What is the healthiest cheese? What is the best cheese for pizza? Cheese varieties

Are you delighted with the delicate taste of cheesecake, but do not know how to cook it yourself? Well, then this article is for you! Star hour has come! Here we will tell you how to replace the famous American Philadelphia cheese, which is used to make cheesecakes. Which cheese for cheesecake is better to choose and how to cook it at home, you will learn in this article.

What is a cheesecake?

The English word "cheesecake" is a combination of the words "cheese" (cheese), that is, cheese, and "cake" (cake), that is, cake. This dessert is a traditional sweet for Europeans and Americans, and tastes like a cross between a casserole and a soufflé. What cheese is cheesecake made from? For cooking, they use a special cheese for cheesecake - "Philadelphia", mixing with eggs, sugar, cream and adding fruit. All this delicate creamy mass is spread on a layer of cookies and decorated with chocolate, berries, fruits and other ways.

According to the English recipe, cheesecake is a dessert that is served cold. The bottom layer is crushed cookies mixed with butter and formed into a single cake. The filling is prepared from milk, cream, sugar and cheese for cheesecake is added, sometimes gelatin is also used.

What kind of cheese is needed for a cheesecake? Philadelphia!


"Philadelphia" is the name of a popular American cheesecake cream cheese made by Kraft Foods. This product has been produced since 1872, and takes its name from the city of Philadelphia, which was then the center of quality products.

Thanks to its creamy texture, Philadelphia cheese spreads well, replacing sour cream or mayonnaise in various recipes, such as salads, creamy soups, rolls, various sauces and more. The salty taste of cheese is interrupted by sugar.

What cream cheese for cheesecake will replace Philadelphia?


Philadelphia cheese is a rarity in our area, so getting it is quite problematic. But there are several options for excellent replacements. So, for example, French-made Chavroux and Petit-suisse cheeses, as well as Snofrisk cheese from Norway, are perfect for cheesecake. In addition, they are identical to "Philadelphia" in taste and consistency of "Boursin" and "Mascarpone".

What other cheese can be used for cheesecake? From domestic products, you can try "Almette curd", "Creamy President", "Rama Cream Bonjour". But you should not cook a cheesecake using regular processed cheese.

A great option is to make your own cheesecake cheesecake. It will turn out very tasty and will not take much time.

What kind of cheese is suitable for cheesecake? Cooking according to recipe number 1


Still don't know what kind of cheese is used for cheesecake?

This recipe will help you prepare the best creamy dessert quickly, simply and very tasty.
  1. Add a liter of milk to the pan and send to the stove over medium heat. Pour a teaspoon of sugar and the same amount of salt there. Bring to a boil, stirring regularly.
  2. After our milk boils, pour half a liter of low-fat kefir into it and mix thoroughly so that the mixture does not curdle. Now we shift all this onto gauze folded in several layers and hang it over some container for about 20 minutes to get rid of the serum.
  3. Now beat the egg with a teaspoon of lemon juice (you can replace it with citric acid) until foam appears. We add here the warm curd mass of milk and kefir.
  4. Beat all this thoroughly until we achieve a tender curd mass, homogeneous in consistency. Refrigerate it for about 12 hours.

Now the question of which cheese to choose for cheesecake will not arise.

Believe me, you will like this homemade product so much that you will no longer like the purchased one.

What is the best cream cheese for cheesecake? Recipe #2


To make this cheesecake cheesecake, simply mix President cream cheese and 5% fat cottage cheese (creamy consistency) until smooth.

What kind of cream cheese is needed for a cheesecake? Cook it yourself, this option is the best and most delicious.

The recipe of many salads includes exotic cheeses. Some of them are difficult to find in the supermarket, others discourage the desire to cook a dish with their overpriced price tag, and sometimes a certain cheese simply does not meet our taste preferences.

One way or another, but a collision with an unfamiliar product often raises the question: what kind of cheese can it be replaced so as not to spoil the taste of the salad?

Interesting fact! The first written mention of cheese was made by Homer more than 3 thousand years ago. In his poem The Odyssey, he described in detail how cheese was made.

And the first state to establish the sale of cheese was the Netherlands. They produced the product in the form of large round heads.

Since then and until today, the shape of the cheese has not changed much, despite the fact that there are already more than 2000 varieties of cheeses.

