Cotija vs. Queso Fresco: Differences Between Mexican Cheeses

Cotija is a crumbly white cow’s milk cheese that gets its name from the town of Cotija in Michoacán, Mexico. It’s a staple of Mexican cuisine and appears as a topping for everything from nachos to enchiladas to elote (Mexican street corn). Cotija cheese can be aged anywhere from three months to a year. The longer the aging process, the saltier the flavor.

Since cotija is an aged, crumbly cheese with a sharp, salty, tangy flavor, it’s often called the parmesan of Mexico. That said, cotija’s intense saltiness actually gives it a much stronger flavor than Italian parmesan cheese. Cotija is a hard cheese with a crumbly texture, and as such, also shares flavor characteristics with Mexican queso añejo (“aged cheese”) as well as Greek feta cheese, and Italian Pecorino Romano and ricotta salata.

Queso fresco is another Mexican cheese traditionally made from raw cow’s milk, though it’s also sometimes created using a mixture of cow and goat’s milk. Queso fresco translates literally from the Spanish to “fresh cheese” and refers to a variety of soft and semi-soft white cheeses that are minimally aged and have a mild taste. The process for making queso fresco is in fact very similar to the method for making ricotta cheese. Queso fresco can be served immediately after being made or can be aged for several days.

Like cotija, queso fresco is typically used to finish Mexican dishes, whether sprinkled on tortillas as part of a taco plate, crumbled on top of a hearty side of refried beans. It can also fill tamales or black bean chiles rellenos. Central and South American dishes, like Colombian arepas, also make use of queso fresco.

Queso fresco is unaged, which lends it a soft, moist texture similar to crumbly, low-moisture mozzarella. While it does soften and even brown when heated, it’s not actually a melting cheese, so it’s not ideal for quesadillas. Use queso Oaxaca or Monterey Jack cheese for the filling and sprinkle some queso fresco on top.

Its mild, milky flavor makes it a refreshing counterpoint to the spicier elements of Mexican cuisine. Flavor-wise, queso fresco is mild, like Indian paneer, farmer’s cheese, cottage cheese, or mild goat cheese.

Cotija and queso fresco are often used similarly as garnishes and stuffings, but they differ in a few important ways.

• Taste: Queso fresco has a more mild flavor and is not nearly as salty as cotija, especially cotija that’s been aged for a long time.
• Texture: Queso fresco tends to be softer and moister than cotija, which is drier and has a firm texture.
• Ingredients: Queso fresco can be made from either cow’s milk or a combination of goat and cow milk, but cotija is generally only a cow’s milk cheese.
• Shelf life: Cotija has a much longer shelf life than queso fresco, which is usually past its prime after only a few days.

Both cotija and queso fresco are great finishing cheeses for savory dishes from wet burritos to enchiladas and tostadas, but it’s important to keep in mind how much saltier cotija is than queso fresco when making substitutions.

If you can’t find queso fresco in the grocery store, cotija is a good substitute, so long as you decrease the amount you plan to use. When substituting queso fresco for cotija, consider whether you may want to use more cheese, or add more salt to the dish. It’s hard to go wrong with either type of cheese, as long as you adjust the saltiness of the overall dish.

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