Cream Cheese vs Feta Cheese
Cream Cheese
Feta Cheese
Cream Cheese is a fresh soft, processed cow-milk cheese from United States, while Feta Cheese is soft, white, aged in brine and made from goat and sheep milk, originating in Greece.
What Is Cream Cheese?
Cream cheese is a soft, mild fresh cheese made from milk and cream, sold unripened rather than aged. It began in Chester, New York in the 1870s and is best known as the spread on a bagel.
What Is Feta Cheese?
Feta is a Greek brined white cheese made from sheep's milk or a mix of sheep and goat's milk. It is crumbly and slightly grainy, tangy and salty, and it anchors dishes like Greek salad and spanakopita.
What's the Difference Between Cream Cheese and Feta Cheese?
- Origin: Cream Cheese (United States), Feta Cheese (Greece)
- Milk type: Cream Cheese (cow's milk), Feta Cheese (goat's and sheep's milk)
- Milk treatment: Cream Cheese (pasteurized or unpasteurized), Feta Cheese (Pasteurized, sometimes raw)
- Texture: Cream Cheese (fresh soft, processed), Feta Cheese (Soft, white, aged in brine)
- Rind: Cream Cheese (rindless), Feta Cheese (None)
- Aging: Cream Cheese (unripened, eaten fresh), Feta Cheese (2 months to longer)
- Taste: Cream Cheese (creamy, mild, sweet), Feta Cheese (Sharp to mild)
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Cream Cheese | Feta Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Country of Origin | United States | Greece |
| Specific Origin | Chester, New York, The U.S. | Mainland Greece And Lesbos Prefecture |
| Milk Type | Cow's milk | Goat's and sheep's milk |
| Milk Treatment | Pasteurized or unpasteurized | Pasteurized, sometimes raw |
| Texture | Fresh soft, processed | Soft, white, aged in brine |
| Rind | Rindless | None |
| Aging | Unripened, eaten fresh | 2 months to longer |
| Taste | Creamy, mild, sweet | Sharp to mild |
Pairing Comparison
What works with each cheese: wines, foods, breads and more.
| Cream Cheese | Feta Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Pairs well with | Ginger, Salmon, Seaweed, Shrimp, Cod, Green Tea | Albariño, Asparagus, Avocado, Cod, Dirty Martini, Green Tea, Kiwi, Kolsch, Kombucha, Mangoes, Muscat, Pesto and more |
Taste Comparison: Does Cream Cheese Taste Like Feta Cheese?
Cream Cheese reads as creamy, mild, sweet, while Feta Cheese brings sharp to mild character. On the nose, Cream Cheese offers fresh, pleasant, contrasted with Feta Cheese's ewe's milk, butter, yoghurt. Aging plays into this as well. Cream Cheese at unripened, eaten fresh develops a different profile than Feta Cheese at 2 months to longer.
Can You Substitute Cream Cheese for Feta Cheese?
Cream Cheese can stand in for Feta Cheese in many dishes, but the switch will shift the overall character of the recipe. Expect fresh soft, processed bite and body where the recipe calls for soft, white, aged in brine. Flavor-wise, Cream Cheese reads as creamy, mild, sweet while Feta Cheese brings sharp to mild notes.
Which Is Better, Cream Cheese or Feta Cheese?
There's no single winner. It depends on your recipe and the profile you want. If you want a fresh soft, processed cheese, go with Cream Cheese. For a soft, white, aged in brine profile, Feta Cheese is the better fit. Flavor-wise, Cream Cheese suits recipes that want creamy, mild, sweet notes, while Feta Cheese fits dishes calling for sharp to mild.
Which is your favorite?
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cream Cheese the same as Feta Cheese?
No, they're distinct cheeses. Cream Cheese originates in United States, while Feta Cheese comes from Greece. Cream Cheese is made from cow milk; Feta Cheese uses goat and sheep. Aging also differs: Cream Cheese is typically aged unripened, eaten fresh, Feta Cheese 2 months to longer.
Is Cream Cheese similar to Feta Cheese?
Not closely. They use different milk bases and have distinct profiles.
Can I substitute Cream Cheese for Feta Cheese?
You can, but expect a shift in richness and milk character.
Does Cream Cheese taste like Feta Cheese?
Cream Cheese reads as creamy, mild, sweet, while Feta Cheese is sharp to mild. Aromas also diverge. Cream Cheese leans fresh, pleasant, and Feta Cheese is closer to ewe's milk, butter, yoghurt.
What is Cream Cheese made of?
Cream Cheese is made from cow milk (pasteurized or unpasteurized), using animal (chymosin, pepsin, rennet) in canada rennet. It's typically aged unripened, eaten fresh. It originates in United States.
What is Feta Cheese made of?
Feta Cheese is made from goat and sheep milk (pasteurized, sometimes raw), using rennet. It's typically aged 2 months to longer. It originates in Greece.
Which should I choose, Cream Cheese or Feta Cheese?
It depends on the dish. The texture difference is the biggest practical tell. Cream Cheese is fresh soft, processed, while Feta Cheese is soft, white, aged in brine.