Bushra Griffith
Queso Paraguay, or Paraguayan cheese, is a staple of traditional Paraguayan cuisine and is used in several dishes, including the popular Chipa, a savoury Paraguayan cheese bread. Paraguayan cheese is made from cow's milk and has a soft, creamy texture and a slightly acidic flavour. The process of making the cheese involves three steps: treating the rennet, making the curd, and manufacturing the cheese itself. The rennet is soaked in sour orange or lemon juice for several hours and then dried in the sun. Once dry, it is added to full-fat milk and stirred for about an hour to form the curd. The curd is then broken and left to settle for a few hours to release liquid, after which it is squeezed to remove any remaining liquid and placed in a rectangular frame. The cheese is then ready to be consumed the next day.
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What You'll Learn
Ingredients: whole milk and curd
The ingredients used in the manufacture of “Paraguay cheese” are both dairy products: whole milk and curd. The preparation consists of three processes: the treatment of the rennet, the making of the curd, and finally, the manufacture of the cheese itself.
To make the curd, full-fat milk is put inside a container, and rennet is added. The mixture is then stirred occasionally for about an hour. After that, a small amount of the liquid is dropped onto the palm of the hand to test if there are curds. If there are, the rennet is removed, and the milk is left for a short while to finish the process. The curd is then squeezed until all the liquid is gone.
When the curd has no more whey, it is placed in specially made rectangular frames called cheese dishes. The next day, the "kesú Paraguay" is ready to be consumed.
To make curd cheese from cultured milk, you can simply leave milk on a warming shelf until it curdles. Another method is to prepare a colander with cheesecloth draped in it, being careful to ensure that the cloth overhangs the edges all the way around. You then pour the milk into the cheesecloth and let it sit for about 12 hours to separate the curds from the whey.
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Rennet preparation
To make Paraguayan cheese, rennet preparation is a crucial step in the process. Rennet is a key ingredient that plays a vital role in curdling the milk and transforming it into cheese. Here is a detailed guide on how to prepare rennet for making Paraguayan cheese:
- Opening and Cleaning the Rennet: Begin by carefully opening the rennet and thoroughly washing it. This step ensures that any impurities or contaminants are removed before proceeding to the next steps.
- Soaking in Sour Orange or Lemon Juice: Place the cleaned rennet in a container with sour orange or lemon juice and allow it to soak for 3 to 4 hours. This process helps to soften the rennet.
- Drying in the Sun: After soaking, remove the rennet from the liquid and dry it in the sun. Natural sunlight will gently dry the rennet, preparing it for its role in curdling the milk.
- Curdling Milk: Once the rennet is completely dry, it's ready to curdle the milk. Add the rennet to full-fat milk and stir the mixture for about an hour.
- Curd Formation: As the milk curdles, solid curds will form. At this stage, the curds are not yet ready for cheese-making and need further processing.
- Breaking the Curd: After the initial curd formation, it's important to break the curd to encourage the release of more whey.
- Settling and Liquid Loss: Allow the broken curd to settle for several hours to release more liquid (whey).
- Squeezing Out Remaining Liquid: Squeeze the curd to remove any remaining liquid, leaving a solid mass.
By following these steps, you will have successfully prepared the rennet and created a curd that is ready for the final stages of Paraguayan cheese-making.
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Curd making
To make curd for Paraguay cheese, you will need whole milk and rennet. First, open and thoroughly wash the rennet, then place it in a container with a large amount of sour orange or lemon juice. Leave the rennet to soak for three to four hours, then put it out to dry in the sun. Once the rennet is dry, it is ready to curdle the milk. Place the full-fat milk inside a container, add the rennet, then stir the mixture occasionally for about an hour.
After this process, the cheese is formed by breaking the curd. The curd is then left to settle for a few hours to lose some liquid, known as whey. The curd is then squeezed until all the liquid is gone.
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Cheese formation
The process of making Paraguay cheese, or "kesú paraguai", involves three main steps: treating the rennet, making the curd, and manufacturing the cheese.
Firstly, the rennet is cleaned and soaked in sour orange or lemon juice for 3-4 hours, before being dried in the sun. The rennet is a key ingredient in the cheese-making process, as it curdles the milk. Once dried, it is ready for use.
The second step involves preparing the curd. Full-fat milk is mixed with the rennet and stirred occasionally for about an hour. This mixture then settles for a few hours, allowing some of the liquid, known as whey, to separate from the curd.
Finally, the cheese is formed. The curd is broken, and left to settle again to remove more of the whey. The remaining curd is then squeezed to remove any residual liquid. The dry curd is then placed in specially-made, rectangular frames called cheese-dishes. After a day, the Paraguay cheese is ready to be consumed.
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Consistency and flavour
Paraguay cheese, or "Queso Paraguay", is a soft, slightly acidic cheese made from raw whole cow's milk and rennet. It is a staple of traditional Paraguayan cuisine and is used in a variety of dishes, including the popular Chipa, a savoury Paraguayan cheese bread. The cheese is known for its creamy texture and rich nutrient content, as it is made without any cooking, preserving the qualities of the raw milk.
The process of making Paraguay cheese begins with the treatment of the rennet, which is extracted from the abomasum, the stomach of young ruminants that performs enzymatic digestion. The rennet is opened, washed thoroughly, and soaked in sour orange or lemon juice for around three to four hours. It is then dried in the sun and later used to curdle the milk. For the curd, full-fat milk is mixed with the prepared rennet and stirred occasionally for about an hour.
After the curdling process, the cheese is formed by breaking the curd and allowing it to settle for a few hours to release some of the whey, a liquid that forms during the process. The curd is then squeezed to remove any remaining liquid. Finally, the curd is placed in specially made rectangular frames called cheese dishes and left to settle overnight before it is ready to be consumed.
The consistency of Paraguay cheese is soft, and its flavour is described as slightly acidic. It is creamy and rich in nutrients, making it a versatile ingredient that pairs well with both sweet and savoury dishes. When fresh, it is white in colour and has a light, mild flavour. As it ages, it turns yellow, becomes greasier, hardens, and develops a stronger odour. This ageing process makes it more suitable for use in dishes like Chipa, where an older or more mature cheese is preferred.
In addition to its use in Chipa, Paraguay cheese is also commonly used in other traditional Paraguayan dishes such as mbeju, a type of cheese flatbread, and sopa paraguaya, a traditional soup or bread. It is a popular cheese in rural areas of Paraguay and is often the only type of cheese consumed in those regions.
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Frequently asked questions
Paraguay cheese, or Queso Paraguay, is made from cow's milk and curd.
The process of making Paraguay cheese involves three steps: treating the rennet, making the curd, and manufacturing the cheese itself. The rennet is soaked in sour orange or lemon juice for 3-4 hours and then dried in the sun. Full-fat milk is then mixed with the rennet and stirred for about an hour. Finally, the curd is formed by breaking the mixture, allowing it to settle, and removing the liquid.
Paraguay cheese is a staple in traditional Paraguayan cuisine and is used in various dishes. It is commonly used in Chipa, a traditional savoury Paraguayan cheese bread made with cassava flour and flavoured with anise. Other dishes that use Paraguay cheese include mbeju (a Paraguayan cheese flatbread), sopa paraguaya, and vori vori.
Paraguay cheese is unsalted, tender, and has a slightly acidic flavour. It is creamy and rich in nutrients, pairing well with sweet dishes.