Replacing exotic cheeses in recipes

Parmesan. This cheese gained popularity thanks to the well-known Caesar salad. It has an exquisite taste and an attractive grainy texture, thanks to which it is very easy to rub.

The famous Italian cheese is made from a huge amount of milk, about 500 liters per standard head weighing 40 kg, and it matures for at least 2 years. That is why such a delicacy is extremely expensive.

Mozzarella. This cheese is sold in two variations: in the form of a small oblong head and small balls in brine. Included in many salads, one of which is "Caprese" (a salad of fresh tomatoes and cheese). Pairs perfectly with fresh basil.

There are 4 full substitutes, but this does not apply to Caprese. Such a dish is based on this particular cheese and will lose its zest if it is excluded.

  1. "Brynza". Before adding to the salad, soak it in milk to get rid of excess salt.
  2. " " cheese. It doesn’t matter if it looks like mozzarella in brine, but dry cheese will replace it without consequences.
  3. "". Pickled cheese made from buffalo or goat milk. The taste is similar to mozzarella.
  4. "Grained" cheese. The structure is an exact copy of cottage cheese, therefore it can only be used instead of cheese in brine.


Dor blue. The youngest of all types of cheese with blue mold, which is injected into the cheese with a special needle along with rennet.

Mostly combined with salad dressing, but often crumbled into its contents.

The most popular royal cheese salad is with roast beef, pears and walnuts.

You can replace dor blue with any blue cheese. For example, the aristocratic "", Italian "", spicy "Donablu". But compared to them, dor blue is much cheaper.

Camembert. In the recipes of some delicious salads you can find - cheese with white mold. Soft like butter, the cheese has a rough surface, a pearly hue and a salty, slightly peppery taste without a hint of sweetness.

As an alternative for a spicy salad, various noble cheeses are selected, but it is more logical to prefer a product with a similar mold color: "", "Bush", "Kambatsolla".

True Normandy Camembert is made exclusively from cow's milk and sold in a veneer box.

Among 500 different types of cheeses, as many as 5,000 thousand peculiar varieties are distinguished, which means that you can find a replacement for any, even the most noble, delicacy!

Enjoying cheese is synonymous with enjoying life, so let cheese be on your table every day. Choosing cheese for recipes is a true art that anyone can learn. The most important thing is to learn a few simple principles.

What kind of cheese to add to pizza.

Residents of the Mediterranean countries are sure that without mozzarella, pizza turns into an ordinary open pie. The fact is that this cheese melts and stretches well, but it does not spread, and if it is accidentally overexposed in the oven, it remains soft and tender. Molten mozzarella gives a golden brown crust that does not harden and become rubbery when cooled.

What kind of cheese to add to pasta.

For pasta, parmesan is most suitable, which has a bright aroma and spicy taste with nutty-fruity undertones. Due to the fact that it is very hard and dense, it can be cut into thin chips, like paper, and the dish will look very impressive.

What kind of cheese to add to lasagna.

Delicious lasagna is made with parmesan and tender whey ricotta. For this dish, use fresh ricotta with a creamy, sweet taste, as the aged cheese becomes hard and takes on sharp shades.

What cheese to add Greek salad.

Without feta, familiar to mankind since ancient times, it is difficult to imagine the “correct” Greek salad, like any other vegetable appetizer. Salted feta has a soft yet dense texture, so the cheese cubes retain their shape even in multi-layered dishes.

What kind of cheese to add to fondue.

This dish is made with full-bodied Swiss Gruyère cheese, which melts beautifully, and hints of fruit and nuts give any fondue products a pleasant, sophisticated taste. Connoisseurs advise adding the famous Emmental cheese to Gruyère, which will enrich fondue with new flavors.

Enhances the flavor of the cheese

Dried fruits and nuts perfectly emphasize the taste of cheese, and experienced gourmets recommend dropping a little honey on cheeses with blue mold to enhance the taste..

Soft cream cheeses with a delicate texture (brie, camembert, smolensk) served with toast, bread and flatbread, wine and fruit, and the most delicious is the combination of cheese with apples, pears, peaches and grapes.

Semi-hard cheeses(edam, gouda, Russian, Poshekhonsky, Dutch, Kostroma), smooth and oily, melt well, so they are often used for baking. These varieties are suitable for snacks, desserts and fruits.

