Cotija Cheese
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Cotija Cheese
Cotija is an aged Mexican cheese made from cow's milk and named after the town of Cotija, Michoacán. White in color and firm in texture, its flavor is salty and milky. "Young" (or fresher) cotija cheese has been described as akin to a mild feta, while aged (''añejo'') cotija is more comparable in flavor to hard, aged cheeses like Parmesan. Cotija softens when exposed to heat, but does not melt. Queso Cotija de Montaña El queso Cotija de Montaña or "grain cheese" is dry, firm, and very salty (the cheese is usually several times saltier than typical cheese, traditionally so that it will keep better). It is a seasonal cheese produced in limited quantities only from July to October because the cows are fed only on the rich grass that grows naturally on the mountains during the rainy season, giving the cheese its unique color and flavor. Tajo variety "Tajo" cheese is a moister, fattier, and less salty version that holds its shape when cut, with a flavor similar to Greek feta. ...
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Cheeses Of Mexico
Cheeses in Mexico have a history that begins with the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, Spanish conquest, as dairy products were unknown in Pre-Columbian era, pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. The Spanish brought dairy animals, such as cattle, sheep, and goats, as well as cheesemaking techniques. Over the colonial period, cheesemaking was modified to suit the mixed European and indigenous tastes of the inhabitants of New Spain, varying by region. This blending and variations have given rise to a number of varieties of Mexican cheeses. These are most popular in the country, although European cheeses are made, as well. Almost all cheese in Mexico is made with cows’ milk, with some made from goats’ milk. More recently, efforts have been made to promote Sheep milk, sheep's milk cheeses. Most cheeses are made with Raw milk, raw (unpasteurized) milk. Cheeses are made in the home, on small farms or ranches, and by major dairy product firms. Between 20 and 40 different varieties of cheese ...
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Queso Blanco
Queso blanco (), literally ''white cheese'' in Spanish, can refer to many different kinds of cheeses whose only common trait is their white color. The specific cheese referred to depends on the region. Production Queso blanco is considered one of the easier cheeses to make, as it requires no careful handling and does not call for rennet or bacterial culture. It is usually made by heating whole fresh milk to near-boiling, adding an acidifying agent such as vinegar, stirring until curds form, then draining the curds in cheesecloth for three to five hours. Such cheeses are also known as "bag cheeses," as the curds are normally hung in a bag of cheesecloth to drain. Many Mexican home cooks make their own instead of purchasing it; when made for the evening meal, it is often prepared in the early afternoon and left to drain until evening. As it is highly perishable, it must be refrigerated or used immediately once the whey has drained out. Common uses Queso blanco and queso fresc ...
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List Of Cheeses
This is a list of cheeses by place of origin. Cheese is a milk-based food that is produced in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms. Hundreds of types of cheese from various countries are produced. Their styles, textures and flavors depend on the origin of the milk (including the animal's diet), whether they have been pasteurized, the butterfat content, the bacteria and mold, the processing, and aging. Herbs, spices, or wood smoke may be used as flavoring agents. The yellow to red color of many cheeses, such as Red Leicester, is normally formed from adding annatto. While most current varieties of cheese may be traced to a particular locale, or culture, within a single country, some have a more diffuse origin, and cannot be considered to have originated in a particular place, but are associated with a whole region, such as queso blanco in Latin America. Cheese is an ancient food whose origins predate recorded history. There is no conclusive evidence indicating where che ...
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Mexican Cuisine
Mexican cuisine consists of the cooking cuisines and traditions of the modern country of Mexico. Its earliest roots lie in Mesoamerican cuisine. Its ingredients and methods begin with the first agricultural communities such as the Olmec and Maya who domesticated maize, created the standard process of maize nixtamalization, and established their foodways. Successive waves of other Mesoamerican groups brought with them their own cooking methods. These included: the Teotihuacanos, Toltec, Huastec, Zapotec, Mixtec, Otomi, Purépecha, Totonac, Mazatec, Mazahua, and Nahua. With the Mexica formation of the multi-ethnic Triple Alliance (Aztec Empire), culinary foodways became infused (Aztec cuisine). Today's food staples native to the land include corn (maize), turkey, beans, squash, amaranth, chia, avocados, tomatoes, tomatillos, cacao, vanilla, agave, spirulina, sweet potato, cactus, and chili pepper. Its history over the centuries has resulted in regional cuisines based on ...
