Kasseri Cheese vs Picodon Cheese
Kasseri Cheese is a firm to hard 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 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 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 Kasseri Cheese and Picodon Cheese?
- Milk type: Kasseri Cheese (goat's and sheep's milk), Picodon Cheese (Goat's milk)
- Milk treatment: Kasseri Cheese (Traditionally raw, increasingly pasteurized), Picodon Cheese (Raw, non-standardized, unhomogenized)
- Texture: Kasseri Cheese (Firm to hard), Picodon Cheese (Homogeneous, smooth, and fine; can become crumbly if matured longer)
- Rind: Kasseri Cheese (Develops as ages), Picodon Cheese (Fine, lightly covered with uniform or speckled moulds)
- Aging: Kasseri Cheese (at least 3 months), Picodon Cheese (Marketed starting 12 days after renneting; 30 days for "matured and washed" or "matured using the Dieulefit method")
- Taste: Kasseri Cheese (Rich), Picodon Cheese (Frank, capric with notes of nut and mushroom, occasional pungency)
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Kasseri Cheese | Picodon Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Country of Origin | Greece | — |
| Specific Origin | Thrace, Macedonia, Thessaly, Lesbos | Ardèche And Drôme Regions, Including Parts Of Gard And Vaucluse |
| Milk Type | Goat's and sheep's milk | Goat's milk |
| Milk Treatment | Traditionally raw, increasingly pasteurized | Raw, non-standardized, unhomogenized |
| Texture | Firm to hard | Homogeneous, smooth, and fine; can become crumbly if matured longer |
| Rind | Develops as ages | Fine, lightly covered with uniform or speckled moulds |
| Aging | At least 3 months | Marketed starting 12 days after renneting; 30 days for "matured and washed" or "matured using the Dieulefit method" |
| Taste | Rich | Frank, capric with notes of nut and mushroom, occasional pungency |
Taste Comparison: Does Kasseri Cheese Taste Like Picodon Cheese?
Kasseri Cheese reads as rich, while Picodon Cheese brings frank, capric with notes of nut and mushroom, occasional pungency character. 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 Picodon Cheese leans toward nut, light notes of mushroom, occasional pungency, possible fermentative taste. Aging plays into this as well. Kasseri Cheese at at least 3 months 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 Kasseri Cheese for Picodon Cheese?
Kasseri Cheese can stand in for Picodon 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 homogeneous, smooth, and fine; can become crumbly if matured longer. Flavor-wise, Kasseri Cheese reads as rich while Picodon Cheese brings frank, capric with notes of nut and mushroom, occasional pungency notes.
Which Is Better, Kasseri Cheese or Picodon 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 homogeneous, smooth, and fine; can become crumbly if matured longer profile, Picodon Cheese is the better fit. Flavor-wise, Kasseri Cheese suits recipes that want rich 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 Kasseri Cheese the same as Picodon Cheese?
No, they're distinct cheeses. Kasseri Cheese is made from goat and sheep milk; Picodon Cheese uses goat. Aging also differs: Kasseri Cheese is typically aged at least 3 months, Picodon Cheese marketed starting 12 days after renneting; 30 days for "matured and washed" or "matured using the dieulefit method".
Is Kasseri Cheese similar to Picodon Cheese?
Not closely. They use different milk bases and have distinct profiles.
Can I substitute Kasseri Cheese for Picodon Cheese?
You can, but expect a shift in richness and milk character.
Does Kasseri Cheese taste like Picodon Cheese?
Kasseri Cheese reads as rich, while Picodon Cheese is frank, capric with notes of nut and mushroom, occasional pungency.
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 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, Kasseri Cheese or Picodon Cheese?
It depends on the dish. The texture difference is the biggest practical tell. Kasseri Cheese is firm to hard, while Picodon Cheese is homogeneous, smooth, and fine; can become crumbly if matured longer.