Goat milk cheeses(President Rondele, Chevre, Soignon) are good in vegetable, mushroom and meat salads, in hot dishes and soups. Often they are used for grilled dishes.

Blue cheeses with mold(roquefort, donablu, gorgonzola) sound amazing in salads, in combination with crackers, fruits, desserts and expensive wine.

Hard cheeses(emmental, parmesan, cheddar) are used to make sandwiches, casseroles, pizza, julienne, fondue.

Processed cheeses suitable for soups, sandwiches, sauces, salads and appetizers.

Do not combine cheeses with citrus fruits, the sharp taste of which neutralizes the rich cheese bouquet.

22.05.2014

Cheese is a healthy and generous dairy product with a variety of tastes.

Adding different types of cheese gives different piquancy, creaminess or astringency to the finished dish. Food gets a special aroma and taste.

Recipes often use cheese as one of the ingredients. Different types of cheeses emphasize and complement the flavors of ready-made dishes in different ways.

In salads, the dairy product is used as one of the layers and as an addition to the main components. In grated form, the cheese serves as a decoration, a flavoring addition.

Due to the fact that the cheese has the ability to melt rapidly and at the same time almost without changing the original taste properties, it is used in the preparation of hot dishes. Cheese is added to soups, pizza, meat, vegetables and, of course, pasta.

Cheese is a lively and capricious product. He is constantly in the process of maturation. Improper storage speeds up the ripening process.

High temperature and low temperature "kill" the cheese. If the cheese is frozen, then when thawed, it will begin to crumble. If left in 30 degree heat, the cheese will melt and spoil very quickly.

If you store cheese at room temperature, it will dry out quickly. Mold, white bloom and an unpleasant odor will appear on the surface.

The amount of moisture in the air also affects the cheese. High humidity accelerates spoilage, while low humidity dehydrates and dries.

Exemplary cheese storage conditions:

  • steady temperature from 6 to 8 degrees Celsius;
  • a constant degree of humidity of about 90%;
  • ventilated place.

Cheese is best kept in the refrigerator at home. For him there are the best conditions.

To store cheese in the refrigerator, it is advisable to use a glass container with a lid and add a couple of pieces of sugar there. Sugar absorbs excess moisture and increases the shelf life of hard cheese by about 5 months, soft cheese by 10 days, and blue cheese by a couple of months.

Tips to help keep cheese longer:

  • Don't take too much cheese. Buy as much as you need for cooking or consumption during the week.
  • Do not expose the cheese to sudden changes in temperature. In the refrigerator, put it on the bottom shelf where fruits and vegetables are stored.
  • Cheese should be kept wrapped in cling film, a plastic bag or stored in a glass container. Otherwise, it will be saturated with the smells of the contents of the refrigerator and dry quickly.
  • Processed cheeses have a longer shelf life. In some cases, they can be kept outside the refrigerator. During the production process, such cheese is subjected to heat treatment, which slows down the process of further ripening of the cheese.

Cheeses are divided or classified into hard, semi-hard, soft and brine.

This division is clearly presented on the cheese infographic (clickable)


Another infographic created by the Pop Chart Lab features a cheese wheel.

It clearly shows how cheese is classified, according to the type of hardness and type of milk (clickable).

What do different types of cheeses eat and cook with?

Hard cheeses

Parmesan is added to pasta, pizzas and sauces.

For making toast and sandwiches, it is more correct to take cheddar and maasdam. They are also very good for cream soups.

If you just need to sprinkle cheese on top of a hot dish, gouda, edam, Kostroma and Poshekhonsky cheeses are suitable.

For salads, potato pancakes, casseroles, Russian cheese will do.

Soft cheeses

The creamy taste and delicate texture of Philadelphia cheese appeal to many lovers of sushi and rolls, cottage cheese desserts and berry cakes, in the recipe of which this cheese is present. But it is not always possible to purchase such a product in any store, besides, the cost of cheese is very high.

"Philadelphia" is one of the cream cheese brands that has become popular around the world thanks to Kraft Foods and belongs to the premium products. But there are many manufacturers of cream cheese on the dairy market, so it is obvious that housewives often have a question about what can replace Philadelphia cream cheese, and how to choose a worthy and budget option at the same time.

