Mexico has some of the finest cheeses worldwide. Queso Anejo is yet another name in the long list of its cheese marvels. This cheese utilizes skimmed goat or cow’s milk. It is an aged cheese with a firm texture.
Firm texture makes it an ideal choice for grating and shredding. A fresh one would crumble easily. However, if you are unlucky to not get your hands on this amazing cheese, try out some queso Anejo substitute.
The flavor of queso Anejo is sharp and salty owing to the aging process. Cheese is rolled in a spread of paprika which adds to the already sharp flavor. The cheese is not only tasty but also versatile. You can add it to enchiladas, salads, and burritos.
Are you looking for great baking or grilling cheese? Queso Anejo is your long-lost friend. It has good melting properties making it a top candidate in this domain. In enchiladas, melting cheese distributes throughout the dish. You can order this cheese online or try looking for it in the Mexican section in a grocery store.
Queso Anejo Substitutes
1) Feta
Feta is one of the best cheeses available. It is a white Greek cheese and only certain parts of Greece can produce this type. A special environment raises sheep and goats whose milk is necessary to produce this cheese.
It is a brined cheese with a soft texture. On touching, it is firm but becomes crumby on cutting. The cheese does not have any holes and has a sharp tangy, and salty flavor. Thus, the flavor profile resembles queso Anejo. When it comes to versatility, you could add Feta to omelets, sandwiches, and some grilled dishes. The cheese gives a lot of calcium.
2) Parmesan
Parmesan cheese has a sharp yet nutty flavor. It takes some time for the cheese to develop this taste. The cheese is popular for its hard and granular texture that makes it ideal for grating.
In the United States, you can never say whether a cheese with a label of Parmesan is genuine or not. The PDO has a say here just like Feta. A Parmesan cheese must be produced by cows taking food from fresh grass. The best version comes from Italy alone.
The taste is complimented by its versatility. Garnish it over pasta or soups. You could eat it as a snack and also add in mashed potatoes.
3) Pecorino Romano Cheese
This is a hard cheese made from sheep’s milk. The taste flavor is similar to Queso Anejo i.e., salty and sharp. The texture is crumby. You can grate the cheese and add it to pizza, pasta, and soups.
An umami flavor kicks in your mouth. Due to its saltiness, keep in mind the flavor while adding to a dish. If you want to give plain bread or potatoes a salty kick, sprinkle some pecorino romano. Pecorino is high in fat, calcium, and proteins. Thus, you could substitute Queso Anejo with this cheese.
4) Ricotta Salata
It is a type of ricotta cheese that is salty at a young age i.e., less than 5 weeks of age. Thus, young cheese is available for garnishing. The texture is creamy but is firm enough to be utilized for various purposes.
5) Cotija Cheese
Here’s a Mexican cheese you can consider adding in place of Queso Anejo. The flavor is salty and milky which means it is similar. Made from cow’s milk, it has a soft texture when fresh and hard on aging. Unlike Queso Anejo, it has poor melting characteristics. Thus, it is used as a finishing cheese. Such cheese is ideal for sprinkling. You could add it to enchiladas, beans, and tacos.
It is impossible to not fall for Mexican cheeses. However, it can be an equally daunting task to find it in grocery stores in the States and Europe. Queso Anejo has a sharp and salty flavor and requires a substitute close to this flavor profile.
Furthermore, a substitute cheese should be able to match its versatility. You could add feta, parmesan, ricotta salata, pecorino romano, or cojita to replace this taste. Thus, you should not worry if you could not find Queso Anejo as we have many other options. Make sure to keep the salt content in check while using either of these cheeses.