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A World of Cheese
America’s love for cheese is constant, like a fixed star. Cheese answers a call for comfort. It delivers flavor with a rich, satisfying mouthfeel. But there seems to be a hankering for something new, something beyond cheddar. Beyond mozzarella. Diners still want cheese, but some are stepping out—looking for something more exotic.
Consider Asiago, Gruyère, queso fresco and Manchego, to name a few. These cheeses, both domestically produced and imported, bring wonderful flavors and textures to the table.
The chefs we spoke to are passionate about ethnic cheeses, touting them for adding exotic flair to the menu in delicious, exciting ways.
At Pizzeria Piccola in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, Italian-style Asiago from a local producer is used in a number of dishes, including a grilled chicken panini. “Asiago melts in such a way that it doesn’t get oozy and runny. It stays on the sandwich,” says Zak Baker, sous chef at Ristorante Bartolotta, Pizzeria Piccola’s sister restaurant. “The panini is spread with a pesto mayonnaise, and the Asiago’s nuttiness works really well with the toasted nuts in the pesto.”
The restaurant also features the Asiago in its arugula salad, which sports arugula, romaine and mushrooms, as well as the cheese, finished with a lemon vinaigrette. “We wanted wispy curls of cheese on the salad, and Asiago doesn’t crumble—it still feels like a good, creamy cheese on the palette,” says Baker.
Randy Zweiban, chef/partner of Chicago’s Latin-themed Nacional 27, tops his chopped salad with manchego, a sheep’s milk cheese from Spain. The salad features chimichurri-marinated chicken, apple slices, Serrano ham and Manchego. “The cheese works so well here. You have the crisp, sweet apples, and you get the richness from the Serrano with the salty, richness from the Manchego,” he says.
The spinach salad with pistachios at Noche in Atlanta, Georgia, keeps its Latin vibe with cotija crumbled atop. “We wanted to keep the concept authentic, and this Mexican cheese worked best. It doesn’t get chalky, but it crumbles well. And it’s got a smooth texture with a good mouthfeel,” says Tom Catherall, CEO of Here to Serve, a restaurant group with six distinct concepts in the Atlanta area.
For its quesadilla, Noche combines two Mexican cheeses, queso blanco (queso fresco) and Oaxaca, with the American pepper Jack. “By using Mexican cheeses, we’re staying true to our concept. The queso blanco melts well and lends a mild, fresh flavor. And the Oaxaca gives a bit more texture and also melts well,” says Catherall. “We add the pepper Jack to spice it up a bit.”
At Ina’s in Chicago, chef/owner Ina Pinkney menu hass a Paris omelet, which features aged, domestic Gruyère. She cooks the egg in butter infused with Grey Poupon Classic Dijon. She then adds shaved ham and aged Gruyère. “I put it under the Salamander, then flip it. The flavor profile is elevated because of the cheese, and the mustard takes you to another place, adding that French feeling,” she says. “Aged Gruyère has a wonderful mouthfeel and meltability. And it brings more value to a menu when customers know they’re biting into a really good, quality cheese.”
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Asadero—also known as Oaxaca or Chihuahua. This cow’s milk cheese from Mexico has a mild flavor and a wonderful texture that makes it ideal for melting. Its profile is similar to a Monterey Jack cheese.
Asiago—semi-hard cow’s milk cheese. It is made both in Italy, deriving its name from a northern Italian city, but is also now produced in Wisconsin. Young Asiago, or Asiago pressato, is mild with a fresh, milky flavor. Aged Asiago (aged for more than a year) is sharper, with buttery, nutty flavor notes.
Bel Paese—an Italian cow’s milk cheese with a mild, fruity and buttery flavor. It has a light, milky aroma and is a good melting cheese, used sometimes as a substitute for mozzarella.
Cabrales—rough-rinded Spanish blue cheese. Cabrales is made from blended cow's, goat's and sheep's milk. It has a creamy texture with a piquant flavor, and offers a powerful bouquet.
Cotija—also known as queso añejado (aged cheese), this Mexican cheese is sometimes called the Parmesan of Mexico. It is salty and pungent, firm and perfect for grating. Cotija is typically shredded onto cooked foods, such as refried beans and chili. It’s also used as a garnish in salads.
Fontina—this Italian cheese is now also produced in other countries, including the U.S. This cow’s milk cheese is semi-soft with a delicate, nutty flavor. When melted, earthy overtones hit the palate. You’ll often see it featured on four-cheese pizzas.
Gruyère—named after a Swiss village, this firm, cow’s milk cheese is rich, sweet and earthy. It’s produced in Switzerland, France and the U.S., as well as a few other countries. Aged Gruyère has a firmer texture and more intense flavor. Gruyère is a wonderful melting cheese that offers both good stretch and flavor.
Manchego—this sheep’s milk cheese from Spain is now also produced in the U.S. It’s named for the Manchego sheep that grazed the plains of La Mancha, Don Quixote’s stomping grounds. This semi-firm cheese has a nutty, rich flavor, and varies in intensity depending on how long it has aged. It melts really well, but also tastes great raw.
Pecorino—the name given to all Italian cheeses made from sheep's milk. Pecorino Romano is the most common. This hard cheese is salty and fruity, and with age becomes more robust in flavor. It lends itself particularly well to grating, and is a good substitute for Parmesan cheese.
Queso Fresco—also known as queso blanco, this Mexican cheese is made from cow’s and goat’s milk. It’s a soft cheese, with a very mild, slightly acidic flavor. It softens, but doesn’t melt when heated.
Queso Iberico—this hard cheese from Spain is made from a combination of cow’s, sheep’s and goat’s milk. Its flavor reflects that blend and is mild, yet distinctive.
Tetilla—a pear-shaped Spanish semi-soft cheese with a lemony, mellow flavor. This cow’s milk cheese has a lovely creamy mouthfeel.
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