As of January 2020, which animal’s milk is used to produce the world's most expensive cheese?

Selling for a staggering $600 (509 EUR) per pound (0.454 kg) in 2020, Pule, a crumbly white cheese, is not even available on the commercial market. The high price is attributed to the considerable time and resources needed for production. While most cheeses are made using cow, goat or sheep milk, Pule is made primarily from the milk of Balkan donkeys, native only to Serbia and Montenegro, and requires 6.6 gallons (25 liters) of milk to produce just one kilogram (2.2 pounds) of cheese.

The small herd of 130 milk-producing jennies is housed on a nature preserve in Zasavica. The donkeys must be milked by hand three times daily; however, each milking yields very little milk. Fifteen animals produce less than one gallon (3.7 liters) per day; which means the daily output of the entire herd is approximately 8.5 gallons (32 liters).

The combination of limited resources, and the amount of time involved in milking the donkeys and making the cheese, has made it the most expensive in the world. What makes the price even more amazing is the fact that Pule cheese is made from 60% Balkan donkey milk and 40% goat's milk.

Donkey milk contains 60 times the Vitamin C of cow’s milk, but only one percent of the fat content. It is often sought for its health and beauty benefits.

Coming in second is Moose cheese, which can run up to $500 (424 EUR) per pound (0.454 kg) depending on the variety.