Feta Cheese vs Montasio Cheese
Feta Cheese
Montasio Cheese
Feta Cheese is a soft, white, aged in brine goat and sheep-milk cheese from Greece, while Montasio Cheese is elastic to crumbly and hard and made from cow milk, originating in Italy.
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 Is Montasio Cheese?
Montasio is a cow's milk mountain cheese from Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Veneto in northeastern Italy, made on the Montasio plateau since 1200. It is semi-hard and creamy when young, and harder after longer aging.
What's the Difference Between Feta Cheese and Montasio Cheese?
- Origin: Feta Cheese (Greece), Montasio Cheese (Italy)
- Milk type: Feta Cheese (goat's and sheep's milk), Montasio Cheese (cow's milk)
- Milk treatment: Feta Cheese (Pasteurized, sometimes raw), Montasio Cheese (unpasteurized)
- Texture: Feta Cheese (Soft, white, aged in brine), Montasio Cheese (Elastic to crumbly and hard)
- Rind: Feta Cheese (None), Montasio Cheese (natural)
- Aging: Feta Cheese (2 months to longer), Montasio Cheese (Fresco: 60-120 days; Mezzano: 120 days-10 months; Stagionato: 10-18 months; Stravecchio: over 18 months)
- Taste: Feta Cheese (Sharp to mild), Montasio Cheese (Mild, creamy, and fruity to savory, piquant, with hints of spice)
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feta Cheese | Montasio Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Country of Origin | Greece | Italy |
| Specific Origin | Mainland Greece And Lesbos Prefecture | Fruili-Venezia Giulia And Parts Of Belluno, Treviso, Padua, And Venice In Veneto |
| Milk Type | Goat's and sheep's milk | Cow's milk |
| Milk Treatment | Pasteurized, sometimes raw | Unpasteurized |
| Texture | Soft, white, aged in brine | Elastic to crumbly and hard |
| Rind | None | Natural |
| Aging | 2 months to longer | Fresco: 60-120 days; Mezzano: 120 days-10 months; Stagionato: 10-18 months; Stravecchio: over 18 months |
| Taste | Sharp to mild | Mild, creamy, and fruity to savory, piquant, with hints of spice |
Taste Comparison: Does Feta Cheese Taste Like Montasio Cheese?
Feta Cheese reads as sharp to mild, while Montasio Cheese brings mild, creamy, and fruity to savory, piquant, with hints of spice character. On the nose, Feta Cheese offers ewe's milk, butter, yoghurt, contrasted with Montasio Cheese's aromatic, pleasant. More specifically, Feta Cheese shows sharp, dry, hard to mild, rich, creamy depending on production methods, breed of animals, season, and diet. can be tangy or creamy. flavors of sheep’s milk, grass, and clover. variety ranges from region to region, and producer to producer., while Montasio Cheese leans toward evolves from mild, creamy, and fruity to fuller, more savory and piquant, with hints of spice as it ages. Aging plays into this as well. Feta Cheese at 2 months to longer develops a different profile than Montasio Cheese at fresco: 60-120 days; mezzano: 120 days-10 months; stagionato: 10-18 months; stravecchio: over 18 months.
Can You Substitute Feta Cheese for Montasio Cheese?
Feta Cheese can stand in for Montasio Cheese in many dishes, but the switch will shift the overall character of the recipe. Expect soft, white, aged in brine bite and body where the recipe calls for elastic to crumbly and hard. Flavor-wise, Feta Cheese reads as sharp to mild while Montasio Cheese brings mild, creamy, and fruity to savory, piquant, with hints of spice notes.
Which Is Better, Feta Cheese or Montasio Cheese?
There's no single winner. It depends on your recipe and the profile you want. If you want a soft, white, aged in brine cheese, go with Feta Cheese. For a elastic to crumbly and hard profile, Montasio Cheese is the better fit. Flavor-wise, Feta Cheese suits recipes that want sharp to mild notes, while Montasio Cheese fits dishes calling for mild, creamy, and fruity to savory, piquant, with hints of spice.
Which is your favorite?
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Feta Cheese the same as Montasio Cheese?
No, they're distinct cheeses. Feta Cheese originates in Greece, while Montasio Cheese comes from Italy. Feta Cheese is made from goat and sheep milk; Montasio Cheese uses cow. Aging also differs: Feta Cheese is typically aged 2 months to longer, Montasio Cheese fresco: 60-120 days; mezzano: 120 days-10 months; stagionato: 10-18 months; stravecchio: over 18 months.
Is Feta Cheese similar to Montasio Cheese?
Not closely. They use different milk bases and have distinct profiles.
Can I substitute Feta Cheese for Montasio Cheese?
You can, but expect a shift in richness and milk character.
Does Feta Cheese taste like Montasio Cheese?
Feta Cheese reads as sharp to mild, while Montasio Cheese is mild, creamy, and fruity to savory, piquant, with hints of spice. Aromas also diverge. Feta Cheese leans ewe's milk, butter, yoghurt, and Montasio Cheese is closer to aromatic, pleasant.
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.
What is Montasio Cheese made of?
Montasio Cheese is made from cow milk (unpasteurized), using animal rennet. It's typically aged fresco: 60-120 days; mezzano: 120 days-10 months; stagionato: 10-18 months; stravecchio: over 18 months. It originates in Italy.
Which should I choose, Feta Cheese or Montasio Cheese?
It depends on the dish. The texture difference is the biggest practical tell. Feta Cheese is soft, white, aged in brine, while Montasio Cheese is elastic to crumbly and hard.