Blue Cheese vs Wagashi Cheese

Blue Cheese is a crumbly, creamy, semi-soft cow, goat, or sheep-milk cheese from France, while Wagashi Cheese is compact and made from cow 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 Wagashi Cheese?

Wagashi is a soft cow's milk cheese from northern Benin, sold in quantity in Parakou and across the West African savanna. It is mild in flavor and almost always cooked, usually in a sauce eaten with pounded yams or millet or maize pâte.

What's the Difference Between Blue Cheese and Wagashi Cheese?

• Milk type: Blue Cheese (Cow, Sheep, Goat), Wagashi Cheese (Cow’s milk)
• Milk treatment: Blue Cheese (Pasteurized or Raw), Wagashi Cheese (Heated)
• Texture: Blue Cheese (Crumbly, Creamy, Semi-Soft), Wagashi Cheese (Compact)
• Rind: Blue Cheese (Natural), Wagashi Cheese (red wax coating)
• Aging: Blue Cheese (Typically aged 2-6 months), Wagashi Cheese (Fresh or dried)
• Taste: Blue Cheese (Sharp, Tangy, Savory, Salty, Pungent), Wagashi Cheese (mild)

Side-by-Side Comparison

Taste Comparison: Does Blue Cheese Taste Like Wagashi Cheese?

Blue Cheese reads as sharp, tangy, savory, salty, pungent, while Wagashi Cheese brings mild character. More specifically, Blue Cheese shows earthy, spicy, peppery, slightly sweet, umami, nutty, bitter, while Wagashi Cheese leans toward consumed fried or cooked in sauces, rarely fresh. Aging plays into this as well. Blue Cheese at typically aged 2-6 months develops a different profile than Wagashi Cheese at fresh or dried.

Can You Substitute Blue Cheese for Wagashi Cheese?

Blue Cheese can stand in for Wagashi 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 compact. Flavor-wise, Blue Cheese reads as sharp, tangy, savory, salty, pungent while Wagashi Cheese brings mild notes.

Which Is Better, Blue Cheese or Wagashi 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 compact profile, Wagashi Cheese is the better fit. Flavor-wise, Blue Cheese suits recipes that want sharp, tangy, savory, salty, pungent notes, while Wagashi Cheese fits dishes calling for mild.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Blue Cheese the same as Wagashi Cheese?

No, they're distinct cheeses. Blue Cheese is made from cow, goat, or sheep milk; Wagashi Cheese uses cow. Aging also differs: Blue Cheese is typically aged typically aged 2-6 months, Wagashi Cheese fresh or dried.

Is Blue Cheese similar to Wagashi Cheese?

Not closely. They use different milk bases and have distinct profiles.

Can I substitute Blue Cheese for Wagashi Cheese?

You can, but expect a shift in richness and milk character.

Does Blue Cheese taste like Wagashi Cheese?

Blue Cheese reads as sharp, tangy, savory, salty, pungent, while Wagashi Cheese is mild.

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 Wagashi Cheese made of?

Wagashi Cheese is made from cow milk (heated), using calotropis procera latex rennet. It's typically aged fresh or dried.

Which should I choose, Blue Cheese or Wagashi Cheese?

It depends on the dish. The texture difference is the biggest practical tell. Blue Cheese is crumbly, creamy, semi-soft, while Wagashi Cheese is compact.