This time we will talk about the best substitute for Queso Fresco. This is a Mexican cheese made with cow’s milk or a combination of both. It’s delicious, light and perfect, usually if you buy it in the states, chances are you’ll find a pasteurized Queso Fresco type. So, it’s a bit difficult to find Queso Fresco unless you are familiar and know where it is.
The use of Queso Fresco is usually for several dishes such as salads, grilled vegetables, or to add to enchiladas. Queso Fresco is a popular type of cheese because it tastes sour and salty, it is soft and light and not too buttery.
It is a crumbly cheese, with a hard texture and when heated it does not melt like other cheeses. Now there has been a development where many types of cheese are being produced (because they are very popular) and you can find cheeses that melt when heated. In Mexican dishes, melted cheese is important to give the dish a creamy taste and texture. Usually, they use melted Queso Fresco cheese in dishes such as empanadas, enchiladas, and quesadillas. Also great as an addition to desserts like salsa and soups.
Queso Fresco cheese is very good when consumed fresh. If you leave it for tomorrow’s use, you should wrap it well and store it in the refrigerator. Queso Fresco cheese usually lasts in the refrigerator for two weeks. You can spend it little by little without having to spend it in a hurry. But if you don’t have Queso Fresco, we will provide some Queso Fresco substitutes for your cooking.
Actually, this article is talking about what are good ingredients as a substitute for Queso Fresco to add to your various dishes.
But before we get into the explanation, we need to know why Queso Fresco cheese is so popular and why you should try it or use it in dishes like empanadas. Here are some reasons why we chose to use Queso Fresco cheese instead of cottage cheese or goat cheese.
More: The 5 Amazing Cottage Cheese Substitutes
More: 14 Best Substitutes for Goat Cheese
Table of Contents
1. Queso Fresco Cheese is made from cow’s milk or a combination with goat’s milk
First of all the milk is heated, and soured by using lemon juice, you can use vinegar too. After being acidified, this material is stirred continuously until it reaches a thick consistency. Curd is dried using cheesecloth and the whey is separated, wait a few hours and the Queso Fresco cheese is ready to use.
2. Has fresh characteristics like milk
Another reason why we use Queso Fresco cheese is that it is simple and has refreshing characteristics. This cheese makes a great addition to a heavy meal or snack. The taste is also good and not too buttery.
3. Available in many types
There are several types of Mexican cheese, while Queso Fresco is the most popular and is known as a farmer’s cheese. While the other types are: Queso Panela, Queso Blanco, Cotija (this is what most people call or say with Mexican cuisine), and lastly is Queso Oaxaca cheese. The number of these variants according to their use. So, for some people, their use depends on what kind of dish they are making. For example Queso Panela, this is the best choice for grill cooking. There are also some who prefer to use Queso Oaxaca to bring the melt to their grilled dishes. So, there are many varieties and you can choose or try one of your favorite Mexican cheeses. This also led to a large stock of Mexican cheese on the market and increasingly popular.
Cheese is a great food and many people like it. Some of them add to the dish and some eat it as is. Well, for all my friends, if you want to try cheese with a different taste, and unique and delicious, you can try Mexican cheese, and find one variant that you like.
The Best Queso Fresco Substitutes
If you don’t want the furniture, Queso Fresco is easy to make at home. But for those of you who don’t want to bother with this, and don’t find it in stores or supermarkets, don’t worry. We’ve rounded up some of the best substitutes for Mexican cheese, specifically the Queso Fresco. Let’s see below, what are the substitutes you can try!
1. Feta Cheese
One of the substitutes for Mexican cheese is Feta Cheese. This is a Greek cheese that was popular centuries ago. Feta cheese is made from whole sheep’s milk without mixing with other milk, the taste is soft, and rich.
But now there are many types of feta cheese, some are made from goat’s milk and combined with sheep’s milk and some are whole with sheep’s milk. Feta is an essential Greek food, if you’re looking for Greek food, you’ll have a hard time finding one without cheese.
Feta cheese is often referred to as soft cheese, it is made from 60 or 45% of goat or sheep milk fat. The longer this cheese is stored the more salty it will taste, some people call it “pickles”.
