Minas cheese ( or pt, queijo-de-minas, , literally "cheese from Minas") is a type of

cheese Cheese is a dairy product produced in wide ranges of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk, usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. During production, ...

that has been traditionally produced in the

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

ian

state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

Minas Gerais Minas Gerais () is a state in Southeastern Brazil. It ranks as the second most populous, the third by gross domestic product (GDP), and the fourth largest by area in the country. The state's capital and largest city, Belo Horizonte (literally ...

. It comes in three varieties, named (fresh), (half-aged) and (aged). A fourth variety, branded ("standard" cheese) has been developed more recently and can be found in nearly all supermarkets and grocery stores in Brazil. It is similar to , but not as immensely juicy, soft and mild, and also generally less salty. Minas cheese is made from

cow's milk Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfed human infants) before they are able to digest solid food. Immune factors and immune-modulati ...

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. cheese (as the name implies) is served quite fresh, about 4–10 days after preparation, still white and tender. Good must be juicy, soft, and slightly granulated (instead of rubbery), with a mild taste. The saltiness of its taste might vary widely across producer. It is not good for cooking, except with beef or pork (the juice helps change its taste), or, as an ingredient to a wider recipe, grilled with sauces such as

soy sauce Soy sauce (also called simply soy in American English and soya sauce in British English) is a liquid condiment of Chinese origin, traditionally made from a fermented paste of soybeans, roasted grain, brine, and '' Aspergillus oryzae'' or ''Asp ...

until rubbery. It can be used to make sandwiches, pastries, and crêpes, but it gets slightly rubbery instead of stringy with heat. It pairs well with

turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

breast and other low fat

cold cut Lunch meats—also known as cold cuts, luncheon meats, cooked meats, sliced meats, cold meats, sandwich meats, and deli meats—are precooked or cured meats that are sliced and served cold or hot. They are typically served in sandwiches or on ...

s, cooked onions, tomato, as well as salad rockets, cooked

spinach Spinach (''Spinacia oleracea'') is a leafy green flowering plant native to central and western Asia. It is of the order Caryophyllales, family Amaranthaceae, subfamily Chenopodioideae. Its leaves are a common edible vegetable consumed either f ...

and other strong-tasting vegetables. cheese is ready for consumption when the juice has evaporated and the cheese has solidified and acquired a yellowish tint. Good cheese must have a white core, punctured with tiny bubbles of air, slightly more granulated than 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 and the famous (cheese bun). cheese is often served with

goiabada Goiabada (; from ''goiaba'', guava] is a Jam, conserve made of red guavas and sugar, commonly found throughout the Portuguese-speaking countries of the world. It dates back to the colonial times of Brazil, where guavas were used as a substitute ...

, a sweet product made out of

guava Guava () is a common tropical fruit cultivated in many tropical and subtropical regions. The common guava ''Psidium guajava'' (lemon guava, apple guava) is a small tree in the myrtle family ( Myrtaceae), native to Mexico, Central America, the ...

s similar to

quince cheese Quince cheese (also known as quince paste) is a sweet, thick jelly made of the pulp of the quince fruit. It is a common confection in several countries. Traditionally from Mediterranean. In Iberian Peninsula, it is called ''ate'' or ''dulce d ...

. When these two flavors are combined it is known as (Romeo & Juliet), and this combination can be eaten as it is or used in a wide variety of dishes like cake, pie or ice cream. cheese also pairs well with other forms of fruit preserve or

Doce de Leite Doce was a Portugal, Portuguese female band from the 1980s. It was one of the first girl bands in Europe. The girls took part in the Portuguese national final in order to represent the country in the Eurovision Song Contest 1980 with the song " ...

References

Brazilian cheeses Cow's-milk cheeses Culture in Minas Gerais {{Brazil-cuisine-stub

See also

References