Hispanic cheeses

Apparently Hispanic cheeses are in...who woulda thunk?!!

The most popular cheese in Latin America are fresh, lighter colored cheeses with names such as "Queso Blanco", "Panela", "Queso Fresco", "Queso Del Pais", and "Queso Para Freir".

Here are the different types:

Queso Blanco
This mild tasting cheese is the most popular cheese South of the Border--both for snacking and cooking. It is wonderful to cook with because unlike American-type cheeses, it will become soft and creamy when heated, but will not melt!

Queso Blanco con FrutasTM --Pina y Mango--
The name of this cheese means "White Cheese with Fruit--Pineapple and Mango". This cheese is 25% lower in fat than common cheddar cheese because its loaded with fruit pieces.

Panela
The most popular fresh cheeses in Mexico. This cheese is mild, white, and crumbly. Like Queso Blanco it will not run when heated--it will get soft and creamy but will not lose its shape. The cheese is used in Mexico for many cooked dishes and is commonly crumbled over salads, tacos, chili and burritos.

Queso Para Freir
Very popular among people from the Caribbean. This cheese is used frequently for frying because it resists melting even more than Queso Blanco. In fact it is a variation of Queso Blanco that is similarly white and crumbly, but saltier.

Queso Fresco
Very popular among many people of Mexican descent due to its fine-grained texture. It is often used to crumble over salads or put in refried beans.


The cool thing about the "fresh" cheeses is the fact that they don't melt (yeah, weird, i know)


The second type of cheese are the types that melt. These include: "Queso Quesadilla", "Asadero", "Queso de Papa", "Oaxaca", and "Queso Para Derritier". These Hispanic cheeses melt without seperating into solids and oil.

Other types include hard cheeses and creams. Here's the link if you want to read up more about these cheeses.