Fresh Mexican Cheeses Before Refrigeration: Queso Oreado
Cheese, it is famously said, is milk’s leap toward immortality. Sometimes. But fresh cheeses kind of hop instead of leap. So what did Mexicans do with their fresh cheeses before refrigeration?
MexicoBob took on the job of tracking down a Mexican cheese that did not feature in Los Quesos Genuinos Mexicanos. It’s called queso oreado and it sheds some light on this matter.
He heard about it from a blogger, Alfredo, whom we’ll be hearing more about.
“I am from Pueblo Nuevo and my grandmother used to make capirotada. She used piloncillo, rebanadas de bolillo, cinnamon, cloves, pecans or piñones (de los rosa) queso “oriado” crumble aged fresh cheese and chile ancho, devained, fried in lard and chopped. Of course, a cape of bread, all those ingredients, again a cape of bread, etc.
They used to make it in a big or so it seemed cazuela de barro. It was really, really good. I have not had capirotada in years. I better get busy and make some myself.”
So here’s Bob’s quest.
“The verb “orear” means “to air” or to “take air”.
Subsequently I found out that “queso oreado” is queso fresco that is “oreado”, or air-dried, which gives it a more concentrated taste and deeper color. It is a mature fatty cheese which is pressed from pasteurized cow, goat and sheep milk. It has 45% minimum fat in dry the matterand a minimum dry matter of 50%. It is aged for a couple of weeks at least.
Another name for it is “panela oreado”. No doubt there are several variations depending upon fat content, pH, moisture content, aging etcetera.
Up until electrification which in many places didn’t occur until the 1930’s and 40’s there was no way to refrigerate milk and cheese. The only cheeses that could be stored and sold in small shopes were the dried or aged type. Queso oreado was popular back then for that reason.
It came in a big brick and it would sit out on the counter for a fairly long period until all of it was sold. It was covered with chile powder for protection. It was very dry and hence crumbled easily and that is why the recipes for capirotada at that time called for crumbled queso oreado to be sprinkled on top.”
And here’s Alfredo again on how to make queso oreado.
Now, “queso oreado” is fresh cheese wich you will leave uncover in the cooler. In a few days it will form a “crust” and will crack a little and if you leave it long, will become very hard. It taste like aged cheese and I love it. You probably can find it at el mercado Hidalgo and do that procedure.
And my take. I think this would work only in very dry climates. Otherwise I think the cheese, without additional salt, or pressing to remove the moisture, or smoking, would just go bad. Certainly wrapped fresh cheese in the fridge goes bad though I have to try leaving it unwrapped at Alfredo suggests.
What does capirotada actually taste like? From what I can tell it is like a bread and butter pudding with cheese?
I’m not sure I can answer that Adam because every region has its own version and every family has their own variant.
It is at base a bread pudding but it’s not milky or eggy (unless you fry the bread in a typical Mexican egg batter) and it is much spicier. This recipe has chiles, not all do. I’ve seen tomatoes.
The constants seem to be fried bread, a spiced syrup of piloncillo, nuts and raisins, and sometimes but not always cheese, though of course this does not taste like the mature cheeses of, say, England. But this is really a question for someone who’s lived here all their life.
Pingback: Little Italy in Mexico? | The People's Guide To Mexico
You have made my mouth water just reminiscing on that delectable dish capirotada. My great-grandmother would also cook it in barro dish but the sauce used to soften the toasted and then semi-fried “birote” was a stewed tomatoes, onion, cloves, cinnamon, and piloncillo. After simmering and straining the great would be soaked in this and then layered with bread, dulce de lechec ( or condensed milk) shredded coconut, pecans, raisins, sliced almonds and cheese (cotija) and repeat the layering. Ohh what memories! Have awaken my palate.
What better than to make your mouth water, Rosie? I’ve never had tomatoes in capirotada. I’ll have to try it.
I know you had spoken about the cheese going bad after a while but I had 2 thoughts. I’m thinking if the fresh cheese is flattened out, almost like a pancake and then left in the refrigerator for a couple of days uncovered that it will dry out much quicker. I assume that would work and think that would be my first option to try. The second option is perhaps if it is aged as a block you would see the outside get bad but not necessarily the inside. Maybe just cutting the outside would be sufficient, in the same way one dry ages beef in a refrigerator. And, in that process it is often customary to wrap it in cheesecloth and change the cheesecloth every 2-3 days. Maybe that would prevent it from going bad as quickly. Just some thoughts!
Certainly, an uncovered cheese left in the fridge would dry quickly if flattened. I think though that the technique dates back to the days before refrigerators. And I think as a block it would have to be salted and pressed. But I am not an expert cheesemaker so I really appreciate your contribution to the discussion.