Kasseri Cheese vs Pasta Filata Cheese
Kasseri Cheese is a firm to hard 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 Kasseri Cheese?
Kasseri is a pale yellow, medium-hard to hard Greek cheese made from sheep milk with at most 20% goat's milk. It belongs to the pasta filata family and is best known as the cheese in saganaki and kasseropita.
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 Kasseri Cheese and Pasta Filata Cheese?
- Milk type: Kasseri Cheese (goat's and sheep's milk), Pasta Filata Cheese (cow, water buffalo)
- Texture: Kasseri Cheese (Firm to hard), Pasta Filata Cheese (soft, elastic and stringy, fibrous)
- Aging: Kasseri Cheese (at least 3 months), Pasta Filata Cheese (fresh for mozzarella, aged for provolone, caciocavallo and scamorza)
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Kasseri Cheese | Pasta Filata Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Country of Origin | Greece | — |
| Specific Origin | Thrace, Macedonia, Thessaly, Lesbos | Italy |
| Milk Type | Goat's and sheep's milk | Cow, water buffalo |
| Milk Treatment | Traditionally raw, increasingly pasteurized | — |
| Texture | Firm to hard | Soft, elastic and stringy, fibrous |
| Rind | Develops as ages | — |
| Aging | At least 3 months | Fresh for mozzarella, aged for provolone, caciocavallo and scamorza |
| Taste | Rich | — |
Taste Comparison: Does Kasseri Cheese Taste Like Pasta Filata Cheese?
Their flavor profiles are distinct. Aging plays into this as well. Kasseri Cheese at at least 3 months develops a different profile than Pasta Filata Cheese at fresh for mozzarella, aged for provolone, caciocavallo and scamorza.
Can You Substitute Kasseri Cheese for Pasta Filata Cheese?
Kasseri Cheese can stand in for Pasta Filata Cheese in many dishes, but the switch will shift the overall character of the recipe. Expect firm to hard bite and body where the recipe calls for soft, elastic and stringy, fibrous.
Which Is Better, Kasseri Cheese or Pasta Filata Cheese?
There's no single winner. It depends on your recipe and the profile you want. If you want a firm to hard cheese, go with Kasseri 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 Kasseri Cheese the same as Pasta Filata Cheese?
No, they're distinct cheeses. Kasseri Cheese is made from goat and sheep milk; Pasta Filata Cheese uses cow or buffalo. Aging also differs: Kasseri Cheese is typically aged at least 3 months, Pasta Filata Cheese fresh for mozzarella, aged for provolone, caciocavallo and scamorza.
Is Kasseri Cheese similar to Pasta Filata Cheese?
Not closely. They use different milk bases and have distinct profiles.
Can I substitute Kasseri Cheese for Pasta Filata Cheese?
You can, but expect a shift in richness and milk character.
Does Kasseri 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 Kasseri Cheese made of?
Kasseri Cheese is made from goat and sheep milk (traditionally raw, increasingly pasteurized), using natural rennet. It's typically aged at least 3 months. 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, Kasseri Cheese or Pasta Filata Cheese?
It depends on the dish. The texture difference is the biggest practical tell. Kasseri Cheese is firm to hard, while Pasta Filata Cheese is soft, elastic and stringy, fibrous.