Kasseri Cheese vs Tomme des Pyrénées Cheese
Kasseri Cheese is a firm to hard goat and sheep-milk cheese from Greece, while Tomme des Pyrénées Cheese is soft, melty, creamy, becomes firmer as it ripens and made from cow, goat, or 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 Tomme des Pyrénées Cheese?
Tomme des Pyrénées is a mild pressed cheese from the French Pyrenees, made from raw or pasteurized cow's milk. It is known for its supple paste, slightly salty taste, and the black or gold wax skin that covers many wheels.
What's the Difference Between Kasseri Cheese and Tomme des Pyrénées Cheese?
- Milk type: Kasseri Cheese (goat's and sheep's milk), Tomme des Pyrénées Cheese (Cow's milk, goat's milk, mixed milk (cow's milk with ewe's milk or goat's milk, goat's milk with ewe's milk))
- Milk treatment: Kasseri Cheese (Traditionally raw, increasingly pasteurized), Tomme des Pyrénées Cheese (Heat-treated or raw)
- Texture: Kasseri Cheese (Firm to hard), Tomme des Pyrénées Cheese (Soft, melty, creamy, becomes firmer as it ripens)
- Rind: Kasseri Cheese (Develops as ages), Tomme des Pyrénées Cheese (Orange with hints of white, yellow, or grey; black or gold coating for heat-treated milk cheeses)
- Aging: Kasseri Cheese (at least 3 months), Tomme des Pyrénées Cheese (Minimum ripening period varies from 21 to 90 days depending on weight and milk type)
- Taste: Kasseri Cheese (Rich), Tomme des Pyrénées Cheese (Varies from fresh whey aromas to more pronounced aromas)
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Kasseri Cheese | Tomme des Pyrénées Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Country of Origin | Greece | — |
| Specific Origin | Thrace, Macedonia, Thessaly, Lesbos | French Side Of The Pyrenees |
| Milk Type | Goat's and sheep's milk | Cow's milk, goat's milk, mixed milk (cow's milk with ewe's milk or goat's milk, goat's milk with ewe's milk) |
| Milk Treatment | Traditionally raw, increasingly pasteurized | Heat-treated or raw |
| Texture | Firm to hard | Soft, melty, creamy, becomes firmer as it ripens |
| Rind | Develops as ages | Orange with hints of white, yellow, or grey; black or gold coating for heat-treated milk cheeses |
| Aging | At least 3 months | Minimum ripening period varies from 21 to 90 days depending on weight and milk type |
| Taste | Rich | Varies from fresh whey aromas to more pronounced aromas |
Taste Comparison: Does Kasseri Cheese Taste Like Tomme des Pyrénées Cheese?
Kasseri Cheese reads as rich, while Tomme des Pyrénées Cheese brings varies from fresh whey aromas to more pronounced aromas character. On the nose, Kasseri Cheese offers flowery, contrasted with Tomme des Pyrénées Cheese's fresh whey to more pronounced aromas. 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 Tomme des Pyrénées Cheese leans toward not excessively bitter. Aging plays into this as well. Kasseri Cheese at at least 3 months develops a different profile than Tomme des Pyrénées Cheese at minimum ripening period varies from 21 to 90 days depending on weight and milk type.
Can You Substitute Kasseri Cheese for Tomme des Pyrénées Cheese?
Kasseri Cheese can stand in for Tomme des Pyrénées 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, melty, creamy, becomes firmer as it ripens. Flavor-wise, Kasseri Cheese reads as rich while Tomme des Pyrénées Cheese brings varies from fresh whey aromas to more pronounced aromas notes.
Which Is Better, Kasseri Cheese or Tomme des Pyrénées 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, melty, creamy, becomes firmer as it ripens profile, Tomme des Pyrénées Cheese is the better fit. Flavor-wise, Kasseri Cheese suits recipes that want rich notes, while Tomme des Pyrénées Cheese fits dishes calling for varies from fresh whey aromas to more pronounced aromas.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kasseri Cheese the same as Tomme des Pyrénées Cheese?
No, they're distinct cheeses. Kasseri Cheese is made from goat and sheep milk; Tomme des Pyrénées Cheese uses cow, goat, or sheep. Aging also differs: Kasseri Cheese is typically aged at least 3 months, Tomme des Pyrénées Cheese minimum ripening period varies from 21 to 90 days depending on weight and milk type.
Is Kasseri Cheese similar to Tomme des Pyrénées Cheese?
Not closely. They use different milk bases and have distinct profiles.
Can I substitute Kasseri Cheese for Tomme des Pyrénées Cheese?
You can, but expect a shift in richness and milk character.
Does Kasseri Cheese taste like Tomme des Pyrénées Cheese?
Kasseri Cheese reads as rich, while Tomme des Pyrénées Cheese is varies from fresh whey aromas to more pronounced aromas. Aromas also diverge. Kasseri Cheese leans flowery, and Tomme des Pyrénées Cheese is closer to fresh whey to more pronounced aromas.
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 Tomme des Pyrénées Cheese made of?
Tomme des Pyrénées Cheese is made from cow, goat, or sheep milk (heat-treated or raw), using coagulating enzyme (not limited to animal rennet) rennet. It's typically aged minimum ripening period varies from 21 to 90 days depending on weight and milk type.
Which should I choose, Kasseri Cheese or Tomme des Pyrénées Cheese?
It depends on the dish. The texture difference is the biggest practical tell. Kasseri Cheese is firm to hard, while Tomme des Pyrénées Cheese is soft, melty, creamy, becomes firmer as it ripens.