Cheeses of Mexico

Cheeses in Mexico have a history that begins with the, as dairy products were unknown in pre-Columbian. The Spanish brought dairy animals such as cattle, sheep, and goats as well as techniques. Over the colonial period, cheese making was modified to suit the mixed European indigenous tastes of Mexicans, varying by region. This blending and variations have given rise to a number of varieties of Mexican cheeses. These are most popular in the country although European cheeses are made as well. Almost all cheese in Mexico is made with cows’ milk, with some made from goats’ milk. More recently there have been efforts to promote cheeses. Most cheeses are made with  milk, which has caused some health issues. Cheeses are made in the home, on small farms or ranches, and by major dairy product firms. There are somewhere between twenty and forty different varieties of cheese in Mexico, depending on how one classifies. Some, such as Oaxaca and panela, are made all over Mexico, but many are regional cheeses known only in certain sections on the country. Some of the least common are in danger of extinction.

History
Prior to the arrival of the Europeans, the Mesoamerican diet did not include dairy products, so cheese making was unknown. The Spanish conquistadors brought cows, goats, and sheep to the, permanently changing Mexican dietary habits. The Spanish also brought techniques to make cheeses from their homeland, such as manchego. Over time, the blending of European and indigenous peoples and traditions included the modification of cheeses to suit tastes. This adaptation varied from region to region which has led to the variety of cheese produced in Mexico today.

While cheese making has always been a widespread, mostly home based, activity since colonial times, the earliest regions known for their cheese are the Altos de and the  area in  and. Both of these areas are still major producers of cheese and other dairy products. Today, major cheese producing areas also include, , , , Jalisco, , , , , , and. Despite centuries of cheese making experience, Mexico lags behind Europe in both quantity and variety. Most cheese made in the country is made by small concerns and farms which use raw milk and sell their products locally. While some cheeses, such as and panela, have become mass produced and are made with pasteurized milk, the majority are still made locally with raw milk. Mexican cheeses are not yet standardized either by type, process or quality.

This has led to a number of instances of food poisoning linked to cheese, especially unaged, “fresh” cheeses. Cases of and other diseases linked to cheese made in Mexico have led to strong restrictions against bringing the same across the U.S. border or along with air travelers entering U.S. airports. The most problematic cheeses have been panela,, queso blanco, and ranchero as these are not aged and are often made with unpasteurized milk. In 2008, the Diario Oficial de la Federacion published the Norma Oficial Mexicana project, with one of its purposes being the better sanitary control of the cheeses produced in the country. One of its major provisions is the prohibition against cheeses made with raw milk. However, critics state that pasteurization is not the only way to guard against food borne illnesses and that the process kills beneficial bacteria that affect the cheeses’ taste. This is especially true of aged cheeses.

Despite this, Mexican and Mexican-style cheeses have become more common on grocery shelves in the United States. Until recently, only the fairly common cheeses were available, mostly in Mexican restaurants, such as, sprinkled on top of certain dishes, and Oaxaca cheese, melted on tortillas. Now, companies in the U.S. are recreating many of the fresh and aged cheeses from Mexico, with some even attempting the production of lesser known varieties.

Production and distribution
Mexico is ranked tenth in the world for cheese production and eighth for consumption. Grouped together with and, Mexico is part of a region which is third in cheese production, behind Europe and the U.S. Cheese sales in Mexico were 218,000 tons in 2003, with fresh (not aged) cheeses making up over one third of the market, the largest segment. Only 126,200 tons of the cheese consumed in the country that year was produced domestically, with the rest imported. About 10% of the milk production in the country is dedicated to the making of dairy products, most of which is cheese. The overwhelming majority of cheese is made with cows’ milk. Where there are a number of cheeses made with goats’ milk they are not as popular and have gotten more difficult to find in markets. While sheepherding historically has never been a major commercial activity nationwide, efforts to since the 1980s to promote sheep milk and meat have resulted in a significant rise in the number of sheep being raised. This is promoting the development of sheep’s milk cheese in the country although it still accounts for a very small percentage. One of the major sheep producing states is Querétaro, with most of the milk destined for cheese making.

In Chiapas, personnel from the have been investigating a Spanish cheese called La Serena, which is made in the region of  with the aim of creating a certified version of it in Mexico. This includes the importation and raising of as well as learning the methods behind this cheese. The reason behind the effort is that large parts of the state have a similar climate to Extremadura, making the raising of this sheep possible. Researchers have found that they can not only reproduce La Serena cheese but produce a number of other varieties as well. Despite their ability to produce milk for cheese making, most sheep in Mexico are raised for wool and meat. The merino sheep have been bred for milk production.

All Mexican cheeses are made from non fermented milk, and almost all is made from cows’ milk, with the rest from goats’ milk. Most are “fresh” cheeses, meaning that unlike aged cheeses, which are aged for weeks or months, these cheeses are aged for only days. This is not enough time to change the ph balance of the cheese to kill any harmful bacteria that may have been in the (unpasteurized) milk at the beginning of the process.