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Pan Dulce
Pan dulce, literally meaning "sweet bread", is the general name for a variety of Mexican pastries. Bread was introduced in Mexico by Spanish colonists, settlers and immigrants; however, Mexican pan dulce as we know it today rose to popularity during the French occupation in the mid 1800s. They are inexpensive treats and are consumed as breakfast and or dinner. Types The creative contribution of French baked goods to Mexico's cuisine peaked in the early 20th century during the dictatorship of Porfirio Díaz. Skilled Mexican bakers adopted French techniques to create new bread designs with colorful names. Today it is estimated that there are between 500 and 2,000 types of bread currently produced in Mexico. Among these are: *Alamar *Almohada *Antaño *Barquillo *Barra para rebanadas *Beso *Bicicletas *Bigote *Bisquet *Bocado *Budín *Burrita *Calabaza *Calvo *Calzón *Canasta *Caracol *Cemita *Chafaldrana *Chamuco *Chicharrón *Chilindrina *Chimistlán *Chirimoya *Chirindolf ...
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Pound Cake
Pound cake is a type of cake traditionally made with a pound of each of four ingredients: flour, butter, eggs, and sugar. Pound cakes are generally baked in either a loaf pan or a Bundt mold. They are sometimes served either dusted with powdered sugar, lightly glazed, or with a coat of icing. History It is believed that the pound cake is of northern European origin and dates back to the early 1700s. A recipe for pound cake is in the first U.S. cookbook, '' American Cookery'', which was published in 1796. Over time the ingredients for pound cake changed. Eliza Leslie, who wrote the 1851 edition of Direction for Cookery, used 10 eggs, beat them as lightly as possible, mixed them with a pound of flour, then added the juice of two lemons or three large oranges. This changed the flavor and texture of the cake. In the 2008 issue of ''Saveur'', James Villas wrote that cake flour would not work in place of all-purpose flour because it lacks the strength to support the heavy batter ...
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Quesadilla Salvadoreña
Quesadilla salvadoreña is a pan dulce, similar to a pound cake, made with rice flour and queso duro blanco and topped with sesame seeds, that is popular in El Salvador. Queso duro blanco is near impossible to obtain outside of El Salvador, so the substitute for it is usually either cotija, Parmesan or feta cheese.  It is commonly served with coffee as part of breakfast or as a snack. It is traditionally baked on Sunday mornings. By the 21st century the dish was increasingly found in US cities with large Salvadoran diaspora populations, such as San Antonio, New York, and Los Angeles. Culinary History When the Spanish conquistadors arrived at the beginning of the 16th century, a new agriculture was created in El Salvador. These new ingredients such as animals and vegetables, had been implemented into El Salvador and the European ways of cooking had interconnected with native ingredients and dishes. There are also multiple economical and environmental factors that have i ...
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Salvadoran Cuisine
Salvadoran cuisine is a style of cooking derived from the nation of El Salvador. The indigenous foods consist of a mix of Native American cuisine from groups such as the Lenca, Pipil, Maya Poqomam, Maya Chʼortiʼ, Alaguilac, Mixe, and Cacaopera peoples. Many of the dishes are made with maize (corn). There is also heavy use of pork and seafood. Eurasian ingredients were incorporated after the Spanish conquest. El Salvador's most notable dish is the ''pupusa'', a thick handmade corn flour or rice flour flatbread stuffed with cheese, ''chicharrón'' (cooked pork meat ground to a paste consistency), refried beans or ''loroco'' (a vine flower bud native to Central America). There are also vegetarian options, often with ayote (a type of squash) or garlic. Some restaurants even offer pupusas stuffed with shrimp or spinach which are served with ''salsa roja'', a cooked tomato sauce, often served with ''curtido''. ''Pollo encebollado'' is another popular Salvadoran dish that contains c ...
