Fourme de Montbrison Cheese vs Wagashi Cheese

Fourme de Montbrison Cheese is a dry, slightly rough cow-milk cheese from France, while Wagashi Cheese is compact and made from cow milk.

What Is Fourme de Montbrison Cheese?

Fourme de Montbrison is a cow's milk blue cheese from the Forez mountains in southern France, sold in tall cylinders with an orange-brown rind. It is extremely mild for a blue cheese, with a dry taste, and has held its own AOC since 2002.

What Is Wagashi Cheese?

Wagashi is a soft cow's milk cheese from northern Benin, sold in quantity in Parakou and across the West African savanna. It is mild in flavor and almost always cooked, usually in a sauce eaten with pounded yams or millet or maize pâte.

What's the Difference Between Fourme de Montbrison Cheese and Wagashi Cheese?

• Milk treatment: Fourme de Montbrison Cheese (Raw or Pasteurized), Wagashi Cheese (Heated)
• Texture: Fourme de Montbrison Cheese (Dry, slightly rough), Wagashi Cheese (Compact)
• Rind: Fourme de Montbrison Cheese (Fine orangey rind), Wagashi Cheese (red wax coating)
• Aging: Fourme de Montbrison Cheese (Minimum 28 days after renneting, longer for full maturation), Wagashi Cheese (Fresh or dried)
• Taste: Fourme de Montbrison Cheese (Mild, refined), Wagashi Cheese (mild)

Side-by-Side Comparison

Taste Comparison: Does Fourme de Montbrison Cheese Taste Like Wagashi Cheese?

Fourme de Montbrison Cheese reads as mild, refined, while Wagashi Cheese brings mild character. More specifically, Fourme de Montbrison Cheese shows dry texture, discreetly blue-veined, marbled aspect, while Wagashi Cheese leans toward consumed fried or cooked in sauces, rarely fresh. Aging plays into this as well. Fourme de Montbrison Cheese at minimum 28 days after renneting, longer for full maturation develops a different profile than Wagashi Cheese at fresh or dried.

Can You Substitute Fourme de Montbrison Cheese for Wagashi Cheese?

In most recipes, Fourme de Montbrison Cheese and Wagashi Cheese can be swapped with reasonable results. Both are cow-milk cheeses, so the base character carries over. Expect dry, slightly rough bite and body where the recipe calls for compact. Flavor-wise, Fourme de Montbrison Cheese reads as mild, refined while Wagashi Cheese brings mild notes.

Which Is Better, Fourme de Montbrison Cheese or Wagashi Cheese?

There's no single winner. It depends on your recipe and the profile you want. If you want a dry, slightly rough cheese, go with Fourme de Montbrison Cheese. For a compact profile, Wagashi Cheese is the better fit. Flavor-wise, Fourme de Montbrison Cheese suits recipes that want mild, refined notes, while Wagashi Cheese fits dishes calling for mild.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Fourme de Montbrison Cheese the same as Wagashi Cheese?

No, they're distinct cheeses. Aging also differs: Fourme de Montbrison Cheese is typically aged minimum 28 days after renneting, longer for full maturation, Wagashi Cheese fresh or dried.

Is Fourme de Montbrison Cheese similar to Wagashi Cheese?

Somewhat. They share a cow-milk base but diverge in texture and flavor.

Can I substitute Fourme de Montbrison Cheese for Wagashi Cheese?

You can, but expect a shift in bite and mouthfeel.

Does Fourme de Montbrison Cheese taste like Wagashi Cheese?

Fourme de Montbrison Cheese reads as mild, refined, while Wagashi Cheese is mild.

What is Fourme de Montbrison Cheese made of?

Fourme de Montbrison Cheese is made from cow milk (raw or pasteurized), using calf rennet. It's typically aged minimum 28 days after renneting, longer for full maturation. It originates in France.

What is Wagashi Cheese made of?

Wagashi Cheese is made from cow milk (heated), using calotropis procera latex rennet. It's typically aged fresh or dried.

Which should I choose, Fourme de Montbrison Cheese or Wagashi Cheese?

It depends on the dish. The texture difference is the biggest practical tell. Fourme de Montbrison Cheese is dry, slightly rough, while Wagashi Cheese is compact.