From elevating sandwiches to adding that oomph to your carefully curated party platters, a good cheese spread can be a game changer.
In order to find the Best Cheese Spread in India, we ordered tubs from five brands and reviewed them for taste, consistency, and spreadability. Go Cheese emerged as the Top Pick for its delicious cheesy flavor, how easily it spread, and the creaminess.
Crackers? Toasted bread slices? What did we use?
Our Review Factors
While finding the best cheese spread, the parameters we set were fairly simple. The flavor (also includes freshness), its consistency, and the spreadability were gauged and we rated the brands accordingly.
1. Flavor
Cheese can have some complex flavors. We were looking for a fresh-tasting cheese spread with a well-rounded saltiness that featured some creamy notes too.
Veggie sticks, plain crackers- would it pair well?
2. Texture
This includes consistency and spreadability. Was the cheese spread smooth and easy to spread? Or was it thick, had a granulated mouthfeel? Ultra runny or just right?
3. Other Parameters
The price, packaging, shelf life, and ingredients were also noted.
Plain Cheese Spread– Review Process
To test the five cheese spread brands, we followed a simple process. After the visual inspection, we tasted them with Parle Platina Nutricrunch Lite Crackers. These crackers are unsalted and unsweetened which provides a neutral base.
Tasting cheese back to back can be a bit overwhelming, which is why we retested these the next day.
Plain Cheese Spread– Detailed Review
The following section features our detailed experience with each brand. This is to help our readers understand better what makes our Top Pick the Top Pick.
1. Go Cheese – Mishry Top Pick
Taste & Texture
The innate flavor of cheese, the light sharpness, the mild creaminess were hands-down the best in Go Cheese. Moreover, it was the most prominent as compared to its contenders.
In addition to this, the texture was smooth and creamy. It wasn’t too solidified or runny, just right. This made applying the cheese spread on the crackers effortless.
This featured a comparatively deeper yellow hue and a lovely cheesy aroma.
Main Ingredients
Cheddar cheese (made from microbial enzyme), milk solids, emulsifier (INS 331, INS 339 (i), iodised salt, preservative (INS 200, INS 234).
Price & Packaging
A tub holding 200 grams is priced at Rs 99/- with a shelf life of nine months. The tub has a reclosable lid and was sealed with a sheet of foil/plastic.
- Most prominent flavor
- Smooth, creamy texture
- Very easy to apply
From your homemade sandwiches to mid-meal snacks, Go Cheese is the cheese spread we’d recommend to everyone.
2. Amul
Taste & Texture
Amul Cheese Spread had an appetizing salty flavor to it. The creamy flavor of cheese was quite prominent but relatively lower than our Top Pick. The consistency was fairly thick but the spread was flowy.
To put into perspective, it had a cheese dip-like consistency. Like the above contender, this was fairly effortless to apply.
With a similar cheesy aroma, this had a creamy white appearance.
Main Ingredients
Cheese, milk solids, emulsifying salt (452, 339, 331, 471), iodised salt, preservative (200, 234)
Price & Packaging
A 200-gram tub is priced at Rs 94/-. This has a nine month shelf life. The tub has bold white and orange graphics.
- Fairly good flavor
- Fresh aroma
- Creamy, easy to spread
If you’re looking for a thicker (read: hearty) cheese spread, we’d recommend the one by Amul.
3. Mother Dairy
Taste & Texture
First things first, this cheese spread had a more milky taste than cheesy. We also noticed a mild sweetness in the aftertaste. In terms of texture, this was not flowy. It was quite thick, chunky like softened, room temperate butter is.
It’s spreadibility was a notch lower than the first two contenders.
Main Ingredients
Cheese, water, milk solid, emulsifiers (INS 452 (i), INS 339 (iii), INS 331 (iii), iodised salt, stabilizer INS 412), preservative (INS 200), acidifying agent (INS 260), and sugar.
Price & Packaging
A 200-gram tub is priced at Rs 100/-. The tub is blue and round-shaped.
4. D’Lecta
Taste & Texture
There were many similarities between Mother Dairy and D’Lecta cheese spreads. The flavors were almost identical. More milky than cheesy with a sweet aftertaste. That said, D’Lecta had a slightly more prominent flavor of cheese.
The texture was quite like Mother Dairy’s, like butter at room temperature. It was thick and not flowy. In terms of spreadability, it was not really effortless, but manageable.
Main Ingredients
Cheese, water, milk solids, emulsifiers (INS 452 (i), INS 339 (iii), INS 331, preservative (INS 200), acidity regulator (INS 260, INS 270), sugar.
Price & Packaging
A 180-gram tub is priced at Rs 120/- with a 10-month shelf life.
5. Britannia
Taste & Texture
Processed cheese (cubes, slices, spreads, dips) are known to have a savory flavor profile. A sweet-tasting cheese spread isn’t something you’d expect.
But Britannia’s cheese spread wasn’t just the sweetest among all contenders, it did not have a prominent cheesy flavor profile. Thus, bringing it a level lower.
Thick and flowy, this had a mild yellow tinge but was primarily cream-colored.
Main Ingredients
Cheese, water, milk solids, emulsifiers (INS 452 (i), INS 339 (iii), INS 331 (iii), iodized salt, stabilizer INS 412, preservative (200), acidity regulator (INS 260).
Price & Packaging
A flat, rectangular tub holds 100 grams of the spread and is priced at Rs 75/-. It has a nine-month shelf life.
Our Top Picks & Recommendations
Why did we choose Go Cheese Spread as our Top Pick?
Go Cheese Spread showcased the most prominent flavor of cheese. The texture, mouthfeel, and spreadability were collectively appreciated by the review panel.
We Also Recommend Amul for rounded cheese flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some interesting FAQs on best cheese spread in India.
1. Will these cheese spreads remain fresh till it reaches the destinations?
Yes, absolutely. Cheese spreads and other dairy produce is always transported in a safe, suitable environment.
2. Do these cheese spreads require refrigeration?
Yes. All the cheese spreads need refrigeration.
3. Are these cheese spreads vegan?
No. These cheese spreads are made using dairy derived cheese and milk solids.
4. Do these cheese spreads contain preservatives?
Yes, all the above mentioned cheese spreads contain preservatives. Preservative 200 is often referred to as sorbic acid which inhibits yeast and mold growth. Preservative 234 (used in two brands) helps stop spoilage and pathogenic bacterial growth in cheeses.
5. Can these cheese spreads be spread over nachos also?
The flowy ones like Amul, Go cheese and Britannia can be used as a dip alongside nachos. You can drizzle it on top as well.
To Conclude
After multiple taste tests that spanned over two days, we chose the spread by Go Cheese as our Top Pick. The comparatively sharper flavor of cheese, consistency and spreadability are the reasons for the win.
Do you use a cheese spread? If yes, which one and why? Tell us down below.
Our reviews are unbiased and all samples used during the reviews were paid for by us. Read our entire ethics statement here.