Just say 'cheese' - Mexican queso fresco

Published in Pacific Pearl January 2021 issue

Who agrees with me that 2020 was the year that we look back on and think “Thank goodness it’s over”? Onward and upward we go into 2021 with positive energy. The best way to cope with tough times is a smile and good food (hello corona pounds!). So let’s talk about something that makes us smile: say ‘cheese’!
Talking about countries that are famous for their cheeses, you might say France or Holland. But what if I told you that Mexico also produces a large variety of cheeses. A visit to a ‘cremeria’ or cheese shop shows you that there is a world beyond Cheddar. Mexican cheeses can be divided in two type: the fresh cheeses and the aged cheeses. Fresh cheese is cheese in its youngest, purest form and it’s sold a one or two days after it was produced. Aged cheese has a longer shelf life and can be transported across the country.

Did you know that there is a traditional cheese town about 15 minutes outside Mazatlan? The town El Quemado produces the majority of fresh cheeses sold in the city. Many cheese makers are small-scale artisans that have a limited production. The cheeses that they make are panela and queso fresco. Panela has a mild flavor similar to ricotta and a texture that softens but does not melt when heated. Queso fresco has a slightly saltier flavor with a crumbly texture. It goes well on top of refried beans.

Flavor Teller was invited by Don Modesto Insunza in El Quemado to see the action up close. He has been in cheese production for decades. As the granddaughter of a Dutch cheese maker, this was an invitation I couldn’t turn down.

The process starts early when the pasteurized milk is brought in by local ranchers, who supply them with 1000 liters or 265 gallons daily. This will make a total of 250 kilos or 550 pounds of cheese. “The quality of the milk is key for our products”, says Don Modesto, “we can spot bad milk immediately, because it doesn’t give the same yield.”

The milk is curdled with rennet for about half an hour, after which the whey is manually strained out. The curds are salted, mixed and divided in cheesecloth covered rings. All in all the whole process takes a good two hours. Running into his seventies, Don Modesto has one employee and a teenage apprentice. “The boy is still in school, but with the pandemic he has been helping me out. Good thing he is a quick learner, you need dedication to be a good quesero”, he says.

Ready to try local queso fresco or panela? You can find them at the Pino Suarez market or at the cheese section of the supermarket.