If you are like a lot of Americans, you may not really be all that familiar with Mexican cheeses, having run across cheese in Mexican dishes only as cheddar or Monterey Jack in the occasional burrito or taco. Even though these cheeses may be a good match for some of these Mexican recipes, at least in their Americanized form, there are a lot of Mexican cheeses out there, which you should certainly consider adding to your personal Mexican cooking repertoire.
Mexico has its own cheese making tradition with many different kinds to try. Fortunately for cooks, Mexican cheeses are becoming more widely available, making this part of Mexico's culinary tradition accessible to Americans interested in trying their hand at this exciting cuisine.
Cheese (or queso as it is known in Spanish) came to the New World along with the conquistadors. The European colonists brought cows and goats before long, dairy products began being produced in the country, which were uniquely Mexican. There are now a wide variety of different Mexican cheeses, each with its own character and flavor. You will find these cheeses used in many different authentic Mexican recipes, which showcase them with ingredients, which complement their flavors and textures perfectly.
Quesadillas are one of the more familiar Mexican dishes in the US; however, queso Oaxaca, the cheese customarily used to make them is far less so. This cheese is a mild flavored string cheese, which is great on its own as a snacking cheese as well as being ideal for quesadillas, enchiladas, and other Mexican recipes with melted cheese. If you can find this cheese in your local markets, give it a try the next time you are thinking of making quesadillas at home.
Cotija is a hard cheese, which is usually grated or crumbled. This cheese has a sharp, salty flavor, which makes it a terrific addition to salads. This cheese is also excellent as a topping for refried beans or soups. Cotija is very similar to Romano cheese in both flavor and texture, though it has a certain quality which is all its own. Cotija is named for the town in Michoacn state where the cheese originates from.
Queso criollo is a mild, nutty yellow cheese, which is not dissimilar to Munster. This cheese hails from the Mexican state of Guererro, is excellent on tortas (Mexican sandwiches), and grated for use in quesadillas and other Mexican recipes where cheese is to be melted. Try it anywhere you would use Munster cheese as well as in Mexican dishes.
Queso fresco is a very popular Mexican cheese, which actually came over from Europe with the conquistadores. Usually made with a mixture of goat and cow milks, this mild cheese is soft and crumbly and is an excellent partner for tacos, salads and for something a little different, you will find that queso fresco is terrific served with fruit.
It would take a lot more space than we have here to go into detail about all of the many delicious Mexican cheeses, which can add little something extra to your favorite Mexican recipes. If you like to cook Mexican food at home, be sure to pay a visit to your local Mexican grocer and explore some new tastes.
Authentic Mexican recipes might conjure up images of hot crunchy tacos, richly flavorful enchiladas, crunchy nachos with melted cheese and jalapeno slices on top or even cleverly spiced Mexican casseroles. Traditional Mexican food is both healthy and easy to make, even for beginner cooks, so why not try out a Mexican dish?
Check out www.MexicanFoodRecipes.org
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