White cheese

White cheeseincludes a wide variety of cheese types discovered in different regions, sharing the sole common characteristic of their white hue. The specific type of white cheese can vary significantly depending on the geographical location.
InLatin America,queso blanco(Spanish) orqueijo branco(Portuguese) refers to various white cheeses, with the specific type varying by region.
Queso blancois considered an easy cheese to make, as it requires no careful handling and does not call forrennetor bacterial culture. It is usually made by heating whole fresh milk to near-boiling, adding an acidifying agent such as vinegar, stirring until curds form, then draining the curds incheeseclothfor three to five hours. Such cheeses are also known as "bag cheeses," as the curds are normally hung in a bag of cheesecloth to drain. As it is highly perishable, it must be refrigerated or used immediately once the whey has drained out.
Queso blancoandqueso frescomay be eaten alone or added to other dishes. They are often used as a topping for spicy Mexican dishes such asenchiladasandempanadasor crumbled over soups or salads. Meltable versions are used to makequesadillas.It is used to makecheesecakein some parts of the world.
The following cheese names may refer toqueso blancoin the Spanish-speaking world or be considered similar to any of its local varieties:asadero,halloumi,Indianpaneer,farmer cheese,pot cheese,quarkfrom Central and Eastern Europe
InBrazilian cuisine, white cheese goes by the namequeijo branco(Portuguese pronunciation:[ˈkejʒuˈbɾɐ̃ku]).Minas cheese, a Brazilian cheese, is usually fresh.
On the Caribbean coast, the most popular cheese is salty and goes by "queso costeño." It can be either hard and salty or soft and low in salt. People mainly have it with breakfast, in dishes like "mote de queso," or grated in foods like arepas and bollos (especially the hard and salty kind). There's a variation known as "queso de capa de Mompós."
Mexican cuisine features two main variations of white cheese.queso blanco, traditionally made fromcow's milk, andqueso fresco(Spanish pronunciation:[ˈkesoˈfɾesko]), which may include a combination of cow's and goat's milk. While certain types likeOaxaca cheesemelt when heated, the majority simply become soft when exposed to heat.If it is pressed, and more water is removed, it becomes known asqueso seco.
In regions such as Guerrero, Zacatecas, and San Luis Potosí, goat's milkcuajada(curd) is utilized in desserts likegorditas de cuajadaandpanes de dulce.
In Jalisco, where it is commonly known aspanela, this cheese variety is employed in craftingpan de cuajadaandtamales de cuajada.
ManyMexicanhome cooks make their own instead of purchasing it; when made for the evening meal, it is often prepared in the early afternoon and left to drain until evening.
InDominican Republic cuisinequeso blancois a firm, salty cheese used for frying:queso frito.
InNicaraguan cuisine,queso blancois a firm cheese used for frying:queso frito. Cheese is one of the most popular dairy products in the daily diet. You can find various kinds, includingcuajada fresca(fresh curd),cuajada ahumada(smoked curd) with and without chili, andcuajada ahumadawith spices. The smoking process varies. They shape small balls, put them on a wooden grill calledtapezco, and light a fire underneath using firewood that produces lots of smoke. Another way is to bake them in an oven for 10 minutes until they turn golden and get that smoky flavor. People enjoy these cheeses withgüirilaor corn tortillas, or use them as fillings intamales. They also mix cheese into cornmasainrevueltasand use it as a filling in griddledquesadillas, or addrapadura de dulceor sugar for fillings in oven-bakedempanadas.
InPeruvian cuisine, several recipes mixqueso frescoand spices to make a spicy cold sauce eaten over peeled boiled potatoes, such aspapa a la huancaínaorocopa.
InPuerto Rican cuisine,queso blancois a firm cheese used for frying and typically paired with guava paste. The cheese also goes byqueso frescoandqueso blanco del país. Although still popular, it has been losing consumers due to higher-quality cheese becoming available on the island.
Venezuelan cuisinehas a large diversity of white cheese (quesos blancos), varying in texture and flavor, usually named after a geographical region. Examples includequeso blanco duro(hard white cheese calledllanero),queso semi-blando(semi-soft cheese, calledpaisaorpalmita), or very tender types likeguayanéscheese orqueso de mano. The hard version is grated as a side for the national dishpabellón, and it's also used as a topping for pasta and as a filling forarepasandempanadas. The softer types are used as fillings forarepasandcachapas.
Quark, a type of fresh cheese in  Central and Eastern Europe, is known by different names in various regions, such as twaróg (Polish), tvorog (Russian), topfen (Austrian), biezpiens (Latvian), and varškė (Lithuanian).
Domiati, a soft, white, salty cheese, is primarily produced in Egypt and some Middle Eastern countries.
Fromage blancis a fresh cheese from France and Belgium.
Greece offers a range of white cheeses. Among these options arefeta, a brined curd cheese.Manouri, a semi-soft, fresh white whey cheese, is crafted from goat and/or sheep milk whey remaining after cheese production.Mizithra, another choice, is an unpasteurized fresh cheese. It's a Greek traditional delicacy made using milk and whey sourced from sheep and/or goats.
Italy has a variety of white cheeses. Among them,Asiago cheeseis a cow's milk cheese known for its varying textures according to its aging, from smooth for the fresh Asiago (Asiago Pressato) to a crumbly texture for the aged cheese (Asiago d'allevo) of which the flavor is reminiscent of Parmesan. Another Italian cheese isMascarpone, a cheese made from cream, coagulated by the addition of citric acid or acetic acid.Mozzarella, originally from southern Italy, is a fresh cheese traditionally made from Italian buffalo and later cow's milk by the pasta filata method. There also isRicotta, a whey cheese made from sheep (or cow, goat, or Italian water buffalo) milk whey left over from the production of cheese.
InPhilippine cuisine,kesong puti, a soft, white cheese, similar toqueso blancoand cottage cheese, is made from unskimmed carabao's milk, salt and rennet.
InPortuguese cuisine,queijo fresco(Portuguese pronunciation:[ˈkeijʒuˈfɾeʃku]) refers to a popular mild, soft, creamy, whiteunaged cheeseused throughout theIberian Peninsula. In theAzoresqueijo frescois typically served with the fresh pepper saucepimenta de terra.
Cașis a type of semi-soft white fresh cheese made from sheep or cow milk, produced in Romania. Another type of white cheese traditionally made in Romania istelemea, a salty variety, made of sheep or cow milk.
Beyaz peyniris a salty, white cheese made from unpasteurized sheep (or cow) milk. The cheese has a slightly grainy appearance and is similar to Greekfetacheese.
Sirene, / Sirenje (Bulgarian: сирене, pronounced [ˈsirɛnɛ]; Macedonian: сирење, pronounced [ˈsireɲe]; Serbian/Croatian: сир, sir, Albanian: djath i bardhe) or known as "white brine sirene" (Bulgarian: бяло саламурено сирене, [ˈbjaɫo sɐɫɐˈmurɛno ˈsirɛnɛ]; is a type of brine cheese made in South-Eastern Europe, especially popular in Bulgaria, the Republic of North Macedonia and other Balkan countries.