Graviera substitute

Best substitute

Gruyere

Use the same amount as the graviera you are replacing

Best for saganaki

Close match

Gruyere is the closest substitute for graviera at 1:1, since graviera was created to be a Greek Gruyere. Young pecorino or a mild Manchego keeps the sheep's-milk sweetness, and kefalograviera works if you want the Greek saltiness. All three slice, fry and grate the way graviera does.

Other graviera substitutes

Ranked, with the exact amount to use

2Kefalograviera
Different taste
Use the same amount
The Greek hybrid cheese, made in the style of kefalotyri crossed with graviera, sold in most Greek delis.
What changes
Best for
saganaki, grating over pasta, baked dishes, cheese boards
Same country, same shelf, noticeably different cheese. Kefalograviera is drier, saltier and sharper, so a dish made with it tastes more aggressively savoury and needs no added salt. It is arguably the better choice for fried saganaki, and the weaker choice for eating in a wedge.
3Mild Manchego (semi-curado)
Different texture
Use the same amount
A Spanish sheep's-milk cheese with a firm sliceable body and the same sweet, slightly waxy character.
What changes
Best for
slicing, frying, cheese boards, salads, grating
The best swap for keeping the sheep's-milk sweetness, which is the thing Gruyere cannot give you. It is a little firmer and less melty, so in a baked pasta it softens rather than flowing. Avoid a heavily aged viejo Manchego, which turns peppery and dominates.
4Young pecorino (pecorino Toscano, not Romano)
Close match
Use the same amount
A softer, younger sheep's-milk pecorino, milky and mildly salty rather than harsh.
What changes
Best for
grating, cheese pies, baked pasta, salads
Close on flavour family, saltier on the palate. If your shop only has pecorino Romano, use about two thirds the amount, because Romano is aggressively salty and will swamp a mild dish like a cheese pie.
5Emmental
Taste and texture differ
Use the same amount
A mild, sweet Swiss cheese that melts more freely than graviera.
What changes
Best for
gratins, baked pasta, sandwiches, cheese sauces
Excellent melting behaviour but a much quieter flavour, so a bechamel-topped pastitsio comes out creamy and slightly bland. Add a couple of tablespoons of grated Parmesan or kefalotyri per cup to give it some backbone. Too soft for pan-fried saganaki.
6Aged Gouda
Different taste
Use the same amount
A firm, deeply aged Dutch cheese with crunchy tyrosine crystals and a butterscotch sweetness.
What changes
Best for
grating, cheese boards, baked dishes
It has the right firmness and even exaggerates graviera's sweet nuttiness, but the caramel note is strong and distinctly Dutch, so a Greek dish made with it tastes noticeably off-script. Best when graviera is a background grating cheese rather than the star.

What is Graviera?

Graviera is a firm Greek wheel cheese modelled on Swiss Gruyere, usually made from sheep's milk or a sheep and goat blend and aged several months until it is sweet, nutty and lightly salty, and its job is to melt and brown without going greasy, which is why it is the cheese for saganaki and the grated layer in pastitsio.

Cooking tips

Graviera's job is sweet nutty depth plus a firm body that browns, which is different from kasseri's stretchy melt. If a recipe wants long cheese pulls, graviera and its substitutes are the wrong family.
Graviera Kritis (from Crete) is the sheep's-milk version most recipes mean, while graviera from Naxos is made with cow's milk and tastes milder and sweeter. If a dish is meant to taste distinctly Greek, buy the Cretan one.
For saganaki, use a thick slab straight from the fridge, dampen it, flour it, and fry hot and fast. Graviera browns well but is drier than kasseri, so it can go rubbery if you cook it past about a minute a side.
Grate graviera on the coarse side of the box grater for pastitsio and moussaka, and on a microplane for finishing. The coarse shreds keep some bite under the bechamel instead of vanishing.
Wrap cut graviera in wax or parchment paper and then loosely in foil, not cling film. A firm sheep's-milk cheese sweats and turns slick in plastic.

Frequently asked questions

Is graviera the same thing as kefalograviera?

No, and the names cause a lot of confusion. Graviera is a Gruyere-style wheel, sweet and nutty. Kefalograviera is a hybrid made in the kefalotyri tradition and is markedly saltier, drier and sharper. They swap into each other in a pinch, but the finished dish will be noticeably saltier with kefalograviera.

What does graviera taste like?

Sweet, nutty and mildly salty, with a faint caramel note from ageing and a soft lanolin richness from the sheep's milk. It is often described as Greek Gruyere, which is fair, though graviera is sweeter and less earthy.

Can I use Parmesan instead of graviera?

For grating over pasta or into a pastitsio, yes, but use about two thirds as much. Parmesan is far saltier and more crystalline, so a straight one-to-one swap makes the dish salty and gritty rather than sweet and nutty. It will not work where the recipe wants slices that melt or fry.

Can I leave graviera out of pastitsio or a cheese pie?

You can reduce it, but not skip it, because it is providing both the savoury depth and part of the structure that holds a slice together. If you are short, make up the weight with any firm melting cheese you have and add a tablespoon of grated hard cheese for flavour.

What is the best graviera substitute for frying?

Kefalograviera, then kefalotyri, then Manchego. All are dry and firm enough to form a crust and stay in one piece. Skip Emmental and young Gouda for frying, as they soften too fast and spread across the pan.

Related substitutes

More cheese substitutes

Graviera substitute

Other graviera substitutes

2Kefalograviera

3Mild Manchego (semi-curado)

4Young pecorino (pecorino Toscano, not Romano)

5Emmental

6Aged Gouda