Cheese Database

Afuega'l Pitu vs Fromage blanc

Afuega'l Pitu

Facts

Milk
Cow
Texture
Soft
Type
Fresh
Rind
No rind
Country
Spain
Place
Grado

Afuega'l Pitu is a soft cow's milk cheese from Grado, in northern Spain. Traditional batches use unpasteurized milk, while some dairies now sell a pasteurized cheese, so the label is worth a look. Makers shape it as a small truncated cone or as a round bundle drained in cloth. The white cheese stays plain, and the red cheese is worked with paprika before it is formed. In Asturian speech, the name refers to a paste that can stick in the throat.

Fromage blanc, field guide plate
Fromage blanc, photographed

Fromage blanc

Facts

Milk
Cow
Texture
Fresh
Type
Fresh
Rind
No rind
Country
France

Fromage blanc is a fresh cow's milk cheese from France, soft and white, with no rind and no aging. The name means white cheese, and the body is smooth enough to eat with a spoon. Makers set the milk with lactic cultures, then drain the whey until the curd is thick but still moist. A plain pot tastes mildly tangy, like cultured cream that has been lightly soured. It belongs with yogurt and quark, not with pressed wheels that sit on a board for a long time.