queso fresco
Young, unripened Mexican cow's-milk cheese – white, moist, crumbly, mild and lightly salty.
Queso fresco is a fresh, unaged cheese, usually made from cow's milk, and an everyday staple in Mexico and throughout Latin America. It tastes mild, milky and lightly salty with a gentle tang, and crumbles easily between the fingers. When heated it softens but does not melt into strings, which is why it is usually crumbled over finished dishes or used as a filling where it should keep its shape. In the English-speaking world, especially North America, many supermarkets stock it in the chilled section. In German-speaking countries it is rare, found mostly in Latin American shops or through chilled mail order.
Substitute:
Mild feta, soaked in cold water for an hour to draw out salt, comes closest in texture and in how it behaves when heated, though it stays somewhat saltier and sharper. A mix of feta and well-drained ricotta is milder and fresher but softer and less crumbly. Ricotta salata or crumbly paneer also work, although paneer is firmer and barely salty.