Feta cheese has reached such a high point in Greece that they export very little cheese overseas. The rest is consumed by local people. Now many countries produce their own feta cheese so they can make it with different types of feta cheese. Because there are many who produce feta cheese, now this cheese is not only made from sheep’s milk, there is also made from cow’s milk, a combination of the two, skim milk and some also uses partially skimmed milk.
So because Greece only exports a small amount of feta cheese, then for those of us outside Greece it will be difficult to get real Greek feta cheese. If anything, it will also sell for a high price, which is why many people use imitation feta cheese which is cheap and easy to get.
2. Ricotta Cheese
Ricotta cheese is one of the best queso fresco substitutes. The word “Ricotta” means Re-cook. This is a cheese made from leftover whey and it is a real Italian cheese. The rest of this whey is whey from provolono cheese and from mozzarella cheese. The main ingredients can use cow’s milk, goat’s milk, Italian buffalo or use sheep’s milk.
Those who make cheese traditionally still produce this cheese. But those who have used the modern way, they have added many other ingredients to the ricotta cheese.
Many Italian dishes are loved for using this cheese such as pizza, cannoli, and lasagna. Ricotta cheese not only gives a great taste to the dish but is also rich in nutrients that provide many health benefits. To find out the health benefits of recotta cheese, let’s look at the nutrition of recotta cheese below.
Ricotta is a source of protein and carbohydrates that will provide you with energy throughout the day.
The cheese is a great source of calcium which is very important for bone health. consuming one serving of ricotta cheese already meets about 52% of daily calcium needs.
Ricotta cheese contains fatty acids that are good for heart health. It is a source of omega 3 fatty acids, omega 6 fatty acids.
Ricotta also contains vitamin A, said to be about 12% vitamin A from a cup of ricotta cheese. It also provides about 14% riboflavin, and contains 7% of vitamin B12.
Ricotta is also rich in minerals. One cup of ricotta provides 52% of the daily value of selenium, 40% of the daily value of phosphorus, and 20% of the daily value of zinc.
Those are some of the advantages of ricotta cheese and the reason why you can replace queso fresco cheese with ricotta cheese. In fact, ricotta cheese is the best substitute for queso fresco cheese.
3. Paneer
Paneer is one of the best cheeses to replace queso fresco. It is an Indian cheese and is made from cow’s milk or using buffalo milk. This milk is creamy, and delicious and is commonly found in Indian dishes such as curries. However, using this milk in cooking will make the aroma appear in the dish.
Paneer is widely used in countries in South Asia such as Bangladesh, Sri lanka, Afghanistan, Nepal and Pakistan.
Paneer also makes a great ingredient to use in samosas (partial fillings) or in other takeout dishes. paneer will be more delicious if it is cooked by combining it with spices. But does paneer have the same health benefits as ricotta cheese? True, paneer also has several benefits, including:
Rich in folate. Paneer is great for food for pregnant women and fetuses. Folate is a B complex vitamin that is rich in benefits, in addition to the health of pregnant women, it is also useful in producing red blood cells.
Rich in potassium. Paneer is a source of potassium which is important for a healthy body. Potassium stabilizes body fluids and manages blood pressure so it doesn’t cause heart problems.
Rich in calcium. Paneer is a calcium-rich food ingredient. One serving of paneer provides about 8% of the daily calcium requirement. Calcium is important for healthy teeth, muscles, heart, and nerve health so that our nerves continue to function properly.
Rich in protein and magnesium. Why should you choose paneer as the best substitute for queso fresco? The reason is that it is rich in magnesium and protein. The benefits of this nutrient are maintaining heart health, good for immunity, and normalizing blood sugar levels.
Contains phosphorus. It is a mineral that is good for body excretion, and can improve digestion. Magnesium is useful for preventing constipation and is laxative.
4. Farmer Cheese
In America, this cheese is not very popular but it is a very old food product. In some Eastern European cuisines, you can find the use of this farmer’s cheese. However, in recent years, farmer’s cheese has begun to improve and rise to more popularity because of advertising from Lifeway.
