On the surface, mozzarella and cottage cheese can seem like two entirely different options, but they may have more in common than you think. When it comes to choosing the healthiest, tastiest option for your recipes, you’ll want to consider whether mozzarella or cottage cheese is the best choice. In this article, we’ll help you to answer that question by considering mozzarella cheese vs cottage cheese, and comparing their tastes, benefits, and uses.
Taste Showdown: Mozzarella vs Cottage Cheese
Mozzarella and cottage cheese are both formed using milk curds, but differences in how those curds are processed create a slightly different taste profile in each as follows –
- Cottage Cheese: Cottage cheese is a soft white cheese with a mild creamy, and slightly tangy flavour profile.
- Mozzarella Cheese: Mozzarella cheese is a soft Italian cheese that tends to taste mild and milky, with a hint of acidity.
Nutritional Face Off: Mozzarella vs Cottage Cheese
Both mozzarella and cottage cheese are considered healthy options. Mozzarella contains a high amount of protein and less sodium and fat than many other cheeses. Generally, speaking, however, cottage cheese is the healthiest option of the two. While exact figures depend on the milk used during production, cottage cheese tends to have as much as 69% fewer calories than mozzarella. Cottage cheese also benefits from being a low-sodium option, while most types of cottage cheese will contain as much as 46% protein compared with just 27% in a full-fat portion of mozzarella.
| COTTAGE CHEESE | MOZZARELLA | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 46% | 27% |
| Carbohydrates | 14% | 3% |
| Fat | 40% | 70% |
Texture Comparison: Cottage Cheese vs Mozzarella
Texture variations are perhaps the most obvious difference between mozzarella and cottage cheese, and are largely due to the different ways that curds are treated during production. With cottage cheese, curds are formed by adding acid to pasteurised milk, before cooking those curds and expelling whey throughout. This creates a thicker, looser soft cheese. It’s also possible to blend cottage cheese to create a texture much like cream cheese. Acid is also used to make mozzarella, but the curds are heated and stretched to create a springy, dense texture that becomes stringy when melted.
Cooking With Cheese: Cottage Cheese vs Mozzarella Cheese
Both cottage cheese and mozzarella are incredibly versatile cheeses. As well as being great for cold recipes like salads and dips, cottage cheese is a fantastic addition to recipes that include fritters and pancakes, amongst many others. Cottage cheese can also serve as a replacement for other cheeses, including cream cheese, goat cheese, and even mozzarella. Mozzarella is used in many Italian dishes and is best known for its use as a pizza topping. You may also find mozzarella in many pasta dishes, though blended cottage cheese is also great for these purposes, as seen with our cottage cheese lasagna recipe.
Final Verdict: Cottage Cheese vs Mozzarella
Both mozzarella and cottage cheese are fantastic healthy options, especially thanks to their low sodium content. However, if you’re also keen to benefit from health plus points like high protein and low calorific content, then cottage cheese is always a worthy winner.
Admittedly, you still can’t beat mozzarella for creating a stringy pizza topping or a decadent pasta bake. But, if you’re looking for creaminess rather than a stringy finish, you will benefit from choosing cottage cheese every time.
