Kamil Perry
Queso, a Mexican cheese dip, is a popular appetizer in Mexican cuisine. It is typically made by melting cheese and adding dairy and flavourings. While there are many types of cheese used in Mexico, including Chihuahua, Oaxaca, and Cotija, some varieties of Mexican queso use goat's milk. Queso blanco, for example, is made from goat's milk and is described as having a mild flavour and a consistency similar to ricotta salada. Queso fresco, another Mexican cheese, is traditionally made from raw cow's milk but can also be made from a combination of cow's and goat's milk.
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What You'll Learn
Mexican queso can be made with goat's milk
Queso, the Spanish word for cheese, is an integral part of Mexican cuisine. While most Mexican cheeses are made with cow's milk, some Mexican cheeses are made with goat's milk.
Goat's milk has a sweet and creamy taste and is used to make several Mexican cheeses. Queso blanco, or "white cheese", is a mild cheese with the consistency of ricotta salada and the taste of mild mozzarella. It is a versatile cheese that can be used in Italian recipes, soups, salads, and stir-fries. Queso blanco is made by heating goat's milk to near boiling, adding vinegar to form curds, and then draining and hanging the mixture in a muslin bag.
Another Mexican cheese made with goat's milk is manchego. The Mexican version of manchego differs from its Spanish counterpart, which is made with sheep's milk. Mexican manchego has a buttery taste and melts well, making it a versatile cheese for cooking. It is available throughout Mexico and can also be found in the United States.
Oaxaca cheese, also known as quesillo or queso Oaxaca, is a type of string cheese that was traditionally made with goat's milk. However, it is now almost exclusively made with cow's milk. Oaxaca cheese has a unique appearance due to its production process, where the curds are stretched, pulled, and woven into a cohesive format resembling a ball of yarn.
In addition to these well-known varieties, there are several other Mexican cheeses that are made with goat's milk. These include Queso Menonita, a soft melting cheese found in the state of Chihuahua, and Queso de Bola de Ocosingo, a cheese from the state of Chiapas that has been granted a collective trademark by the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property.
While Mexican queso is typically made with cow's milk, there are several varieties that can be made with goat's milk, offering a range of tastes and textures that enhance the richness and diversity of Mexican cuisine.
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Queso blanco is a type of Mexican goat's milk cheese
Queso blanco, or "white cheese", is a type of Mexican cheese made from goat's milk. It is a versatile, mild cheese with a consistency similar to ricotta salada and a taste reminiscent of mild mozzarella. Unlike traditional cheeses, queso blanco does not melt completely, making it a popular choice for Indian dishes like paneer, as well as pizzas. It can be used in Italian recipes, soups, salads, and stir-fries, adding a boost of protein and calcium to any meal.
To make queso blanco, one must heat a gallon of goat's milk on a stove to near boiling (approximately 185°F to 190°F). After removing it from the heat, add 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar (or more, if needed for curdling) and stir with a slotted spoon. Once curds form, use the spoon to scoop them from the whey and place them in a butter muslin bag to drain. Adding salt at this stage is optional but recommended for enhanced flavour. The bag should then be hung or placed in a colander to drain in the sink, with occasional gentle squeezing of the whey for about 6 hours or overnight. The cheese will then be ready to eat or cook with.
Queso blanco is just one of the many varieties of Mexican cheeses, which can vary by region. While some cheeses are made in large volumes, others are purely regional and may be at risk of disappearing. Four cheeses produced in Mexico are entirely Mexican inventions: Oaxaca, Cotija, Chihuahua, and Manchego. The latter shares its name with a famous Spanish cheese made with goat's milk, but the Mexican version is typically made with cow's milk or a combination of cow's and goat's milk.
In addition to its own unique creations, Mexico also produces European-style cheeses such as feta, Spanish Manchego, Saint Maure, and Camembert. However, due to strict regulations and expectations of low prices for Mexican products in the United States, these cheeses rarely cross the border. The “Mexican cheeses” found in the United States are more accurately described as Mexican-style cheeses.
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Queso Oaxaca is a type of Mexican goat's milk cheese
Queso is the Spanish word for cheese. While goat's milk cheese is made in Mexico, it is not clear if all Mexican queso is made from goat's milk. For example, Mexican manchego cheese is often made with cow's milk, and panela cheese is made with skimmed milk.
However, one Mexican queso that is made from goat's milk is Queso Oaxaca, also known as quesillo, queso de hebra, or queso Oaxaqueño. This white, semi-hard, low-fat cheese originated in the state of Oaxaca in southern Mexico and is now used widely in Mexican cuisine, especially in quesadillas and empanadas. It is similar in flavor to unaged Monterey Jack but has a texture more like mozzarella or string cheese. This texture is due to its production process, which involves stretching the cheese into long ribbons and rolling it up like a ball of yarn.
