Brick Cheese vs Kanternagelkaas Cheese

Brick Cheese is a semi-hard, smear-ripened cow-milk cheese from United States, while Kanternagelkaas Cheese is firm to hard and made from cow milk.

What Is Brick Cheese?

Brick cheese is a Wisconsin cheese pressed into brick shape and ripened on the surface with Brevibacterium linens. Young, it is sweet, mild and melts well; aged, it smells stronger and tastes nuttier. It is the traditional cheese on Detroit-style pizza.

What Is Kanternagelkaas Cheese?

Kanternagelkaas is a variant of Kanterkaas that includes cloves for additional flavor. It shares the same shape and texture as Kanterkaas, with a firm to hard consistency. The cheese has a fragrant, spiced, and sharp to strong taste, which intensifies with aging. Its color is uniform yellow-green, sometimes darker around the cloves, which are evenly distributed throughout. The rind is smooth, impervious, and may be natural or coated in colorless or yellow material. The cheese is made using pasteurized milk, with the cloves and salt added during production. It is ripened for at least four weeks.

What's the Difference Between Brick Cheese and Kanternagelkaas Cheese?

• Texture: Brick Cheese (semi-hard, smear-ripened), Kanternagelkaas Cheese (Firm to hard)
• Rind: Brick Cheese (washed), Kanternagelkaas Cheese (Natural or coated (colorless/yellow))
• Aging: Brick Cheese (Best enjoyed at between 10 and 12 weeks), Kanternagelkaas Cheese (Minimum 4 weeks)
• Taste: Brick Cheese (Sweet and mild when young, matures into strong, ripe cheese with age), Kanternagelkaas Cheese (Fragrant, spiced, sharp to strong (varies with age))

Side-by-Side Comparison

Taste Comparison: Does Brick Cheese Taste Like Kanternagelkaas Cheese?

Brick Cheese reads as sweet and mild when young, matures into strong, ripe cheese with age, while Kanternagelkaas Cheese brings fragrant, spiced, sharp to strong (varies with age) character. More specifically, Brick Cheese shows sweet and mild when unaged, nuttier with a stronger smell after aging, while Kanternagelkaas Cheese leans toward clove-flavored. Aging plays into this as well. Brick Cheese at best enjoyed at between 10 and 12 weeks develops a different profile than Kanternagelkaas Cheese at minimum 4 weeks.

Can You Substitute Brick Cheese for Kanternagelkaas Cheese?

In most recipes, Brick Cheese and Kanternagelkaas Cheese can be swapped with reasonable results. Both are cow-milk cheeses, so the base character carries over. Expect semi-hard, smear-ripened bite and body where the recipe calls for firm to hard. Flavor-wise, Brick Cheese reads as sweet and mild when young, matures into strong, ripe cheese with age while Kanternagelkaas Cheese brings fragrant, spiced, sharp to strong (varies with age) notes.

Which Is Better, Brick Cheese or Kanternagelkaas Cheese?

There's no single winner. It depends on your recipe and the profile you want. If you want a semi-hard, smear-ripened cheese, go with Brick Cheese. For a firm to hard profile, Kanternagelkaas Cheese is the better fit. Flavor-wise, Brick Cheese suits recipes that want sweet and mild when young, matures into strong, ripe cheese with age notes, while Kanternagelkaas Cheese fits dishes calling for fragrant, spiced, sharp to strong (varies with age).

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Brick Cheese the same as Kanternagelkaas Cheese?

No, they're distinct cheeses. Aging also differs: Brick Cheese is typically aged best enjoyed at between 10 and 12 weeks, Kanternagelkaas Cheese minimum 4 weeks.

Is Brick Cheese similar to Kanternagelkaas Cheese?

Somewhat. They share a cow-milk base but diverge in texture and flavor.

Can I substitute Brick Cheese for Kanternagelkaas Cheese?

You can, but expect a shift in bite and mouthfeel.

Does Brick Cheese taste like Kanternagelkaas Cheese?

Brick Cheese reads as sweet and mild when young, matures into strong, ripe cheese with age, while Kanternagelkaas Cheese is fragrant, spiced, sharp to strong (varies with age).

What is Brick Cheese made of?

Brick Cheese is made from cow milk. It's typically aged best enjoyed at between 10 and 12 weeks. It originates in United States.

What is Kanternagelkaas Cheese made of?

Kanternagelkaas Cheese is made from cow milk (pasteurized), using animal rennet. It's typically aged minimum 4 weeks.

Which should I choose, Brick Cheese or Kanternagelkaas Cheese?

It depends on the dish. The texture difference is the biggest practical tell. Brick Cheese is semi-hard, smear-ripened, while Kanternagelkaas Cheese is firm to hard.