There are somewhere between twenty and forty different types of cheeses made in the country with a few made in great volume such as Chihuahua and Oaxaca. However, most are purely regional in nature with the least common of these in danger of disappearing. Only two cheeses are protected by law, Cotija and “queso de bola” of, Chiapas. Since the production of Chihuahua and Oaxaca cheeses has been established outside of these states before legal protection, it is no longer possible to do so. Other cheeses have applied for this protection such as the queso molido of, queso ranchero de cabra of , queso molido y añejo of , queso porta of and queso crema of Chiapas.

Producers vary from large factories, which usually produce common varieties for supermarkets and other large outlets, to small farms which handcraft cheeses. Some of the better known major producers include Chilchota, Covadonga, Wallander, Esmeralda and Los Volcanes. Chilchota was the largest producer in 2003. Since then, Grupo Lala has become the largest producer in Mexico and the second largest in the United States as of 2009. Lala operates more than 35 manufacturing plants and 160 distribution centers in Mexico, Central America, and the US. Mass-produced cheese are usually sold in supermarkets and large traditional markets in modern packaging and their quality is not considered to be as good as these made by smaller concerns.

In some of the better traditional markets, such as Coyoacán and San Juan in, more handcrafted cheeses from small local farms can be found. In Chihuahua, cheese is made with cattle descended from those the Spanish brought and its production is still an important part of the culture. Most cheese here is most often carried out in the home or on ranches, where ranchers get up early to start the process by milking the cows and ending up with cheeses such as queso ranchero,, panela and others. Locally produced or handcrafted cheeses can be found in “puestos de queseros” or cheesemongers’ stall, packed into baskets and wooden hoops, wrapped in corn husks, or pressed into flat white wide disks. Some specialty cheese producers have been invited to compete internationally. The Carlos Peraza family won a medal at the Cofradía de Quesos de Saint Maure in, France. In ’s wine country, a notable cheese making concern is La Cava de Marcelo. This cheesemaking business is named after owner Marcelo Castro Ramonetti, who is a fourth generation cheese maker, whose family came to Mexico from in 1911. The facility is located four meters below ground, measures 360 meters2 and is made of crystal and stone. It has been visited by food tourists from around the world and featured on Internet sites such as chow.com. The tasting room holds forty people and the facility stores 10,000 pieces of cheese. The facility specializes in providing cheeses to gourmet restaurants and stores in Mexico. Some of their cheese age as much as two years.

Homemade cheese is still made in the country, which is often derisively referred to as “bathtub cheese.”

The national and  festival, Feria Nacional del Queso y el Vino, takes place annually in, Querétaro at the end of May and beginning of June. The event celebrates the area’s wine and cheese tradition but also invites participants from other parts of Mexico and the world.

The overwhelming quantity of cheese produced is of native types but some purely European styles such as feta, Spanish manchego (from goat’s milk), Saint Maure and camembert are also made. The state of Guanajuato is known for its reproduction of European cheeses, especially those from France.

Native varieties of cheese
There are anywhere from twenty to forty varieties of cheese made in Mexico. The reason for the uncertainty is that different regions can have different names for the same cheese or different cheeses called by the same name. Most of the most popular varieties are fresh cheeses, such as queso fresco, panela and asadero. The two most popular aged cheeses are Cotija and Chihuahua. Four cheeses produced in Mexico are entirely Mexican inventions: Oaxaca, Cotija, Chihuahua and manchego. The last shares its name with the Spanish cheese, but in Spain it is made with sheep’s milk and Mexican manchego is made with cows’ or cows’ and goats’ milk. Many of Mexico’s cheeses are regional specialties, but the most common ones mentioned here are known and made throughout the country. Most of the time cheese is used to top dishes as a condiment rather than as a main ingredient.

The most basic Mexican cheese is queso fresco, from which other cheeses such as panela, adobera and Oaxaca have been derived. This cheese is made with whole milk but has relatively low fat and cholesterol. This is a white spongy cheese whose origins can be traced back to Burgos, Spain and used primarily to crumble over dishes. This cheese is made in just about all parts of Mexico with little variation.

Panela is another white fresh milk cheese with little fat or cholesterol. The origins of this cheese probably goes back to the Balkans or the Italian peninsula, but it have been significantly modified to Mexican tastes. It is made with skim milk, giving it a fairly firm texture, with a sweet/sour taste. In traditional markets, this cheese is often sold in baskets in which it has been molded, giving it the alternate name of queso de canasta. It is often served cold as part of an appetizer or snack tray. It is also found on sandwiches. It is found in most parts of Mexico.

Queso blanco, also called queso sierra or queso enchilada is a creamy white cheese made with skimmed cows’ milk, and has been described as being a cross between mozzarella and cottage cheese. It is often homemade using lime juice as the coagulant, giving it a citrus flavor. Commercially, it is made with rennet. It softens when heated but does not melt.

