The Americas In
Latin America, (
Spanish) or (
Portuguese) refers to various white cheeses, with the specific type varying by region. is considered an easy cheese to make, as it requires no careful handling and does not call for
rennet or bacterial culture. It is usually made by heating whole fresh milk to near-boiling, adding an acidifying agent such as vinegar, stirring until curds form, then draining the curds in
cheesecloth for three to five hours. Such cheeses are also known as "bag cheeses", as the curds are normally hung in a bag of cheesecloth to drain. As it is highly perishable, it must be refrigerated or used immediately once the whey has drained out. and may be eaten alone or added to other dishes. They are often used as a topping for spicy Mexican dishes such as
enchiladas and
empanadas or crumbled over soups or salads. Meltable versions are used to make
quesadillas.
halloumi, If it is pressed, and more water is removed, it becomes known as . In regions such as Guerrero, Zacatecas, and San Luis Potosí, goat's milk
cuajada (curd) is utilized in desserts like
gorditas de cuajada and
panes de dulce. In Jalisco, where it is commonly known as
panela, this cheese variety is employed in crafting
pan de cuajada and
tamales de cuajada. Many
Mexican home cooks make their own instead of purchasing it; when made for the evening meal, it is often prepared in the early afternoon and left to drain until evening.
Dominican Republic In
Dominican Republic cuisine '''' is a firm, salty cheese used for frying: .
Nicaragua In
Nicaraguan cuisine, ''
is a firm cheese used for frying: . Cheese is one of the most popular dairy products in the daily diet. You can find various kinds, including cuajada fresca
(fresh curd), cuajada ahumada
(smoked curd) with and without chili, and cuajada ahumada
with spices. The smoking process varies. They shape small balls, put them on a wooden grill called tapezco
, and light a fire underneath using firewood that produces lots of smoke. Another way is to bake them in an oven for 10 minutes until they turn golden and get that smoky flavor. People enjoy these cheeses with güirila
or corn tortillas, or use them as fillings in tamales
. They also mix cheese into corn masa
in revueltas
and use it as a filling in griddled quesadillas
, or add rapadura de dulce
or sugar for fillings in oven-baked empanadas''.
Peru In
Peruvian cuisine, several recipes mix ''
and spices to make a spicy cold sauce eaten over peeled boiled potatoes, such as papa a la huancaína or ocopa''.
Puerto Rico In
Puerto Rican cuisine, '
is a firm cheese used for frying and typically paired with guava paste. The cheese also goes by ' and . Although still popular, it has been losing consumers due to higher-quality cheese becoming available on the island.
Venezuela Venezuelan cuisine has a large diversity of white cheese (''
), varying in texture and flavor, usually named after a geographical region. Examples include queso blanco duro
(hard white cheese called llanero
), queso semi-blando
(semi-soft cheese, called paisa
or palmita
), or very tender types like guayanés
cheese or queso de mano
. The hard version is grated as a side for the national dish pabellón'', and it's also used as a topping for pasta and as a filling for
arepas and
empanadas. The softer types are used as fillings for
arepas and
cachapas.
Eurasia and North Africa White cheese is a traditional food in
Balkan and
Middle eastern regions.
France and Belgium Fromage blanc is a fresh cheese from France and Belgium.
Greece Greece offers a range of white cheeses. Among these options are
feta, a brined curd cheese.
Manouri, a semi-soft, fresh white whey cheese, is crafted from goat and/or sheep milk whey remaining after cheese production.
Mizithra, another choice, is an unpasteurized fresh cheese. It's a Greek traditional delicacy made using milk and whey sourced from sheep and/or goats.
The Philippines In
Philippine cuisine,
kesong puti, a soft, white cheese, similar to
queso blanco and cottage cheese, is made from unskimmed carabao's milk, salt and rennet.
Portugal In
Portuguese cuisine, () refers to a popular mild, soft, creamy, white
unaged cheese used throughout the
Iberian Peninsula. In the
Azores '''' is typically served with the fresh pepper sauce .
Romania Caș is a type of semi-soft white fresh cheese made from sheep or cow milk, produced in Romania. Another type of white cheese traditionally made in Romania is
telemea, a salty variety, made of sheep or cow milk.
Turkey Beyaz peynir is a salty, white cheese made from unpasteurized sheep (or cow) milk. The cheese has a slightly grainy appearance and is similar to Greek
feta cheese.
Southeastern Europe Sirene, / Sirenje (Bulgarian: сирене, pronounced [ˈsirɛnɛ]; Macedonian: сирење, pronounced [ˈsireɲe]; Serbian/Croatian: сир, sir, Albanian: djath i bardhe) or known as "white brine sirene" (Bulgarian: бяло саламурено сирене, [ˈbjaɫo sɐɫɐˈmurɛno ˈsirɛnɛ]; is a type of brine cheese made in South-Eastern Europe, especially popular in Bulgaria, the Republic of North Macedonia and other Balkan countries. == References ==