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Romano Cheese
Romano cheese is a term used in the United States and Canada for a class of hard, salty cheese suitable primarily for grating similar to Pecorino Romano, from which the name is derived. In spite of the name, it should not be confused with genuine Pecorino Romano which is an Italian product recognized and protected by the laws of the European Union, though United States law allows Romano produced entirely from sheep's milk to be called "Pecorino Romano". Per U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations, Romano cheese can be made from cow, goat, and/or sheep's milk. It must contain less than 34% water and at least 38% milkfat. Cream, skim milk and/or dry milk and water can be added or removed to create the correct level of milkfat. Milk can be bleached with benzoyl peroxide or a mixture of benzoyl peroxide with potassium alum, calcium sulfate, and magnesium carbonate but, in that case, vitamin A must be added after treatment. Safe artificial blue or green coloring may be added o ...
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Taco
A taco (, , ) is a traditional Mexican food consisting of a small hand-sized corn- or wheat-based tortilla topped with a filling. The tortilla is then folded around the filling and eaten by hand. A taco can be made with a variety of fillings, including beef, pork, chicken, seafood, beans, vegetables, and cheese, allowing for great versatility and variety. They are often garnished with various condiments, such as salsa, guacamole, or sour cream, and vegetables, such as lettuce, onion, tomatoes, and chiles. Tacos are a common form of antojitos, or Mexican street food, which have spread around the world. Tacos can be contrasted with similar foods such as burritos, which are often much larger and rolled rather than folded; taquitos, which are rolled and fried; or chalupas/ tostadas, in which the tortilla is fried before filling. Etymology The origins of the taco are not precisely known, and etymologies for the culinary usage of the word are generally theoretical. ''Taco'' in ...
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Cotija, Michoacán
Cotija is a municipality located in the Mexican state of Michoacán. The municipality has an area of 504.05 km2 (0.91% of the surface of the state), and is bordered to the north by Jiquilpan and Villamar, to the east by Tocumbo, and to south by the state of Jalisco. The municipality had a population of 18,207 inhabitants according to the 2005 census. Its municipal seat is the city of Cotija de la Paz (pop. 12,453). Cotija is the birthplace of several religious figures, including Saint Rafael Guízar Valencia and Father Marcial Maciel. The economy of the municipality is mostly based on agriculture and ranching. Cotija cheese is named after the city. The municipal president of Cotija and its many outlying communities was José Mendoza Morfín in 2008. History Versions differ regarding the founding date of Cotija. The Reverend Jose Romero places the founding between 1575 and 1576, in a site called Cotixa, which was situated near the Rio Claro (Clear River), Mr. Melchor Ma ...
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Tostada (tortilla)
Tostada ( or ; , ) is the name given to various dishes in Mexico and other parts of Latin America which include a toasted tortilla as the main base of their preparation. The name usually refers to a flat or bowl-shaped tortilla that is deep-fried or toasted, but may also refer to any dish using a ''tostada'' as a base. It can be consumed alone, or used as a base for other foods. Corn tortillas are usually used for tostadas, although tostadas made of wheat or other ingredients can also be found. Preparation Just like stale bread can be made palatable as toast, a stale tortilla can be repurposed as a tostada by frying it in boiling oil until it becomes golden, rigid, and crunchy. Commercial tostadas are similar in taste and consistency to tortilla chips. Tostadas are a standalone dish in Mexico and the American Southwest, and are also served as a companion to various Mexican foods, mostly seafood and stews, such as menudo, birria and pozole. Tostadas can be found across Mex ...
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