Cheese Of The Week: Mexican Queso Fresco

Queso Fresco simply means "fresh cheese" in Spanish, and that's what this cheese is. Pasteurized or unpasteurized milk is heated and curdled with an acid, not with rennet. This makes the milk proteins coagulate quickly and results in a grainy texture similar to that of ricotta cheese. The curds are packaged to be sold without any molding, bacterial action or aging.

Fresh cheeses just like this are made all over the world, the major difference being how much water is pressed out of the curds, and how much salt is added. What they share is a mild, crumbly texture and a fresh milky taste.

Queso Fresco will remind you of a creamy full-fat ricotta that has been pressed into a firm cake. For lovers of Indian food, it is reminiscent of paneer. Like paneer, it doesn't melt, and can be cut into cubes, fried, and served in a sauce as a vegetarian entree; but it's a little softer, a little creamier than the Indian cheese, and easier to find.

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