Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Types Of Mexican Cheeses

Cheese is a common ingredient in modern Mexican cooking. Cheeses from this region of the world come in a range of textures and tastes from light and creamy to hard and spicy.


Hard


Hard Mexican cheeses, also referred to as firm, are aged and mainly used as grated toppings for traditional dishes. Añejo Enchilado, Cotija and Manchego Viejo fall into this category.


Soft


Soft Mexican cheese is most commonly used for melting or for kneading into cheese balls. Añejo and Oaxaca are two popular soft Mexican cheeses.


Fresh


Fresh cheese is not aged. Blanco, Fresca and Requesón, the cheese used to fill enchiladas, are some of the cheeses in this group.


Semi-Hard


Edam, complete with small bits of meat, is considered a semi-hard queso. Manchego and Chiollo are also common cheeses in this distinction.








Semi-Soft


Asadero, or Mexican fondue cheese, falls into the semi-soft category. Also included are Chihuahua and traditional Jalapeno cheese.

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