Feta Cheese vs Picodon Cheese
Feta Cheese is a soft, white, aged in brine goat and sheep-milk cheese from Greece, while Picodon Cheese is homogeneous, smooth, and fine; can become crumbly if matured longer and made from goat 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 Picodon Cheese?
Picodon is a small goat's milk cheese from the Rhône area of southern France, made mainly in the Ardèche and Drôme. Its name means spicy in Occitan, and it is known for a dry, fine paste that hardens and sharpens with age.
What's the Difference Between Feta Cheese and Picodon Cheese?
- Milk type: Feta Cheese (goat's and sheep's milk), Picodon Cheese (Goat's milk)
- Milk treatment: Feta Cheese (Pasteurized, sometimes raw), Picodon Cheese (Raw, non-standardized, unhomogenized)
- Texture: Feta Cheese (Soft, white, aged in brine), Picodon Cheese (Homogeneous, smooth, and fine; can become crumbly if matured longer)
- Rind: Feta Cheese (None), Picodon Cheese (Fine, lightly covered with uniform or speckled moulds)
- Aging: Feta Cheese (2 months to longer), Picodon Cheese (Marketed starting 12 days after renneting; 30 days for "matured and washed" or "matured using the Dieulefit method")
- Taste: Feta Cheese (Sharp to mild), Picodon Cheese (Frank, capric with notes of nut and mushroom, occasional pungency)
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feta Cheese | Picodon Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Country of Origin | Greece | — |
| Specific Origin | Mainland Greece And Lesbos Prefecture | Ardèche And Drôme Regions, Including Parts Of Gard And Vaucluse |
| Milk Type | Goat's and sheep's milk | Goat's milk |
| Milk Treatment | Pasteurized, sometimes raw | Raw, non-standardized, unhomogenized |
| Texture | Soft, white, aged in brine | Homogeneous, smooth, and fine; can become crumbly if matured longer |
| Rind | None | Fine, lightly covered with uniform or speckled moulds |
| Aging | 2 months to longer | Marketed starting 12 days after renneting; 30 days for "matured and washed" or "matured using the Dieulefit method" |
| Taste | Sharp to mild | Frank, capric with notes of nut and mushroom, occasional pungency |
Taste Comparison: Does Feta Cheese Taste Like Picodon Cheese?
Feta Cheese reads as sharp to mild, while Picodon Cheese brings frank, capric with notes of nut and mushroom, occasional pungency character. 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 Picodon Cheese leans toward nut, light notes of mushroom, occasional pungency, possible fermentative taste. Aging plays into this as well. Feta Cheese at 2 months to longer develops a different profile than Picodon Cheese at marketed starting 12 days after renneting; 30 days for "matured and washed" or "matured using the dieulefit method".
Can You Substitute Feta Cheese for Picodon Cheese?
Feta Cheese can stand in for Picodon 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 homogeneous, smooth, and fine; can become crumbly if matured longer. Flavor-wise, Feta Cheese reads as sharp to mild while Picodon Cheese brings frank, capric with notes of nut and mushroom, occasional pungency notes.
Which Is Better, Feta Cheese or Picodon 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 homogeneous, smooth, and fine; can become crumbly if matured longer profile, Picodon Cheese is the better fit. Flavor-wise, Feta Cheese suits recipes that want sharp to mild notes, while Picodon Cheese fits dishes calling for frank, capric with notes of nut and mushroom, occasional pungency.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Feta Cheese the same as Picodon Cheese?
No, they're distinct cheeses. Feta Cheese is made from goat and sheep milk; Picodon Cheese uses goat. Aging also differs: Feta Cheese is typically aged 2 months to longer, Picodon Cheese marketed starting 12 days after renneting; 30 days for "matured and washed" or "matured using the dieulefit method".
Is Feta Cheese similar to Picodon Cheese?
Not closely. They use different milk bases and have distinct profiles.
Can I substitute Feta Cheese for Picodon Cheese?
You can, but expect a shift in richness and milk character.
Does Feta Cheese taste like Picodon Cheese?
Feta Cheese reads as sharp to mild, while Picodon Cheese is frank, capric with notes of nut and mushroom, occasional pungency.
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 Picodon Cheese made of?
Picodon Cheese is made from goat milk (raw, non-standardized, unhomogenized), using small amount used, lactic coagulation rennet. It's typically aged marketed starting 12 days after renneting; 30 days for "matured and washed" or "matured using the dieulefit method".
Which should I choose, Feta Cheese or Picodon Cheese?
It depends on the dish. The texture difference is the biggest practical tell. Feta Cheese is soft, white, aged in brine, while Picodon Cheese is homogeneous, smooth, and fine; can become crumbly if matured longer.