Philadelphia Replacement: Cream Cheese Assortment

It has a delicate creamy aftertaste, milky aroma and an incredibly light texture. It can be sweet in taste and contain no additives. Or it can be additionally enriched with herbs, herbs and garlic. Therefore, the choice of cheese depends on what dish you will use it in.

Philadelphia cheese gives a special taste not only to snack canapes, rolls and cheesecakes, but makes ordinary zucchini and eggplant rolls a real culinary masterpiece.

If you couldn't find Philadelphia cheese on the supermarket shelves, you can safely buy one of the following types of cream cheese:

  • Almette cheese. This cheese is produced in Poland using modern technologies. There are several types of cheese: classic with a creamy taste, as well as with the taste of porcini mushrooms, yogurt, garlic, basil, greens with cucumbers. Cheese is made exclusively from non-canned milk. The fat content of the product ranges from 60 to 70%. Product weight 150 g.
  • Cheese Syrko from Mlekar Shabats. Produced in Serbia in packs of 100 g. The fat content of the product is 60%. The cheese is produced in two types: without additives and with the taste of cucumber with dill. This cheese is most similar to Philadelphia in taste and texture and is ideal for making sushi. In addition to the low price, cheese has another advantage. It does not contain sucrose.
  • Cream Cheese Mascarpone by Zanetti. The cheese is produced in Italy and packaged in 250 g and 500 g packages. This type of cheese is suitable for preparing sweet dishes, such as tiramisu, cheesecake, fruit and berry desserts. Has a fat content of 80%.
  • Cremette cheese from Hohland. This cheese from a German manufacturer is a full-fledged analogue of Philadelphia. It is sold in large packs of 2 kg and is suitable for dishes such as cold-cooked desserts based on curd mousse, sushi rolls, fish dishes. The fat content is 65%.
  • Cream cheese Frischkase from Hallbauer. The cheese is made in Germany. Made on the basis of goat milk and presented in two versions: classic (24.5% fat) and with herbs (23.5%). The package contains 300 g.
  • Buko cheese by Arla Foods. Curd cheese is made from Danish milk and was specially created for confectionery and culinary establishments. It has a fresh aroma and a slightly sour aftertaste. The cheese is sold in packages of 1.5 and 3 kg.
  • Cheese Tasty Fresh by Milkana. This cheese is produced in a French enterprise and has a whole line of unusual flavors. Cream cheese is suitable for making sushi and desserts. And cheese with the taste of salmon, nuts, porcini mushrooms, Provence herbs and horseradish is great for canapés.
  • Cream cheese "Classic" from president. Product of Ukrainian production, which is intended for making sushi. Produced in a kilogram package with a fat content of 24.5%.


Advice! The assortment of cream cheeses is quite large, so when choosing a replacement for Philadelphia, pay attention to the labeling. It should indicate that the cheese is soft, creamy or cottage cheese.

Homemade Philadelphia Recipes

You can get homemade Philadelphia cheese using heavy cream, sour cream or cottage cheese. Following simple recipes, you can prepare an excellent cheese mass for filling caviar tartlets, making sushi or cheesecake.

Milk-kefir Philadelphia

  • Pour 2 liters of milk into a saucepan. Add to it 2 tsp. salt and sugar.
  • When the milk begins to boil slowly, pour in 4 tbsp. kefir. Stir the resulting mixture quickly.
  • After 1.5-2 minutes, when the milk curdles, remove the saucepan from the stove.
  • While the milk is cooling down a little, take a colander and cover it with clean gauze, folded two or three times.
  • Drain the curdled milk into a colander and let it sit for 15-20 minutes to drain any excess liquid.
  • In the meantime, take 2 eggs and beat them with citric acid on the tip of a knife.
  • Pull the cottage cheese out of the gauze and mix with the egg mass.

This cheese will be universal for any dishes.

Curd Philadelphia

  • Take 200 mg of cream (at least 30% fat) and whip it up.
  • Grind 500 g of fine-grained soft cottage cheese with a spoon or blender until a homogeneous plastic structure.
  • Combine cream and cottage cheese, and then add 200 thick sour cream to them.
  • If cheese is needed for sushi or snack sandwiches, salt, herbs or herbs can be added to it.

If you dream of cooking some interesting dish, the recipe of which includes Philadelphia cheese, do not refuse due to the lack of this ingredient. After all, you now know how to replace it or cook it yourself.

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