Queso anejo is a hard Mexican cheese that melts well and can be crumbled onto dishes. It can be made with goat or cow’s milk, aged, and rolled in paprika. It has a salty flavor and can be substituted with feta or parmesan. Queso fresco is a milder alternative.
Queso anejo is a type of hard Mexican cheese that melts very well, leading people to use it in baked and grilled recipes. This cheese can also be crumbled onto dishes like enchiladas and tacos for added flavor. Many Mexican markets carry this cheese, and in areas where Mexican markets aren’t an option, some large supermarkets and grocery stores may stock it with their own ethnic ingredients. If a recipe calls for this cheese and you can’t find it, you can try using feta or parmesan as a substitute.
In Spanish “queso anejo” literally means “hard cheese”. It can be made with goat or cow’s milk, depending on the region, and the aging begins in a mold, to compact the cheese and ensure it is dense. Traditionally, this cheese is rolled in paprika to give it some bite and is heavily salted for storage.
Depending on the age of the queso anejo, it can be very crumbly or much thicker. Thicker cheeses can be grated for cooking, while smaller ones can be crumbled by hand. Either way, the cheese has a salty flavor and sharp bite, courtesy of the paprika and the aging process. However, the flavor of the cheese isn’t usually overly aggressive, unless it’s made with goat’s milk, in which case it can be a bit spicier.
When queso anejo is cooked with dishes like enchiladas, it tends to melt very evenly, distributing its flavor throughout the dish. When crumbled over finished dishes like tacos, the cheese retains its texture, melting a little on heat and adding a savory flavor with a hint of creaminess. Queso anejo can also be rolled into burritos, crumbled onto salads, or grilled with various foods, depending on the cook’s taste, and this cheese’s use is by no means limited to Latin American recipes.
For a milder version of queso anejo, cooks can try using queso fresco, or “fresh cheese,” which melts well and has a creamy flavor. Queso fresco is less salty, because it was designed to be used quickly and has a crumbly, loose texture that is generally very easy to work with. Both cheeses are used extensively in Latin America and the Caribbean in a huge assortment of recipes; If you’ve ever puzzled over the slightly dry, crumbly cheese in dishes from these regions, you’ve tasted this cheese.
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