Requesón is a loose cheese similar to ricotta or cottage cheese, made with whole cows’ milk. Traditionally, this cheese is sold in markets wrapped in fresh corn husks. It has a light, not salty taste and used for, , cheese spreads, cakes and more.

Chihuahua cheese is named after the Mexican state which is home to a significant which created it. For this reason the cheese is also called queso menonita. The original version is semi-hard with very small holes, close to a type of cheese called “chester. This version is sold covered in cloth and paraffin wax. The taste varies from a cheddar like sharpness to mild and is a pale yellow rather than white. Today, the cheese is made all over Mexico and is popular as a commercially produced cheese. Mexican manchego cheese was introduced to Mexico from the Spanish region of, but it tastes quite different as it is made with a mixture of cows’ and goats’ milk in Mexico rather than sheep’s milk. It has a buttery taste and melts well. This cheese is made in available in all parts of Mexico and can be found in the United States as well. Normally, manchego cheese is not aged but there is an aged version called queso manchego viejo. This version is more firm and is more intense in flavor. It is often served grated over dishes. In the north of Mexico this cheese can be called asadero as well. In other parts of Mexico, queso asadero is a different cheese, white semi soft and good for melting. It is often used to make a dish called queso fundido, similar to a fondue as well as quesadillas.

While versions are made commercially elsewhere, the Cotija cheese made in, and  in Michoacán and ,  and  in Jalisco. These communities are in the Sierra de Jal-Mich region, which straddles the two states. To receive this recognition, the cheese must also be made with pasteurized milk to prevent food borne illness. This goat cheese was developed in Mexico entirely cut has a taste and texture similar to that of Italian parmesan. It has a light golden hue and pronounced sour milk aroma. It is aged an average of 12 months and sometimes the wheels are covered in a paste to prevent mold. It is usually sprinkled on dishes as an accent but can be used to flavor pastas and salads. This cheese is also popular in the United States where it is both imported and made domestically. However, the U.S. made Cotija differs noticeable from its Mexican namesake as American producers add enzymes to speed up the aging process.

Queso crema or doble crema is prepared with cows’ milk fortified with additional cream. It is spreadable and its often used to prepare desserts.

Queso añejo (literally aged cheese) is the aged version of queso fresco. It is classified as a soft cheese but well aged batches can become quite firm and salty. It is primarily used as a garnish. Queso añejo can also be found with a coating of chili pepper or “enchilado.” Oaxaca cheese originated in the state of Oaxaca but it is now made and eaten in just about all of Mexico and is generally found only in Mexico. It is a soft stretched curd cheese, made with cows’ milk much like asadero cheese but the cheese’s is modified to 5.3 in order to get the stringy texture. The cheese is then formed into ropes which are then wound into balls. The cheese can be melted especially for quesadillas, but it is often eaten pulled apart or shredded on top of prepared dishes. Oaxaca cheese can be used in place of mozzarella in salads.

Queso de bola or queso Ocosingo is produced only in Chiapas and is nearly unknown outside of the state. It is made with cows’ milk to which extra cream has been added. It has a strong flavor with a creamy, crumbly texture and a light yellow color. It is prepared with a wax coating and after a long aging period, it produces a hard shell. This shell is often hollowed out to be filled with meat preparation, then covered in banana leaves and cooked to make a dish called “queso relleno” or stuffed cheese. The hard shell that the Ocosingo cheese produces is similar to that of Edam cheese. In addition to the cheeses mentioned above, there are a large number of regional cheeses mostly made on a small scale and little known outside their regions or communities. Porta salud is an aged semi-hard paste cheese, which has a strong flavor and an orange color. Queso jalapeño is a soft cows’ milk cheese with bits of jalapeño chili pepper served cold or melted in quesadillas. Queso criollo is a semi firm pale yellow cheese that is a specialty of,. Queso corazon is a Chiapan cheese, which is a kind of very moist cream cheese. It gets its name from the fact that it is traditionally molded into a heart shape, but most modern producers now mold it into a rectangular shape. Queso is an aged cheese which is usually hard on the outside and a little soft on the inside, and white with a tinge of yellow. It is crumbly and cannot be sliced. Instead it is served grated. Queso molido, also called queso prensado is sometimes covered in a red chili pepper paste. Costena cheese is a specialty of Guerrero state. The texture of this cheese is crumbly and tastes like fresh or slightly soured milk. Normally, it is white in color.

There is a small area in state around  which is known for its smoked cheeses. These cheeses are made with whole raw cows’ milk and pressed after curdling. The cheese is often served with ham, chili peppers, and slivers of jaleapeños. Another kind of Veracruz cheese is called “marqueta.” It is a white cheese which is often coated with chili pepper paste. The area also makes a type of bola cheese although this version is harder all the way through and is filled with small irregular holes. Another type made here is called queso de barra, which is similar to panela.