🧀 Queso fresco
Also known as: Mexican fresh cheese
A soft, white, unripened Mexican cheese: milk is curdled with rennet or acid and drained. Spoils quickly.
Queso fresco (“fresh cheese”) is a soft, white, unripened cheese common in Mexico and other Latin American countries. It is made from cow’s milk (sometimes with some goat’s milk added): the milk is warmed and curdled — in some recipes with acid (lemon juice, vinegar) while heated almost to boiling, in others with rennet; the curd is drained, lightly salted and pressed into small rounds. The cheese is ready at once, with no ripening.
Queso fresco is moist, slightly salty, crumbly and milky in flavour. Because of its high moisture it spoils quickly and must be kept in the fridge. A close relative is queso blanco; in different regions these names are used for similar fresh white cheeses, and the line between them is blurred.
Queso fresco differs from bryndza and feta in not being aged in brine and in its milder taste. When heated it softens but hardly melts, so it is crumbled over tacos, enchiladas, beans and salads. Cheeses of this kind made from unpasteurised milk are linked to a risk of listeriosis, so pregnant women and children are advised to choose cheese made from pasteurised milk.
Composition per 100 g
| Fat | 23.8 g |
|---|---|
| Protein | 18.1 g |
| Carbohydrates | 2.98 g |
| Energy | 299 kcal |
| Calcium | 566 mg |
How it connects to milk
🧀 Queso fresco → made from → 🥛 Cow's milk → type of → 🥛 Milk
Links
- Made from
- 🥛 Cow's milk, 🥛 Goat's milk
- How it is made
- 🔄 Curdling
- Where it is traditional
- 🌍 Latin America
- Which peoples make it
- 🧑🤝🧑 Mexicans
- Product type
- 🏺 Traditional dairy products
- Part of
- 🧀 Cheese
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between queso fresco and feta?
Feta is an aged brined cheese made from sheep’s milk, while queso fresco is a fresh, unripened cheese, usually made from cow’s milk, softer and less salty.
Does queso fresco melt?
It softens when heated but hardly runs, so it is usually crumbled over finished dishes.
How long does queso fresco last?
It is a moist fresh cheese: usually only a few days or weeks in the fridge.
What to read next
- 🥛 Cow's milk — The most widespread milk in the world: versatile, inexpensive and the basis of almost all dairy products.
- 🧑🤝🧑 Mexicans — The people of Mexico in North America, with Spanish language and Indigenous traditions; their dairy staples are cajeta, queso fresco and Oaxaca cheese.
- 🔄 Curdling — Rennet coagulates casein into a curd (the basis of cheese).
- 🏺 Traditional dairy products — Products made for centuries to folk recipes: fermenting, cheesemaking, slow baking, drying. Tied to regions and peoples.
- 🥛 Goat's milk — Small fat globules and a different casein profile make it easier for many people to digest.
Similar
🧶 Oaxaca cheese · 🧀 Leipäjuusto · 🪭 Rushan · 🧀 Wagasi · 🧀 Monterey Jack · 🟫 Brunost
ℹ️ Dairy products contain lactose and milk proteins: if you are lactose intolerant or allergic to milk protein, ask a doctor.