Queso Oaxaca is made with a mixture of cow and goat milk. It is available in several different shapes, including rolled-up balls of flat ropes that pull apart like string cheese. This unusual appearance is due to the way the cheese is made—upon curdling, many strings are formed, which are then wound together to form a ball.
Queso Oaxaca is an excellent melting cheese, making it perfect for sprinkling on hot foods such as refried beans or enchiladas. It can also be used on cold or room-temperature foods, such as salads.
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Mexican manchego is made with goat's milk
Queso, the Spanish word for cheese, is used in Mexico to refer to dozens of delicious, genuine Mexican cheeses. While most Mexican cheeses are made with cow's milk, some are made with goat's milk. One such goat's milk cheese is Mexican manchego, which is made with a mixture of cow's and goat's milk. This is in contrast to the Spanish version of manchego, which is made with sheep's milk.
Mexican manchego is a Mexican invention, introduced to Mexico from the Spanish region of La Mancha. It has a buttery taste and melts well, making it a wonderful multi-purpose cheese. It is available in all parts of Mexico and can also be found in the United States. It is often served grated over dishes, and in northern Mexico, it is sometimes called asadero. As of 2018, Mexican manchego represented almost 15% of total cheese sales in Mexico.
The process of making Mexican manchego involves pressing the curd in plaited esparto grass baskets, which leaves a distinctive zig-zag pattern on the rind. The cheese has a firm and compact consistency, a buttery texture, and a distinctive flavour that is well-developed but not too strong. The colour of the cheese ranges from white to ivory-yellow, and the inedible rind is yellow to brownish-beige.
In addition to Mexican manchego, there are several other Mexican cheeses made with goat's milk. These include queso blanco, a mild cheese with the consistency of ricotta salada and the taste of mild mozzarella. Queso blanco does not melt as much as traditional cheeses, making it ideal for paneer in Indian food or even pizza. Another variety of Mexican goat's milk cheese is queso canasta or basket cheese, which is packed in rustic baskets in Mexican markets. This cheese is soft and crumbly, and when heated, it becomes creamy without melting completely, making it perfect for sprinkling on hot foods such as refried beans or enchiladas.
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Goat's milk is used to make cheese in Mexico
Goats' milk is used to make cheese in Mexico, with queso blanco being a popular variety. Queso blanco, which means "white cheese", is made by heating goats' milk to near-boiling and adding apple cider vinegar to form curds. The curds are then drained in a butter muslin bag, and salt is added for taste. This cheese is versatile and can be sprinkled on salads or other cold dishes, or used in Indian food, pizza, Italian recipes, soups, and stir-fries.
Mexico produces a wide range of cheeses, with some sources estimating between 20 and 60 varieties. Four of the most popular Mexican cheeses are cotija, chihuahua, oaxaca, and manchego. While cotija, chihuahua, and oaxaca are entirely Mexican inventions, manchego shares its name with a famous Spanish cheese that is made with goat's milk. However, the Mexican version is typically made with cow's milk, although some varieties may use a mixture of cow's and goat's milk.
Oaxaca cheese, also known as quesillo or queso de canasta, is a type of string cheese named after the state of Oaxaca in southern Mexico. It is made in the pasta filata style, where fresh cheese curd is stretched, pulled, and woven, resulting in a ball of cheese that resembles a ball of yarn. This cheese is lactic, tangy, and excellent for melting, making it ideal for quesadillas and empanadas.
Chihuahua cheese, also called queso menonita, is a soft, melting cheese found in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua. Cotija, on the other hand, is a salty cheese often used as a condiment to provide a final salty hit of flavor to dishes such as refried beans, tacos, and elote.
In addition to these popular varieties, Mexico also produces other goat's milk cheeses, such as queso crema or doble crema, which is made with cow's milk fortified with additional cream. This cheese is spreadable and commonly used in dessert preparation.
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Frequently asked questions
Queso is the Spanish word for cheese. There are several types of Mexican cheeses, including queso fresco, panela, asadero, Cotija, and Chihuahua.
Some Mexican cheeses are made from goat's milk, including queso blanco, queso fresco, and manchego. However, most Mexican cheeses are made from cow's milk.
Queso fresco is made by acidifying milk and leaving it to curdle. It is then strained in cheesecloth and pressed. The cheese can be sold immediately or aged for a few days before being packaged.
Queso fresco has a mild, milky, and fresh flavour with a salty-sour kick. It is creamy but not rich or buttery. It is a good substitute for feta or goat cheese.
