Kasseri Cheese vs Wagashi Cheese

Kasseri Cheese is a firm to hard goat and sheep-milk cheese from Greece, while Wagashi Cheese is compact and made from cow 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 Wagashi Cheese?

Wagashi is a soft cow's milk cheese from northern Benin, sold in quantity in Parakou and across the West African savanna. It is mild in flavor and almost always cooked, usually in a sauce eaten with pounded yams or millet or maize pâte.

What's the Difference Between Kasseri Cheese and Wagashi Cheese?

• Milk type: Kasseri Cheese (goat's and sheep's milk), Wagashi Cheese (Cow’s milk)
• Milk treatment: Kasseri Cheese (Traditionally raw, increasingly pasteurized), Wagashi Cheese (Heated)
• Texture: Kasseri Cheese (Firm to hard), Wagashi Cheese (Compact)
• Rind: Kasseri Cheese (Develops as ages), Wagashi Cheese (red wax coating)
• Aging: Kasseri Cheese (at least 3 months), Wagashi Cheese (Fresh or dried)
• Taste: Kasseri Cheese (Rich), Wagashi Cheese (mild)

Side-by-Side Comparison

Taste Comparison: Does Kasseri Cheese Taste Like Wagashi Cheese?

Kasseri Cheese reads as rich, while Wagashi Cheese brings mild 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 Wagashi Cheese leans toward consumed fried or cooked in sauces, rarely fresh. Aging plays into this as well. Kasseri Cheese at at least 3 months develops a different profile than Wagashi Cheese at fresh or dried.

Can You Substitute Kasseri Cheese for Wagashi Cheese?

Kasseri Cheese can stand in for Wagashi 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 compact. Flavor-wise, Kasseri Cheese reads as rich while Wagashi Cheese brings mild notes.

Which Is Better, Kasseri Cheese or Wagashi 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 compact profile, Wagashi Cheese is the better fit. Flavor-wise, Kasseri Cheese suits recipes that want rich notes, while Wagashi Cheese fits dishes calling for mild.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Kasseri Cheese the same as Wagashi Cheese?

No, they're distinct cheeses. Kasseri Cheese is made from goat and sheep milk; Wagashi Cheese uses cow. Aging also differs: Kasseri Cheese is typically aged at least 3 months, Wagashi Cheese fresh or dried.

Is Kasseri Cheese similar to Wagashi Cheese?

Not closely. They use different milk bases and have distinct profiles.

Can I substitute Kasseri Cheese for Wagashi Cheese?

You can, but expect a shift in richness and milk character.

Does Kasseri Cheese taste like Wagashi Cheese?

Kasseri Cheese reads as rich, while Wagashi 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 Wagashi Cheese made of?

Wagashi Cheese is made from cow milk (heated), using calotropis procera latex rennet. It's typically aged fresh or dried.

Which should I choose, Kasseri Cheese or Wagashi Cheese?

It depends on the dish. The texture difference is the biggest practical tell. Kasseri Cheese is firm to hard, while Wagashi Cheese is compact.