Blue Cheese vs String Cheese
Blue Cheese is a crumbly, creamy, semi-soft cow, goat, or sheep-milk cheese from France, while String Cheese is semi-hard and made from cow milk.
What Is Blue Cheese?
Blue cheese is any cheese made with edible mold cultures that form blue-green spots and veins through the paste. It ranges from mild and slightly sweet to salty and sharp, and from almost liquid to hard.
What Is String Cheese?
String cheese is any cheese made so the milk proteins line up and the cheese peels into strings. In the United States that means snack sticks of low-moisture mozzarella, while versions from Mexico, Slovakia, Turkey and Armenia take other shapes.
What's the Difference Between Blue Cheese and String Cheese?
- Milk type: Blue Cheese (Cow, Sheep, Goat), String Cheese (cow's milk)
- Texture: Blue Cheese (Crumbly, Creamy, Semi-Soft), String Cheese (semi-hard)
- Aging: Blue Cheese (Typically aged 2-6 months), String Cheese (60 days for Georgian tenili)
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Blue Cheese | String Cheese | |
|---|---|---|
| Country of Origin | France | — |
| Milk Type | Cow, Sheep, Goat | Cow's milk |
| Milk Treatment | Pasteurized or Raw | — |
| Texture | Crumbly, Creamy, Semi-Soft | Semi-hard |
| Rind | Natural | — |
| Aging | Typically aged 2-6 months | 60 days for Georgian tenili |
| Taste | Sharp, Tangy, Savory, Salty, Pungent | — |
Taste Comparison: Does Blue Cheese Taste Like String Cheese?
Their flavor profiles are distinct. More specifically, Blue Cheese shows earthy, spicy, peppery, slightly sweet, umami, nutty, bitter, while String Cheese leans toward black cumin and mahleb seasoning in armenian chechil. Aging plays into this as well. Blue Cheese at typically aged 2-6 months develops a different profile than String Cheese at 60 days for georgian tenili.
Can You Substitute Blue Cheese for String Cheese?
Blue Cheese can stand in for String Cheese in many dishes, but the switch will shift the overall character of the recipe. Expect crumbly, creamy, semi-soft bite and body where the recipe calls for semi-hard.
Which Is Better, Blue Cheese or String Cheese?
There's no single winner. It depends on your recipe and the profile you want. If you want a crumbly, creamy, semi-soft cheese, go with Blue Cheese. For a semi-hard profile, String Cheese is the better fit.
Which is your favorite?
One click, anonymous. See what others chose.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Blue Cheese the same as String Cheese?
No, they're distinct cheeses. Blue Cheese is made from cow, goat, or sheep milk; String Cheese uses cow. Aging also differs: Blue Cheese is typically aged typically aged 2-6 months, String Cheese 60 days for georgian tenili.
Is Blue Cheese similar to String Cheese?
Not closely. They use different milk bases and have distinct profiles.
Can I substitute Blue Cheese for String Cheese?
You can, but expect a shift in richness and milk character.
Does Blue Cheese taste like String Cheese?
They have distinct flavor profiles. The taste row in the table above is the best direct comparison.
What is Blue Cheese made of?
Blue Cheese is made from cow, goat, or sheep milk (pasteurized or raw), using traditional (animal rennet) or microbial (varies by producer) rennet. It's typically aged typically aged 2-6 months. It originates in France.
What is String Cheese made of?
String Cheese is made from cow milk. It's typically aged 60 days for georgian tenili.
Which should I choose, Blue Cheese or String Cheese?
It depends on the dish. The texture difference is the biggest practical tell. Blue Cheese is crumbly, creamy, semi-soft, while String Cheese is semi-hard.