They're always right next to each other at the store, in nearly identical packaging: cream cheese and Neufchâtel. I've always gotten cream cheese, more out of habit than anything else. But the other day when picking up a package of my reliable brand, I realized that I don't really know what Neufchâtel is, despite the familarity of its name and packaging. I decided to pick some up. And in my research, I discovered that true Neufchâtel isn't really what you may think it is.
I found, at the origin of this comparative study, what original Neufchâtel actually is: a French cheese dating back to the 6th century, named after a town of the same name, in Normandy. Some argue that Neufchâtel is the oldest known cheese in France, and its make process remains quite similar to the original methods of production. French Neufchâtel is an AOC — that is, name protected — unripened cheese, made with cow milk, and if left to ripen, it will develop a soft, bloomy rind, like brie or camembert. It's often found in the shape of a heart. Aw.
Cheese lore tells of a cheesemaker who, in an effort to replicate the cheese in America, ended up with a result more similar to cream cheese than to Neufchâtel. While the French version uses only milk, the American one uses milk and cream. It is this American incarnation that I've always wondered about at the store, in that 8-ounce, rectangular block, and it indeed tastes much more like cream cheese than the French cheese that inspired its creation. Another point to note: Neufchâtel in France is made with raw milk, while Neufchâtel in America gets pasteurized.
On paper, the main distinction between the two cheeses is their fat content: While cream cheese by law must contain at least 33% milk fat and not more than 55% moisture, American Neufchâtel weighs in with about 23% milk fat and slightly higher moisture content.*
Flavor-wise, Neufchâtel isn't too different from cream cheese. If I hadn't taken on the ever-thrilling exercise of blind tasting the two side-by-side, I'd never have known it to be any different. Both are dense, milky, slightly tangy, and spreadable. We all know the flavor of cream cheese quite well; Neufchâtel is just ever-so-slightly less rich tasting, and I may have detected a slight granularity to the texture, as well. Verdict on both: undeniably tasty. (What's not to like, really?)
Mystery solved. Now time for some baking.
* Source: The New Food Lover's Companion.
Nora Singley is an avid lover of cheese, and for some time she was a cheesemonger and the Director of Education at Murray's Cheese Shop in New York City, where she continues to teach cheese classes for the public. She is currently an Assistant TV Chef on The Martha Stewart Show.
Related: Super Simple Cream Cheese Cookies
(Image: Foodatarian.com)
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I found American Neufchatel cheaper than cream cheese a lot of the time and it makes for a lighter/fluffier cheese cake! For cream cheese icing, mixing 1/2 Nuefchatel and 1/2 cream cheese works too.
Also, it's easier to spread than cream cheese, and lower fat content means better for you.
Now if we could actually get a real cream cheese...
we always buy the Neufchâtel, its basically the same thing and less fat. I like it better than reduced fat cream cheese
Maybe I'm buying the wrong brand of cream cheese (or I'm extra sensitive to the taste) but I prefer the flavor of all-neufchatel frosting to straight cream cheese or a mix...
And I too find it easier/more pliable to work with (but I never have the time or patience to let things come to room temp)
I frequently find that the (American) Neufchatel is labeled as low fat cream cheese. Anyone else? Oh, and it makes a wonderful oreo cookie cream filling flavored frosting. Yum!
Thank you for this! I've always shunned Neufchâtel, thinking it was a cheap imitation of cream cheese--perhaps because my mother bought it and I thought it was an economy measure. And to think: less fat so I won't have to resort to that horrid reduced fat cream cheese. I look forward to that granular CRUNCH, too! Mom knew, I guess. Great post. Thanks.
I prefer Neufchâtel over any type of cream cheese. The difference is only slight. Neufchâtel isn't as "sticky" as cream cheese, and the flavor is slightly more mild.
I just recently found out that our local bagel place uses neufchatel cheese as opposed to regular cream cheese. They whip it and I always wanted to know their secret. That was it!
I just tried Philadelphia brand "1/3 less fat" and discovered upon closer inspection that it's really Neufchatel. this brand looks more processed, though.
@ becster, I noticed that too recently! I was considering the store brand of cream cheese, but gonna buy the "less fat" one. Well, on the store brand, it says Neufchatel cheese in big print, so I was thinking the store brand didn't have a "less fat" version. But upon closer inspection, the Philly brand also says that in very tiny print, so I never even realized that's what I was buying. I ended up buying the store brand of the Neufchatel, but haven't used it yet (I mostly use it for baking).
I've found that regular cream cheese holds up better in certain things- like tortilla roll-ups or pumpkin cream pie. Because of the lower fat, the neufchatel doesn't get as firm when chilled and makes these types of items messier. I really can't taste much of a difference so my decision is based on what I'm using it for.
I just got back from a trip to France and the Neufchatel in Normandy is nothing like the Neufchatel we get in the states. The American cheese should change its name because it's not even in the same ballpark. The real Neufchatel has a delicate flavor that is memorable.