Cabrales Cheese vs Pasta Filata Cheese
Cabrales Cheese is a unctuous, compact, no eyes cow-milk cheese from Spain, while Pasta Filata Cheese is soft, elastic and stringy, fibrous and made from cow or buffalo 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 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 Cabrales Cheese and Pasta Filata Cheese?
- Milk type: Cabrales Cheese (cow's milk), Pasta Filata Cheese (cow, water buffalo)
- Texture: Cabrales Cheese (unctuous, compact, no eyes), Pasta Filata Cheese (soft, elastic and stringy, fibrous)
- Aging: Cabrales Cheese (2 to 3 months), Pasta Filata Cheese (fresh for mozzarella, aged for provolone, caciocavallo and scamorza)
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Cabrales Cheese | Pasta Filata Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Country of Origin | Spain | — |
| Specific Origin | Asturias | Italy |
| Milk Type | Cow's milk | Cow, water buffalo |
| Milk Treatment | Unpasteurized | — |
| Texture | Unctuous, compact, no eyes | Soft, elastic and stringy, fibrous |
| Rind | Natural | — |
| Aging | 2 to 3 months | Fresh for mozzarella, aged for provolone, caciocavallo and scamorza |
| Taste | Intense, piquant | — |
Taste Comparison: Does Cabrales Cheese Taste Like Pasta Filata Cheese?
Their flavor profiles are distinct. Aging plays into this as well. Cabrales Cheese at 2 to 3 months develops a different profile than Pasta Filata Cheese at fresh for mozzarella, aged for provolone, caciocavallo and scamorza.
Can You Substitute Cabrales Cheese for Pasta Filata Cheese?
Cabrales Cheese can stand in for Pasta Filata 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 soft, elastic and stringy, fibrous.
Which Is Better, Cabrales Cheese or Pasta Filata 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 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 Cabrales Cheese the same as Pasta Filata Cheese?
No, they're distinct cheeses. Cabrales Cheese is made from cow milk; Pasta Filata Cheese uses cow or buffalo. Aging also differs: Cabrales Cheese is typically aged 2 to 3 months, Pasta Filata Cheese fresh for mozzarella, aged for provolone, caciocavallo and scamorza.
Is Cabrales Cheese similar to Pasta Filata Cheese?
Not closely. They use different milk bases and have distinct profiles.
Can I substitute Cabrales Cheese for Pasta Filata Cheese?
You can, but expect a shift in richness and milk character.
Does Cabrales 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 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 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, Cabrales Cheese or Pasta Filata Cheese?
It depends on the dish. The texture difference is the biggest practical tell. Cabrales Cheese is unctuous, compact, no eyes, while Pasta Filata Cheese is soft, elastic and stringy, fibrous.