Blue Cheese vs Pasta Filata Cheese
Blue Cheese is a crumbly, creamy, semi-soft cow, goat, or sheep-milk cheese from France, while Pasta Filata Cheese is soft, elastic and stringy, fibrous and made from cow or buffalo milk.
What Is Blue Cheese?
Blue cheese is any cheese made with edible mold cultures that form blue-green spots and veins through the paste. It ranges from mild and slightly sweet to salty and sharp, and from almost liquid to hard.
What Is Pasta Filata Cheese?
Pasta filata is the Italian spun-curd technique behind mozzarella, provolone, caciocavallo and scamorza. Fresh curd is kneaded in hot water until it turns soft, elastic and stringy, which gives the finished cheese its fibrous structure.
What's the Difference Between Blue Cheese and Pasta Filata Cheese?
- Milk type: Blue Cheese (Cow, Sheep, Goat), Pasta Filata Cheese (cow, water buffalo)
- Texture: Blue Cheese (Crumbly, Creamy, Semi-Soft), Pasta Filata Cheese (soft, elastic and stringy, fibrous)
- Aging: Blue Cheese (Typically aged 2-6 months), Pasta Filata Cheese (fresh for mozzarella, aged for provolone, caciocavallo and scamorza)
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Blue Cheese | Pasta Filata Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Country of Origin | France | — |
| Specific Origin | — | Italy |
| Milk Type | Cow, Sheep, Goat | Cow, water buffalo |
| Milk Treatment | Pasteurized or Raw | — |
| Texture | Crumbly, Creamy, Semi-Soft | Soft, elastic and stringy, fibrous |
| Rind | Natural | — |
| Aging | Typically aged 2-6 months | Fresh for mozzarella, aged for provolone, caciocavallo and scamorza |
| Taste | Sharp, Tangy, Savory, Salty, Pungent | — |
Taste Comparison: Does Blue Cheese Taste Like Pasta Filata Cheese?
Their flavor profiles are distinct. Aging plays into this as well. Blue Cheese at typically aged 2-6 months develops a different profile than Pasta Filata Cheese at fresh for mozzarella, aged for provolone, caciocavallo and scamorza.
Can You Substitute Blue Cheese for Pasta Filata Cheese?
Blue Cheese can stand in for Pasta Filata Cheese in many dishes, but the switch will shift the overall character of the recipe. Expect crumbly, creamy, semi-soft bite and body where the recipe calls for soft, elastic and stringy, fibrous.
Which Is Better, Blue Cheese or Pasta Filata Cheese?
There's no single winner. It depends on your recipe and the profile you want. If you want a crumbly, creamy, semi-soft cheese, go with Blue Cheese. For a soft, elastic and stringy, fibrous profile, Pasta Filata Cheese is the better fit.
Which is your favorite?
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Blue Cheese the same as Pasta Filata Cheese?
No, they're distinct cheeses. Blue Cheese is made from cow, goat, or sheep milk; Pasta Filata Cheese uses cow or buffalo. Aging also differs: Blue Cheese is typically aged typically aged 2-6 months, Pasta Filata Cheese fresh for mozzarella, aged for provolone, caciocavallo and scamorza.
Is Blue Cheese similar to Pasta Filata Cheese?
Not closely. They use different milk bases and have distinct profiles.
Can I substitute Blue Cheese for Pasta Filata Cheese?
You can, but expect a shift in richness and milk character.
Does Blue Cheese taste like Pasta Filata Cheese?
They have distinct flavor profiles. The taste row in the table above is the best direct comparison.
What is Blue Cheese made of?
Blue Cheese is made from cow, goat, or sheep milk (pasteurized or raw), using traditional (animal rennet) or microbial (varies by producer) rennet. It's typically aged typically aged 2-6 months. It originates in France.
What is Pasta Filata Cheese made of?
Pasta Filata Cheese is made from cow or buffalo milk. It's typically aged fresh for mozzarella, aged for provolone, caciocavallo and scamorza.
Which should I choose, Blue Cheese or Pasta Filata Cheese?
It depends on the dish. The texture difference is the biggest practical tell. Blue Cheese is crumbly, creamy, semi-soft, while Pasta Filata Cheese is soft, elastic and stringy, fibrous.