Kasseri Cheese vs Soft Cheese
Kasseri Cheese is a firm to hard goat and sheep-milk cheese from Greece, while Soft Cheese is spreadable, smooth to runny and made from cow, goat, or sheep milk.
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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 Soft Cheese?
Soft cheese is the moisture category at the wet end of the scale, holding 55 to 80 percent moisture against its dry weight. It covers soft-ripened cheeses like Brie and Camembert, some blue and pasta filata cheeses, and fresh cheeses, and it is known for being spreadable.
What's the Difference Between Kasseri Cheese and Soft Cheese?
- Milk type: Kasseri Cheese (goat's and sheep's milk), Soft Cheese (cow, goat, sheep)
- Texture: Kasseri Cheese (Firm to hard), Soft Cheese (spreadable, smooth to runny)
- Rind: Kasseri Cheese (Develops as ages), Soft Cheese (bloomy white mold rind, or washed)
- Aging: Kasseri Cheese (at least 3 months), Soft Cheese (unmatured to about 1 month)
- Taste: Kasseri Cheese (Rich), Soft Cheese (mild)
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Kasseri Cheese | Soft Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Country of Origin | Greece | — |
| Specific Origin | Thrace, Macedonia, Thessaly, Lesbos | — |
| Milk Type | Goat's and sheep's milk | Cow, goat, sheep |
| Milk Treatment | Traditionally raw, increasingly pasteurized | — |
| Texture | Firm to hard | Spreadable, smooth to runny |
| Rind | Develops as ages | Bloomy white mold rind, or washed |
| Aging | At least 3 months | Unmatured to about 1 month |
| Taste | Rich | Mild |
Taste Comparison: Does Kasseri Cheese Taste Like Soft Cheese?
Kasseri Cheese reads as rich, while Soft Cheese brings mild character. Aging plays into this as well. Kasseri Cheese at at least 3 months develops a different profile than Soft Cheese at unmatured to about 1 month.
Can You Substitute Kasseri Cheese for Soft Cheese?
Kasseri Cheese can stand in for Soft 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 spreadable, smooth to runny. Flavor-wise, Kasseri Cheese reads as rich while Soft Cheese brings mild notes.
Which Is Better, Kasseri Cheese or Soft 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 spreadable, smooth to runny profile, Soft Cheese is the better fit. Flavor-wise, Kasseri Cheese suits recipes that want rich notes, while Soft Cheese fits dishes calling for mild.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kasseri Cheese the same as Soft Cheese?
No, they're distinct cheeses. Kasseri Cheese is made from goat and sheep milk; Soft Cheese uses cow, goat, or sheep. Aging also differs: Kasseri Cheese is typically aged at least 3 months, Soft Cheese unmatured to about 1 month.
Is Kasseri Cheese similar to Soft Cheese?
Not closely. They use different milk bases and have distinct profiles.
Can I substitute Kasseri Cheese for Soft Cheese?
You can, but expect a shift in richness and milk character.
Does Kasseri Cheese taste like Soft Cheese?
Kasseri Cheese reads as rich, while Soft Cheese is mild.
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 Soft Cheese made of?
Soft Cheese is made from cow, goat, or sheep milk. It's typically aged unmatured to about 1 month.
Which should I choose, Kasseri Cheese or Soft Cheese?
It depends on the dish. The texture difference is the biggest practical tell. Kasseri Cheese is firm to hard, while Soft Cheese is spreadable, smooth to runny.