Minas cheese
Encyclopedia
Minas cheese is a type of cheese
that has been traditionally produced in the Brazil
ian state of Minas Gerais
. It comes in three varieties, named Frescal (fresh cheese), Meia-cura (slightly matured cheese) and Curado (matured cheese). A fourth variety, branded Queijo Padrão (standard cheese) has been developed more recently and can be found in nearly all supermarkets and grocery stores in Brazil.
Minas cheese is made from cow's milk according to traditional recipes. It used to be matured naturally in open air or, much less often, over a cooker to dry with the heat.
Frescal cheese (as the name implies) is served quite fresh, about 4–10 days after preparation, still white and tender. Good frescal must be juicy, soft, slightly granulated (instead of rubbery), with a mild taste. It is not good for cooking, except with beef or pork (the juice helps change the taste of it). It can be used to make sandwiches.
Curado cheese is ready for consumption when the juice has evaporated and the cheese has solidified and acquired a yellowish tint. Good curado cheese must have a white core, punctured with tiny bubbles of air, slightly more granulated than frescal and with a stronger taste, tending to bitter. It is excellent for cooking, being used for a huge variety of dishes of all types, including Pastel de Queijo
and the famous pão de queijo (cheese bread).
Cheese
Cheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....
that has been traditionally produced in the Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian state of Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais is one of the 26 states of Brazil, of which it is the second most populous, the third richest, and the fourth largest in area. Minas Gerais is the Brazilian state with the largest number of Presidents of Brazil, the current one, Dilma Rousseff, being one of them. The capital is the...
. It comes in three varieties, named Frescal (fresh cheese), Meia-cura (slightly matured cheese) and Curado (matured cheese). A fourth variety, branded Queijo Padrão (standard cheese) has been developed more recently and can be found in nearly all supermarkets and grocery stores in Brazil.
Minas cheese is made from cow's milk according to traditional recipes. It used to be matured naturally in open air or, much less often, over a cooker to dry with the heat.
Frescal cheese (as the name implies) is served quite fresh, about 4–10 days after preparation, still white and tender. Good frescal must be juicy, soft, slightly granulated (instead of rubbery), with a mild taste. It is not good for cooking, except with beef or pork (the juice helps change the taste of it). It can be used to make sandwiches.
Curado cheese is ready for consumption when the juice has evaporated and the cheese has solidified and acquired a yellowish tint. Good curado cheese must have a white core, punctured with tiny bubbles of air, slightly more granulated than frescal and with a stronger taste, tending to bitter. It is excellent for cooking, being used for a huge variety of dishes of all types, including Pastel de Queijo
Pastel (food)
Pastel is the name given to different typical dishes of many countries of Hispanic or Portuguese origin.-Pastel in Brazil:In Brazil, pastel is a typical fast food Brazilian dish, consisting of thin pastry envelope wrapping with assorted fillings that is deep fried in vegetable oil. The result is a...
and the famous pão de queijo (cheese bread).
See also
- List of Brazilian dishes
- Brazilian cuisine