More on Oaxaca Cheese
Alex just posted this link to a terrific video of Oaxaca cheese being made in (I assume) the food science lab at Chapingo. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQo-gyzRNo0. [Edit]. The former link no longer works. Here is Abraham Villegas in a more recent video. YouTube on the fabrication of Oaxaca cheese (in Spanish)
Even if you don’t understand Spanish you can see the essential step: hot water being poured over the curd so as to produce the long strings. And you’ll links to lots of other Mexican cheese-making techniques. Great stuff. Thanks for finding it Alex.
The main narrator, Abraham Villegas, also mentions that many artificial cheeses are also being made. Mexico, like many parts of the world, has a milk shortage. That makes cheese expensive for a lot of people. Yesterday when I was in Mega, I counted and I reckon that more than half the cheese there was non-milk cheese, artificial cheese. Here’s an example.
And here’s the list of ingredients: water, vegetable fat, milk protein, etc. (Stupidly I threw away the grocery receipt so I don’t have relative prices. But I’ll check next time I go).
And I have to admit that the taste difference between this and an all milk cheese from the always-reliable firm Aguascalientes was less than I expected.
So next time you have a queso fundido (melted cheese) that seems incredibly reasonable in price, it may well be artificial cheese.
Meanwhile, those who want a wet, fresh, Italian-style mozzarella can pick up this. From Wisconsin, need I say? About $4.00 for about half a pound).
- More Tangled than a Oaxacan Cheese: More Detective Work
- Globalization and Food Security in Mesoamerica and the Caribbean
Muchas gracias to Alex for that amazing link! I learned quite a bit from watching it. It was interesting to note that the narrator stated that Queso Oaxaca originated in Etla. I always wondered why certain brands of string cheese were cheaper than the others. Now I know and can explain it to other people. Also interesting to know that there are variations on how they get the milk to curdle and the exact Ph that they need and the temperature of the hot water. No keeping of industrial secrets here. Rachel, I am sure that you will get to the bottom of all this eventually. You are a good food detective. The best one that I know anyway. In the meantime I am having fun learning more and more about cheese. Thank you :)
Wow! No hay de que!
Thanks for the shout out and interesting to see an example of ‘mexican fake cheese’
Right now I am trying to find a Spanish cheese that is similar to queso oaxaca – so I can challange the italians!
Make sure that it isn’t based on Mexican queso oaxaca………..
I think Adam’s said it!
Aguascalientes is a preferred brand of dairy products. Their crema is excellent. There was one product of theirs I didn’t like. It was like a ricotta, in a small, flat round container. Surely it wasn’t ricotta?
Saludos,
Don Cuevas
Yes, i agree about Aguascalientes. I always bought it when I was in Guanajuato. I find it harder to locate here in Mexico City. Was the ricotta-like cheese requeson?
The dimly recalled Ags product is not on their products page
http://www.cremeriaaguascalientes.com.mx/productos.html
Saludos,
Don Cuevas
Tried to watch video thru youtube and it wouldnt let me..said the video was private
Thanks for letting me know Heather. I found and inserted a newer video on the making of Oaxacan cheese also featuring Abraham Villegas. Here’s the link. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4EYnODgxXo