Cheese Database

Kashkaval vs Kasseri

Kashkaval, field guide plate
Kashkaval, photographed

Kashkaval

Facts

Texture
Semi-hard
Type
Stretched curd
Rind
Natural rind
Country
Bulgaria

Kashkaval is a semi-hard cheese from Bulgaria, and it belongs to a wider Balkan family of stretched-curd wheels. The paste is pale yellow, dense, and smooth, with a natural rind on many wheels. Makers heat and stretch the curd, then press it into rounds, blocks, or tall cylinders. A young piece slices cleanly and melts well. An older piece turns drier and sharper, and it grates over hot food.

Kasseri

Facts

Milk
Mixed milk
Texture
Semi-hard
Type
Stretched curd
Rind
Natural rind
Country
Greece
Place
Macedonia, Thrace, Thessaly, Lesbos
Status
PDO

Kasseri is a semi-hard cheese from Greece, and the name is protected. It is made from sheep's milk, sometimes with a smaller share of goat's milk, in Macedonia, Thrace, Thessaly, and Lesbos. The paste is pale yellow, smooth, and springy, and it belongs to the stretched-curd family. A thin rind may form on the wheel. The taste is mild, buttery, and a little salty, and the cheese melts and fries well.