Oaxaca cheese
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (March 2010) |
| Queso Oaxaca | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Country of origin | Mexico |
| Region | Oaxaca |
| Source of milk | Cows |
| Texture | Semi-hard |
| Named after | Oaxaca, cord |
 Related media on Commons | |
Oaxaca cheese (Spanish: Queso Oaxaca) is a white, semihard cheese from Mexico, similar to unaged Monterey Jack, but with a mozzarella-like string cheese texture. Outside Mexico, Oaxaca cheese is often confused with "asadero cheese" (or "queso asadero" in Spanish), a cheese produced in the Northern state of Chihuahua. They are similar in texture and taste but they are produced with different methods, making Oaxaca cheese slightly dryer.[1]
It is named after the state of Oaxaca in southern Mexico, where it was first made. The string cheese process, originally from Italy, which is used to produce mozzarella, was brought to Mexico by the Dominican monks that settled in Oaxaca. However, as goat milk was unavailable, they started using cow milk instead. The cheese is available in several different shapes.
The production process is complicated and involves stretching the cheese into long ribbons and rolling it up like a ball of yarn. Italian mozzarella is another cheese which is processed by stretching (the pasta filata process).
Queso Oaxaca is used widely in Mexican cuisine, especially in quesadillas and empanadas, where the queso Oaxaca is melted and other ingredients, such as huitlacoche and squash flowers, are added to the filling.[2]
-
-
A tlayuda topped with tomato and strings of quesillo Oaxaca.
See also
References
- ^ Villegas de Gante, Abraham. Tecnología Quesera. Editorial Trillas. pp. 451–456. ISBN 9789682469992.
- ^ "The Cook's Thesaurus". Lori Alden. Retrieved 2011-10-29.
External links
Media related to Oaxaca cheese at Wikimedia Commons
 | This cheese-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 | This Mexican cuisine–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |