Picodon Cheese vs San Michali Cheese
Picodon Cheese is a homogeneous, smooth, and fine; can become crumbly if matured longer goat-milk cheese, while San Michali Cheese is compact, with very small irregular holes and made from cow milk, originating in Greece.
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 Is San Michali Cheese?
San Michali is a hard cow's milk cheese from the Greek island of Syros, aged at least four months. It carries PDO status, tastes salty and piquant, and is one of the most expensive cheeses in Greece.
What's the Difference Between Picodon Cheese and San Michali Cheese?
- Milk type: Picodon Cheese (Goat's milk), San Michali Cheese (Cow’s milk)
- Milk treatment: Picodon Cheese (Raw, non-standardized, unhomogenized), San Michali Cheese (Pasteurized)
- Texture: Picodon Cheese (Homogeneous, smooth, and fine; can become crumbly if matured longer), San Michali Cheese (Compact, with very small irregular holes)
- Rind: Picodon Cheese (Fine, lightly covered with uniform or speckled moulds), San Michali Cheese (Often covered with paraffin)
- Aging: Picodon Cheese (Marketed starting 12 days after renneting; 30 days for "matured and washed" or "matured using the Dieulefit method"), San Michali Cheese (At least four months)
- Taste: Picodon Cheese (Frank, capric with notes of nut and mushroom, occasional pungency), San Michali Cheese (Salty, peppery)
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Picodon Cheese | San Michali Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Country of Origin | — | Greece |
| Specific Origin | Ardèche And Drôme Regions, Including Parts Of Gard And Vaucluse | Island Of Syros |
| Milk Type | Goat's milk | Cow’s milk |
| Milk Treatment | Raw, non-standardized, unhomogenized | Pasteurized |
| Texture | Homogeneous, smooth, and fine; can become crumbly if matured longer | Compact, with very small irregular holes |
| Rind | Fine, lightly covered with uniform or speckled moulds | Often covered with paraffin |
| Aging | Marketed starting 12 days after renneting; 30 days for "matured and washed" or "matured using the Dieulefit method" | At least four months |
| Taste | Frank, capric with notes of nut and mushroom, occasional pungency | Salty, peppery |
Taste Comparison: Does Picodon Cheese Taste Like San Michali Cheese?
Picodon Cheese reads as frank, capric with notes of nut and mushroom, occasional pungency, while San Michali Cheese brings salty, peppery character. Aging plays into this as well. Picodon Cheese at marketed starting 12 days after renneting; 30 days for "matured and washed" or "matured using the dieulefit method" develops a different profile than San Michali Cheese at at least four months.
Can You Substitute Picodon Cheese for San Michali Cheese?
Picodon Cheese can stand in for San Michali Cheese in many dishes, but the switch will shift the overall character of the recipe. Expect homogeneous, smooth, and fine; can become crumbly if matured longer bite and body where the recipe calls for compact, with very small irregular holes. Flavor-wise, Picodon Cheese reads as frank, capric with notes of nut and mushroom, occasional pungency while San Michali Cheese brings salty, peppery notes.
Which Is Better, Picodon Cheese or San Michali Cheese?
There's no single winner. It depends on your recipe and the profile you want. If you want a homogeneous, smooth, and fine; can become crumbly if matured longer cheese, go with Picodon Cheese. For a compact, with very small irregular holes profile, San Michali Cheese is the better fit. Flavor-wise, Picodon Cheese suits recipes that want frank, capric with notes of nut and mushroom, occasional pungency notes, while San Michali Cheese fits dishes calling for salty, peppery.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Picodon Cheese the same as San Michali Cheese?
No, they're distinct cheeses. Picodon Cheese is made from goat milk; San Michali Cheese uses cow. Aging also differs: Picodon Cheese is typically aged marketed starting 12 days after renneting; 30 days for "matured and washed" or "matured using the dieulefit method", San Michali Cheese at least four months.
Is Picodon Cheese similar to San Michali Cheese?
Not closely. They use different milk bases and have distinct profiles.
Can I substitute Picodon Cheese for San Michali Cheese?
You can, but expect a shift in richness and milk character.
Does Picodon Cheese taste like San Michali Cheese?
Picodon Cheese reads as frank, capric with notes of nut and mushroom, occasional pungency, while San Michali Cheese is salty, peppery.
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".
What is San Michali Cheese made of?
San Michali Cheese is made from cow milk (pasteurized). It's typically aged at least four months. It originates in Greece.
Which should I choose, Picodon Cheese or San Michali Cheese?
It depends on the dish. The texture difference is the biggest practical tell. Picodon Cheese is homogeneous, smooth, and fine; can become crumbly if matured longer, while San Michali Cheese is compact, with very small irregular holes.