Cotija cheese
An aged Mexican cow's milk cheese, white, dry and crumbly with a pronounced saltiness; it is scattered over dishes and does not melt.
Cotija is a cow's milk cheese from western Mexico, named after the town of Cotija in Michoacán. Young, it is moist and crumbly; aged longer, it turns firm and can be grated like a hard cheese. It tastes distinctly salty with a milky, savoury depth, and since it barely melts when heated, it is used as a seasoning and garnish over beans, tacos, enchiladas, salads or grilled corn. In German-speaking countries it is rarely found in shops, most likely through mail-order suppliers of Latin American foods or at well-stocked cheese counters. In North America, by contrast, many supermarkets carry it in the chilled Latin American section.
Substitute:
For young, crumbly cotija, well-drained crumbled feta comes closest, though it is tangier and moister. For aged cotija, finely grated Parmesan or pecorino works, but these are nuttier and sharper; both match the saltiness, neither quite the mild milky note.