the label will say, “pasteurized cow’s milk” or “pasteurized sheep’s milk.” If it’s a raw cheese, it will simply say, “sheep’s milk” or “cow’s milk”.

Now you know.

Love,

Anaïs