The main difference between grated and shredded cheese is their size and appearance. Shredded cheese looks like long strips, while grated cheese looks like very small fragments and is often similar to a powder.
Cheese is a popular ingredient we use in many dishes. In fact, you may have observed that recipes often call for grated cheese and shredded cheese. Grating and shredding are two methods of preparing cheese. Shredding and grating can actually affect the cooking time of a dish as shredded cheese takes more time to melt whereas grated cheese melts quickly.
Key Areas Covered
1. What is Grated Cheese
– Definition, Features
2. What is Shredded Cheese
– Definition, Features
3. Difference Between Grated and Shredded Cheese
– Comparison of Key Differences
Key Terms
Cheese, Grated Cheese, Shredded Cheese, Grating, Shredding
What is Grated Cheese
Grated cheese is a cheese that we get from the grating process. Grating means reducing food materials into small pieces by rubbing them on a grater. We can easily grate cheese at home by using a hand grater. A grater with tiny holes is ideal for grating. If not, it’s also available in supermarkets. Parmesan, Reggianito, Cheshire cheese, Red Leicester, Edam cheese, and Cheddar cheese are generally the types of grated cheese you can find in these stores. Commercial grated cheeses are often a mixture of cheeses. Moreover, we usually grate hard blocks of cheese.
When we compare grated cheese with shredded cheese, grated cheese looks like powder. Grated cheese is ideal when you want the cheese to melt quickly in a recipe. It’s a great addition to pasta or soups and even on top of food like jacket potatoes.
What is Shredded Cheese
Shredded cheese is a cheese that we get from cutting the cheese into shreds or thin strips. We can shred cheese with graters – either hand grater or box graters. For shredding, we can also use a grater with big holes. We can even use a food processor for shredding. We can mix this cheese with other ingredients or even use them as toppings for like pizza, lasagna, pasta, salads, sandwiches, soups, and many other dishes.
As shown in the above image, shredded cheese looks like thin strips. These strips usually take a longer time to melt or cook because of their size when compared to grating. Moreover, we can easily buy shredded cheese in supermarkets or grocery stores. Shredded cheese is available in many varieties like Parmesan, mozzarella, Swiss, and Cheddar. It’s also commercially available as mixtures, where you can find two or more types of cheese in one pack.
Difference Between Grated and Shredded Cheese
Definition
Grated cheese is a cheese that has been reduced into small pieces by rubbing it on a grater. Meanwhile, shredded cheese is a cheese that has been cut into shreds or thin strips.
Appearance
Shredded cheese looks like long strips, while grated cheese looks like very small fragments and is often similar to a powder.
Preparation Time
Shredded cheese takes more time to melt whereas grated cheese melts quickly.
Equipment
Grating requires a microplane, box grater, or a food processor, but shredding requires a grater.
Type of Cheese
Grating is ideal for hard cheese, while shredding is ideal for soft cheese.
Conclusion
In brief, the main difference between grated and shredded cheese is their size and appearance. Shredded cheese looks like long strips, while grated cheese looks like very small fragments and is often similar to a powder. In addition, shredding and grating can actually affect the cooking time of a dish as shredded cheese takes more time to melt whereas grated cheese melts quickly.
Reference:
1. “Shredded Cheese.” RecipeTips.com.
2. “Grated Cheese.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Pile of grated cheese” By Marco Verch Professional Photogtapher (CC BY 2.0) via Flickr
2. “Spaghetti-bolognese-italian-court” (CC0) via Pixabay
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