Asadero Cheese vs. Oaxaca Cheese

Asadero and Oaxaca are two of the most popular Mexican cheeses, often used in authentic dishes like quesadillas, enchiladas, empanadas, and more.

While they share some similarities, there are key differences between these two cheeses that impact their taste, texture, and best uses.

A Brief History of Asadero and Oaxaca Cheeses

To understand asadero and Oaxaca cheeses, it helps to learn about their origins.

Asadero cheese hails from the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua. It was first produced in the 1920s by Mennonite immigrants who settled in Chihuahua and brought their cheesemaking skills. This heritage is reflected in asadero's other name, queso menonita or Mennonite cheese.

Oaxaca cheese originated in the southern state of Oaxaca. Its creation is credited to Dominican monks who settled in Oaxaca during Mexico's colonial era. Using a stretched curd technique they brought from Europe, they made a mild, stringy cheese reminiscent of mozzarella - giving rise to modern Oaxaca.

So while Oaxaca cheese has European roots, asadero cheese stems from European-influenced Mexican immigrants. Both cheeses are now icons of authentic Mexican cuisine.

How Asadero Cheese Is Made

To make asadero cheese, milk from cows is first pasteurized. Then, enzymes like rennet are added to separate the milk into solid curds and liquid whey.

The curds are cut up, then heated and kneaded in the whey, which gives asadero its smooth, elastic texture. The curds are drained, salted, and pressed into molds.

Lastly, the cheese wheels are aged from 2 weeks up to 2 months. Age affects the flavor and firmness, with younger cheeses being milder and softer. Many modern asadero producers now use a faster method with acids to curdle the milk instead of rennet.

How Oaxaca Cheese Is Made

Oaxaca cheese is created using a pasta filata technique, meaning “spun paste” in Italian. This extended curd process gives Oaxaca its distinctive stringy texture.

Like asadero, milk is pasteurized and curdled with rennet. The curds are heated and stretched repeatedly in hot whey until pliable, then formed into long ribbons or ropes. These ropes are wound into balls which are salted and cooled.

The entire process only takes a few hours, so Oaxaca cheese is always fresh and unaged. Sometimes goat's or sheep's milk is used, but cow's milk makes the most common type of Oaxaca today.

Flavor and Texture

Now let's compare the taste and texture of asadero versus Oaxaca:

• Asadero has a smooth, pliable texture. When young, it is soft and mild flavored like Monterey Jack. Aged varieties become firmer and gain a tangy, buttery taste. The flavor can range from mellow to sharp depending on age.
• Oaxaca has a soft, stringy texture that easily shreds and melts. It has a fresh, mild, milky flavor due to its unaged production. Some salty undertones come from curd stretching in salty whey. Overall, Oaxaca is creamier and moister than asadero.

Oaxaca is a fresh, mild, stringy cheese, while asadero is an aged, tangy cheese with a range of textures depending on maturity.

Melting Properties

Another key difference is the melty potential of these cheeses. Their stretching and kneading processes give both cheeses great meltability overall. However:

• Asadero becomes very soft, smooth, and gooey when melted. Aged varieties melt the best. The more it's aged, the better it melts without becoming greasy.
• Oaxaca also melts extremely well, but in a different way. The cheese softens while retaining some stringy texture. Oaxaca forms long, stretchy melted strands unlike the gooey melted mass created by asadero.

So if you want melted cheese that is stringy and holds its shape, choose Oaxaca. If you prefer a smoother, creamier melted cheese, go for asadero.

Best Uses in Cooking

Their different properties mean asadero and Oaxaca each shine in certain dishes:

• Asadero is perfect for cheese sauces, dips, soups, and fondue where you want lots of gooey, velvety melted cheese. It's also great in quesadillas, tacos, empanadas, and anywhere you want cheese that melts evenly into a cohesive mass.
• Oaxaca excels when you want cheese with some "string" to it after cooking. The classic example is melted Oaxaca draped in strings across a quesadilla. Oaxaca is also amazing in baked dishes like chili rellenos where its melty strands contrast with the other fillings.

Key Takeaway: Choose aged asadero for ultra-melty applications, and fresh Oaxaca when you want melted cheese with strings.

Here are a few specific recipes to highlight the best uses for each cheese:

• Queso fundido (melted cheese dip) - use aged asadero
• Empanadas (stuffed pastries) - use young asadero
• Quesadillas - use Oaxaca
• Chili relleno - use Oaxaca
• Enchiladas - use Oaxaca
• Tacos - use aged asadero or Oaxaca

Buying and Storing

When shopping for these cheeses:

• Asadero is sold in rectangular blocks or rounds. Color ranges from white to pale yellow. Young asadero is soft and pliable; aged is firm and slices easily. Avoid hardened, cracked, or crumbly cheese.
• Oaxaca comes in round balls weighing a few pounds. Fresh cheeses should feel pliable and strings should easily pull apart. The texture should be like play-doh rather than rubbery. Avoid balls that are dried out or don't string nicely.

For storage:

• Asadero stores well wrapped in the fridge for 1-2 weeks. If aged, it keeps for months. Freeze for longer storage.
• Oaxaca is highly perishable and best eaten within 5 days. Keep balls intact and wrap loosely in plastic. Freeze for a few weeks if needed - flavor and strings may suffer.

Cheese Substitutes

If you can't find asadero or Oaxaca, here are some suitable substitutes:

• For asadero, use Monterey Jack, gouda, mild cheddar, or provolone. Aged gouda or provolone work best for melted dishes.
• For Oaxaca, use mozzarella or American string cheese. Part-skim mozzarella is a decent substitute, or low-moisture whole milk mozzarella for superior strings.
• Other substitutes like chihuahua, asiago, fontina, havarti, or Swiss can work for either cheese in a pinch. Adjust saltiness and melting properties as needed.

Asadero vs. Oaxaca Comparison Chart

FAQs

How is asadero different from Oaxaca cheese?

The main differences are that asadero is an aged, tangy cheese that melts into a smooth, gooey consistency, while Oaxaca is fresh, mild, and melts into strings. Asadero has more variety in texture and flavor since it can be aged.

What country are Oaxaca and asadero cheese from?

Both cheeses originated in different regions of Mexico. Oaxaca is from the state of Oaxaca in southern Mexico, while asadero is from the state of Chihuahua in northern Mexico.

Is Oaxaca cheese better for melting than asadero?

It depends on the texture you want when melted. Oaxaca cheese retains more strings when melted, while asadero melts into a creamier, smoother consistency. Oaxaca may be better for dishes where you want melted cheese strands.

Can I substitute asadero for Oaxaca or vice versa?

Yes, you can substitute Oaxaca and asadero for each other in most recipes. They have slightly different textures and flavors when melted, but overall they perform similarly in cooking. Adjust saltiness and melting time as needed.

What cheese is most similar to asadero and Oaxaca?

Good substitutes for asadero include Monterey Jack, gouda, mild cheddar, or provolone. For Oaxaca, mozzarella and string cheese are suitable substitutes. Chihuahua, asiago, fontina, havarti or Swiss work for either in a pinch.

Conclusion

Asadero and Oaxaca cheeses are two Mexican favorites that share some common traits - great meltability, Cow's milk base, and Mexican origins - but have distinct differences in flavor, texture and ideal uses.

Oaxaca is a fresh, stringy cheese that excels for quesadillas, enchiladas, and anywhere you want melted cheese strands.

Aged asadero has incredible gooey melt for creamy sauces and dips. Understanding their unique properties helps choose the right cheese for your recipe.