Farmer’s cheese has a soft texture and is easy to slice, it is delicious without added anything, or with added fruit or sugar. Farmer’s cheese is a great substitute for Mexican cheese or queso fresco in cheesecakes and lasagna. But you need to know that farmer’s cheese contains high amounts of fat. So, pay attention to the following explanation to understand well about farmer’s cheese.
- One ounce of farmer’s cheese contains 80 calories, the content is not always the same because it depends on the brand.
- One serving of farmer’s cheese contains 6 grams of total fat, 4 grams of saturated fat, and 15 mg of cholesterol.
- Per 1 ounce provides 6 grams of protein which is good for health.
- This cheese is very low in carbohydrates, in 1 ounce the carbohydrate content is less than 1%.
High in sodium. For one serving of cheese farmers provide sodium as much as 110 mg. There is also a low sodium farmer’s cheese and if you want this version, you can get a suitable one. Low sodium foods are good for avoiding high blood pressure.
Some recipes you should consider using farmer’s cheese in addition.
- Zucchini and Farmer’s Cheese Fritters
- Sun-Dried Tomato Tapenade
- Artisan Grilled Cheese with Spec and Arugula
- Fried and Stuffed Squash Blossoms
5. Tofu
Tofu is another option for those of you who can’t find Queso Fresco cheese. For vegetarians who want to use Mexican cheese or queso fresco, you have another more appropriate alternative, this is tofu. It is also a good source of protein and is very popular in Asia such as Malaysia, Indonesia and others.
The tofu texture varies, there are soft, hard and extra hard. Tofu is great to add to many dishes, be it a sweet dish or a savory dish. Tofu is also good if enjoyed by cooking in gravy, fried or dried. Fresh tofu is divided into three: Soft tofu, hard tofu and very hard tofu.
6. Cheese pot
If you see a cheese similar to cottage cheese, take another look because there are other cheeses that are very similar to cottage cheese. Pot Cheese is a cheese similar to cottage cheese that many misinterpret.
More: What Does Cottage Cheese Taste Like?
The difference between cottage and pot cheese is in terms of softness. The pot cheese is very soft compared to other cheeses. This is because the curd used in making pot cheese is not pressed and not dried. The texture is soft, dry and does not age. Pot cheese is usually used as a glaze and tastes somewhat similar to that of ricotta cheese.
Pot cheese is cheese that is produced by dairy companies and mostly from farms. Many people live in the city, so there are not many pot cheeses that produce it so supplies are very limited and now hard to find.
Indeed, pot cheese is not as famous as it used to be, but make no mistake, the health benefits of pot cheese are still quite good for health. Among the benefits of pot cheese are:
- Rich in calcium to strengthen bones
- treat stomach ulcers and aid digestion,
- Reduces the risk of heart disease because it is rich in vitamin B12,
- best source of protein,
- Helps to lose weight, because it is low in calories,
- Good for eye health and helps improve vision because it contains zinc and vitamin A,
- Good for pregnant women,
- Contains vitamin E
7. Monterey Jack’s Cheese
There is another best Queso Fresco Substitutes or Mexican cheese, this is Monterey Jack cheese. This is a cheese from America and has a great history. The name of this cheese “jack” is from the name of a corrupt landowner named “David Jack”.
In the 19th century, David Jack and a lawyer named Delos R. Ashley got a plot of land with an area of 30,000 hectares, this is land that was auctioned in Monterey. Then, David Jack maximized this land and made it a multiplier profit.
In the end, it imposes heavy taxes on those who rent it. Sometimes he made notices in English which confused Spanish farm owners. His land is everything: There is a vineyard, a cattle ranch, and so on.
Jack said that on his land there was everything he even made a white cheese called Queso Blanco Pais, this was made on Jack’s estate, this was a very popular cheese at that time. When California was ruled by Mexicans and Spaniards, this cheese was what California inherited. Jack then quickly recognized the potential for making big profits in marketing the cheese. Later, Jack started selling his cheese throughout Monterey with the label on the cheese “Jack Cheese”. Finally, this cheese is known as Monterey Jack’s Cheese.
