Kasseri Cheese vs Pecorino Crotonese Cheese
Kasseri Cheese is a firm to hard goat and sheep-milk cheese from Greece, while Pecorino Crotonese Cheese is fresh - soft, regular, creamy; semi-hard - firm; ripened - slightly straw-colored, firm and made from sheep 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 Pecorino Crotonese Cheese?
Pecorino Crotonese is an Italian sheep's milk cheese and one of the pecorino varieties registered with the EU as a protected designation of origin. Pecorino is the family name for Italy's sheep's milk cheeses, and every region makes its own.
What's the Difference Between Kasseri Cheese and Pecorino Crotonese Cheese?
- Milk type: Kasseri Cheese (goat's and sheep's milk), Pecorino Crotonese Cheese (Whole sheep's milk)
- Milk treatment: Kasseri Cheese (Traditionally raw, increasingly pasteurized), Pecorino Crotonese Cheese (Raw, thermised, or pasteurised)
- Texture: Kasseri Cheese (Firm to hard), Pecorino Crotonese Cheese (Fresh - soft, regular, creamy; Semi-hard - firm; Ripened - slightly straw-colored, firm)
- Rind: Kasseri Cheese (Develops as ages), Pecorino Crotonese Cheese (Fresh - thin; Semi-hard - thick, light brown; Ripened - hard, brown, may be coated with olive oil or olive dregs)
- Aging: Kasseri Cheese (at least 3 months), Pecorino Crotonese Cheese (Fresh, semi-hard, ripened (more than six months for ripened))
- Taste: Kasseri Cheese (Rich), Pecorino Crotonese Cheese (Distinct, smooth, slightly tangy (fresh); Intense, well-balanced (semi-hard); Intense, distinct, slight piquant aftertaste (ripened))
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Kasseri Cheese | Pecorino Crotonese Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Country of Origin | Greece | — |
| Specific Origin | Thrace, Macedonia, Thessaly, Lesbos | Provinces Of Crotone, Catanzaro, And Cosenza |
| Milk Type | Goat's and sheep's milk | Whole sheep's milk |
| Milk Treatment | Traditionally raw, increasingly pasteurized | Raw, thermised, or pasteurised |
| Texture | Firm to hard | Fresh - soft, regular, creamy; Semi-hard - firm; Ripened - slightly straw-colored, firm |
| Rind | Develops as ages | Fresh - thin; Semi-hard - thick, light brown; Ripened - hard, brown, may be coated with olive oil or olive dregs |
| Aging | At least 3 months | Fresh, semi-hard, ripened (more than six months for ripened) |
| Taste | Rich | Distinct, smooth, slightly tangy (fresh); Intense, well-balanced (semi-hard); Intense, distinct, slight piquant aftertaste (ripened) |
Taste Comparison: Does Kasseri Cheese Taste Like Pecorino Crotonese Cheese?
Kasseri Cheese reads as rich, while Pecorino Crotonese Cheese brings distinct, smooth, slightly tangy (fresh); intense, well-balanced (semi-hard); intense, distinct, slight piquant aftertaste (ripened) character. On the nose, Kasseri Cheese offers flowery, contrasted with Pecorino Crotonese Cheese's light scent of sheep's milk mixed with hay, mature wild grasses, hazelnut, and smoke. More specifically, Kasseri Cheese shows rich, complex flavors, buttery texture, flowery aroma when aged. similar to asiago and parmigiano reggiano when aged 10+ months., while Pecorino Crotonese Cheese leans toward sheep's milk, hay, mature wild grasses, hazelnut, smoke. Aging plays into this as well. Kasseri Cheese at at least 3 months develops a different profile than Pecorino Crotonese Cheese at fresh, semi-hard, ripened (more than six months for ripened).
Can You Substitute Kasseri Cheese for Pecorino Crotonese Cheese?
Kasseri Cheese can stand in for Pecorino Crotonese 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 fresh - soft, regular, creamy; semi-hard - firm; ripened - slightly straw-colored, firm. Flavor-wise, Kasseri Cheese reads as rich while Pecorino Crotonese Cheese brings distinct, smooth, slightly tangy (fresh); intense, well-balanced (semi-hard); intense, distinct, slight piquant aftertaste (ripened) notes.
Which Is Better, Kasseri Cheese or Pecorino Crotonese 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 fresh - soft, regular, creamy; semi-hard - firm; ripened - slightly straw-colored, firm profile, Pecorino Crotonese Cheese is the better fit. Flavor-wise, Kasseri Cheese suits recipes that want rich notes, while Pecorino Crotonese Cheese fits dishes calling for distinct, smooth, slightly tangy (fresh); intense, well-balanced (semi-hard); intense, distinct, slight piquant aftertaste (ripened).
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kasseri Cheese the same as Pecorino Crotonese Cheese?
No, they're distinct cheeses. Kasseri Cheese is made from goat and sheep milk; Pecorino Crotonese Cheese uses sheep. Aging also differs: Kasseri Cheese is typically aged at least 3 months, Pecorino Crotonese Cheese fresh, semi-hard, ripened (more than six months for ripened).
Is Kasseri Cheese similar to Pecorino Crotonese Cheese?
Not closely. They use different milk bases and have distinct profiles.
Can I substitute Kasseri Cheese for Pecorino Crotonese Cheese?
You can, but expect a shift in richness and milk character.
Does Kasseri Cheese taste like Pecorino Crotonese Cheese?
Kasseri Cheese reads as rich, while Pecorino Crotonese Cheese is distinct, smooth, slightly tangy (fresh); intense, well-balanced (semi-hard); intense, distinct, slight piquant aftertaste (ripened). Aromas also diverge. Kasseri Cheese leans flowery, and Pecorino Crotonese Cheese is closer to light scent of sheep's milk mixed with hay, mature wild grasses, hazelnut, and smoke.
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 Pecorino Crotonese Cheese made of?
Pecorino Crotonese Cheese is made from sheep milk (raw, thermised, or pasteurised), using kid rennet pas rennet. It's typically aged fresh, semi-hard, ripened (more than six months for ripened).
Which should I choose, Kasseri Cheese or Pecorino Crotonese Cheese?
It depends on the dish. The texture difference is the biggest practical tell. Kasseri Cheese is firm to hard, while Pecorino Crotonese Cheese is fresh - soft, regular, creamy; semi-hard - firm; ripened - slightly straw-colored, firm.