# Why does cheddar cheese melt but feta cheese retains its basic shape? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 5, 2004, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-cheddar-cheese-melt-but-feta-cheese-retains-its-basic-shape/238375 "2004-04-05T16:11:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jonpluc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/fbc32d/32.png) [@jonpluc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jonpluc)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2004, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-cheddar-cheese-melt-but-feta-cheese-retains-its-basic-shape/238375/1 "2004-04-05T16:11:34Z")
Just was wondering what makes feta cheese so different from your basic pizza cheeses? Cheddar you add heat and it reduces to a yummy goo, feta just keeps its basic shape and burns. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2004, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-cheddar-cheese-melt-but-feta-cheese-retains-its-basic-shape/238375/2 "2004-04-05T16:16:58Z")
It boils down (pun intended) to fat content. Fatty cheeses like cheddar, mozarella and Swiss melt rather easily, while lower-fat cheeses like Feta and parmesan don’t. It’s actually the fat that melts, you see. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2004, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-cheddar-cheese-melt-but-feta-cheese-retains-its-basic-shape/238375/3 "2004-04-05T17:02:18Z")
Actually, Feta cheese often has a higher fat content than Cheddar: > **[Cheddar cheese](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheddar_cheese)** > > Cheddar cheese, commonly known as cheddar, is a relatively hard, off-white (or orange if colourings such as annatto are added), sometimes sharp-tasting, natural cheese. Originating in the English village of Cheddar in Somerset, cheeses of this style are now produced all over the world. > Cheddar is the most popular type of cheese in the UK, accounting for 51% of the country's £1.9 billion annual cheese market. It is the second-most popular cheese in the US behind mozzarella, with an average ann... > **[Feta](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feta_cheese)** > > Feta (Greek: φέτα, féta) is a Greek brined curd white cheese made from sheep's milk or from a mixture of sheep and goat's milk. It is soft, with small or no holes, a compact touch, few cuts, and no skin. It is formed into large blocks, and aged in brine. Its flavor is tangy and salty, ranging from mild to sharp. It is crumbly and has a slightly grainy texture. Feta is used as a table cheese, in salads such as Greek salad, and in pastries, notably the phyllo-based Greek dishes spanakopita ("spin... See this article for the real reasons why: [http://www.cdr.wisc.edu/pdf/Winter00.pdf](http://www.cdr.wisc.edu/pdf/Winter00.pdf) ---
**Author:** ![scm1001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@scm1001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scm1001)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2004, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-cheddar-cheese-melt-but-feta-cheese-retains-its-basic-shape/238375/4 "2004-04-05T17:17:58Z")
> [@Q.E.D.](#): > > It boils down (pun intended) to fat content. Fatty cheeses like cheddar, mozarella and Swiss melt rather easily, while lower-fat cheeses like Feta and parmesan don’t. It’s actually the fat that melts, you see. actually fat content plays only a small part of the cheeses properties. Much more important is the protein structure see [http://www.foodsci.uoguelph.ca/cheese/sectiona.htm](http://www.foodsci.uoguelph.ca/cheese/sectiona.htm) . E.g. both mozzarella and camembert, melt easily, and have fat contents of 23-24%, similar to halloumi which doesn’t. The protein structure is determined by the source (cow, sheep, goat), how it is coagulated (acid, rennet), the final pH, and how it is cured and for how long. ---
**Author:** ![Gaudere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e495f1/32.png) [@Gaudere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gaudere)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2004, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-cheddar-cheese-melt-but-feta-cheese-retains-its-basic-shape/238375/5 "2004-04-05T21:38:50Z")
Actaully, feta will melt if you do it right; put a chunk in a bowl and microwave it for a minute and it becomes a liquid the consistency of vichyssoise (until you burn it). Farmer’s cheese generally won’t melt no matter what you do to it.