Cabrales Cheese vs Ezine Peyniri Cheese

Cabrales Cheese is a unctuous, compact, no eyes cow-milk cheese from Spain, while Ezine Peyniri Cheese is semi-hard to firm and made from cow, goat, and sheep milk.

What Is Cabrales Cheese?

Cabrales is a blue cheese made by rural dairy farmers in the Asturias mountains of Spain, from raw cow's milk alone or blended with goat and sheep milk. It is known for its strong, sometimes sharply acidic flavor and for ripening in limestone caves.

What Is Ezine Peyniri Cheese?

Ezine peyniri is a matured full-fat white cheese from Çanakkale Province in Türkiye, made from a mix of goat, sheep and cow milk. It is one of the most popular white cheeses in the country and the first Turkish cheese to hold an EU geographical indication.

What's the Difference Between Cabrales Cheese and Ezine Peyniri Cheese?

• Milk type: Cabrales Cheese (cow's milk), Ezine Peyniri Cheese (Sheep, goat, and cow)
• Texture: Cabrales Cheese (unctuous, compact, no eyes), Ezine Peyniri Cheese (Semi-hard to firm)
• Aging: Cabrales Cheese (2 to 3 months), Ezine Peyniri Cheese (Minimum 8 months)
• Taste: Cabrales Cheese (Intense, piquant), Ezine Peyniri Cheese (Mild-sweet, salty, and sour)

Side-by-Side Comparison

Taste Comparison: Does Cabrales Cheese Taste Like Ezine Peyniri Cheese?

Cabrales Cheese reads as intense, piquant, while Ezine Peyniri Cheese brings mild-sweet, salty, and sour character. On the nose, Cabrales Cheese offers strong, contrasted with Ezine Peyniri Cheese's buttery, cooked milk. More specifically, Cabrales Cheese shows hints of hazelnuts, dark cocoa, sharp, metallic finish; intensely acid curd, while Ezine Peyniri Cheese leans toward buttery, cooked milk. Aging plays into this as well. Cabrales Cheese at 2 to 3 months develops a different profile than Ezine Peyniri Cheese at minimum 8 months.

Can You Substitute Cabrales Cheese for Ezine Peyniri Cheese?

Cabrales Cheese can stand in for Ezine Peyniri Cheese in many dishes, but the switch will shift the overall character of the recipe. Expect unctuous, compact, no eyes bite and body where the recipe calls for semi-hard to firm. Flavor-wise, Cabrales Cheese reads as intense, piquant while Ezine Peyniri Cheese brings mild-sweet, salty, and sour notes.

Which Is Better, Cabrales Cheese or Ezine Peyniri Cheese?

There's no single winner. It depends on your recipe and the profile you want. If you want a unctuous, compact, no eyes cheese, go with Cabrales Cheese. For a semi-hard to firm profile, Ezine Peyniri Cheese is the better fit. Flavor-wise, Cabrales Cheese suits recipes that want intense, piquant notes, while Ezine Peyniri Cheese fits dishes calling for mild-sweet, salty, and sour.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Cabrales Cheese the same as Ezine Peyniri Cheese?

No, they're distinct cheeses. Cabrales Cheese is made from cow milk; Ezine Peyniri Cheese uses cow, goat, and sheep. Aging also differs: Cabrales Cheese is typically aged 2 to 3 months, Ezine Peyniri Cheese minimum 8 months.

Is Cabrales Cheese similar to Ezine Peyniri Cheese?

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

Can I substitute Cabrales Cheese for Ezine Peyniri Cheese?

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

Does Cabrales Cheese taste like Ezine Peyniri Cheese?

Cabrales Cheese reads as intense, piquant, while Ezine Peyniri Cheese is mild-sweet, salty, and sour. Aromas also diverge. Cabrales Cheese leans strong, and Ezine Peyniri Cheese is closer to buttery, cooked milk.

What is Cabrales Cheese made of?

Cabrales Cheese is made from cow milk (unpasteurized), using kid rennet. It's typically aged 2 to 3 months. It originates in Spain.

What is Ezine Peyniri Cheese made of?

Ezine Peyniri Cheese is made from cow, goat, and sheep milk, using animal rennet. It's typically aged minimum 8 months.

Which should I choose, Cabrales Cheese or Ezine Peyniri Cheese?

It depends on the dish. The texture difference is the biggest practical tell. Cabrales Cheese is unctuous, compact, no eyes, while Ezine Peyniri Cheese is semi-hard to firm.