Feta Cheese vs Pasta Filata Cheese
Feta Cheese is a soft, white, aged in brine goat and sheep-milk cheese from Greece, while Pasta Filata Cheese is soft, elastic and stringy, fibrous and made from cow or buffalo milk.
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 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 Feta Cheese and Pasta Filata Cheese?
- Milk type: Feta Cheese (goat's and sheep's milk), Pasta Filata Cheese (cow, water buffalo)
- Texture: Feta Cheese (Soft, white, aged in brine), Pasta Filata Cheese (soft, elastic and stringy, fibrous)
- Aging: Feta Cheese (2 months to longer), Pasta Filata Cheese (fresh for mozzarella, aged for provolone, caciocavallo and scamorza)
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feta Cheese | Pasta Filata Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Country of Origin | Greece | — |
| Specific Origin | Mainland Greece And Lesbos Prefecture | Italy |
| Milk Type | Goat's and sheep's milk | Cow, water buffalo |
| Milk Treatment | Pasteurized, sometimes raw | — |
| Texture | Soft, white, aged in brine | Soft, elastic and stringy, fibrous |
| Rind | None | — |
| Aging | 2 months to longer | Fresh for mozzarella, aged for provolone, caciocavallo and scamorza |
| Taste | Sharp to mild | — |
Taste Comparison: Does Feta Cheese Taste Like Pasta Filata Cheese?
Their flavor profiles are distinct. Aging plays into this as well. Feta Cheese at 2 months to longer develops a different profile than Pasta Filata Cheese at fresh for mozzarella, aged for provolone, caciocavallo and scamorza.
Can You Substitute Feta Cheese for Pasta Filata Cheese?
Feta Cheese can stand in for Pasta Filata 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 soft, elastic and stringy, fibrous.
Which Is Better, Feta Cheese or Pasta Filata 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 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 Feta Cheese the same as Pasta Filata Cheese?
No, they're distinct cheeses. Feta Cheese is made from goat and sheep milk; Pasta Filata Cheese uses cow or buffalo. Aging also differs: Feta Cheese is typically aged 2 months to longer, Pasta Filata Cheese fresh for mozzarella, aged for provolone, caciocavallo and scamorza.
Is Feta Cheese similar to Pasta Filata Cheese?
Not closely. They use different milk bases and have distinct profiles.
Can I substitute Feta Cheese for Pasta Filata Cheese?
You can, but expect a shift in richness and milk character.
Does Feta 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 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 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, Feta Cheese or Pasta Filata Cheese?
It depends on the dish. The texture difference is the biggest practical tell. Feta Cheese is soft, white, aged in brine, while Pasta Filata Cheese is soft, elastic and stringy, fibrous.