Paraguay Cheese
Encyclopedia
Paraguay cheese is a cows' milk cheese from Paraguay. It gives the Paraguayan cuisine a high value in calories
and protein
s, especially in the salt
ed dishes recipes, very characteristic of the country and important part of its culture. This has historical and scientific reasons.
It is a special type of cheese
that is made from “curd” (a preparation that is made by mixing milk with rennet
, part of the digestive tract of certain ruminant
animals that secretes lactic acid
during the digestion
process), generally has salt and since it’s made with whole milk
, is very creamy and nutritious. It is soft and with some acid flavor, and can be preserved for about 45 days.
) and “Paraguay” (Paraguay, as the country) into Guaraní
.
The use of the word “paraguai” with an “I” instead of a “y” is because in Guaraní, the “y” is pronounced differently from the Spanish pronunciation and has another meaning, which is “water”. These ideas belong to Paraguay
s: whole milk and curd
.
The treatment of the rennet is like this: it is opened and washed very thoroughly and put in a container with a large amount of sour orange
or lemon
juice. It is left there to soak in the liquid for about three to four hours and then put out to dry in the sun. When it is dry, the rennet is ready to curdle the milk.
For the curd, the full-fat milk is put inside a container, the rennet is added, then the mixture is stirred occasionally for about an hour. After that time, it is tested by dropping some of the liquid in the palm of the hand, if there are curds then the rennet is removed and the milk is left for a short while to finish the process.
Finally, the cheese is formed by breaking the curd, after which it is left again to settle for another few hours so it loses some liquid called whey
. After this, the curd is squeezed until all the liquid is gone. When the curd has no more whey, it is put in specially made frames with rectangular shape called cheese-dishes. The next day the “kesú Paraguay” is ready to be consumed.
and cattle
) of Paraguay
.
According to some scholars of social history
of Paraguay, all the Paraguayan popular gastronomy
, which establishes itself as a small family industry after the War of Paraguay against The Triple Alliance
(Argentina
, Brazil
and Uruguay
, between 1864 and 1870), is really abundant in caloric content, because of the situation that overcame to the country after the conflict. In the aftermath of the war, food was limited, groceries were hard to find. So Paraguayan cooking has a high protein content to make up for the scarcity of daily meals.
Today the cheeses elaborated in the Mennonite
colonies located mostly in the Paraguayan Chaco
.
Food energy
Food energy is the amount of energy obtained from food that is available through cellular respiration.Food energy is expressed in food calories or kilojoules...
and protein
Protein
Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...
s, especially in the salt
Salt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
ed dishes recipes, very characteristic of the country and important part of its culture. This has historical and scientific reasons.
It is a special type of cheese
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 is made from “curd” (a preparation that is made by mixing milk with rennet
Rennet
Rennet is a complex of enzymes produced in any mammalian stomach to digest the mother's milk, and is often used in the production of cheese. Rennet contains many enzymes, including a proteolytic enzyme that coagulates the milk, causing it to separate into solids and liquid...
, part of the digestive tract of certain ruminant
Ruminant
A ruminant is a mammal of the order Artiodactyla that digests plant-based food by initially softening it within the animal's first compartment of the stomach, principally through bacterial actions, then regurgitating the semi-digested mass, now known as cud, and chewing it again...
animals that secretes lactic acid
Lactic acid
Lactic acid, also known as milk acid, is a chemical compound that plays a role in various biochemical processes and was first isolated in 1780 by the Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele. Lactic acid is a carboxylic acid with the chemical formula C3H6O3...
during the digestion
Digestion
Digestion is the mechanical and chemical breakdown of food into smaller components that are more easily absorbed into a blood stream, for instance. Digestion is a form of catabolism: a breakdown of large food molecules to smaller ones....
process), generally has salt and since it’s made with whole milk
Milk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
, is very creamy and nutritious. It is soft and with some acid flavor, and can be preserved for about 45 days.
Origin of the name
The name “kesú paraguai” (Paraguay cheese) comes from the transformation of the words “cheese” (queso in SpanishSpanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
) and “Paraguay” (Paraguay, as the country) into Guaraní
Guaraní language
Guaraní, specifically the primary variety known as Paraguayan Guaraní , is an indigenous language of South America that belongs to the Tupí–Guaraní subfamily of the Tupian languages. It is one of the official languages of Paraguay , where it is spoken by the majority of the population, and half of...
.
The use of the word “paraguai” with an “I” instead of a “y” is because in Guaraní, the “y” is pronounced differently from the Spanish pronunciation and has another meaning, which is “water”. These ideas belong to Paraguay
Ingredients
The ingredients used in the manufacture of “Paraguay cheese” are both dairy productDairy product
Dairy products are generally defined as foods produced from cow's or domestic buffalo's milk. They are usually high-energy-yielding food products. A production plant for such processing is called a dairy or a dairy factory. Raw milk for processing comes mainly from cows, and, to a lesser extent,...
s: whole milk and curd
Curd
Curds are a dairy product obtained by curdling milk with rennet or an edible acidic substance such as lemon juice or vinegar, and then draining off the liquid portion. The increased acidity causes the milk proteins to tangle into solid masses, or curds. The remaining liquid, which contains only...
.
Preparation
The preparation consists of three processes: the treatment of the rennet, the making of the curd and finally the manufacture of the cheese itself.The treatment of the rennet is like this: it is opened and washed very thoroughly and put in a container with a large amount of sour orange
Orange (fruit)
An orange—specifically, the sweet orange—is the citrus Citrus × sinensis and its fruit. It is the most commonly grown tree fruit in the world....
or lemon
Lemon
The lemon is both a small evergreen tree native to Asia, and the tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit. The fruit is used for culinary and non-culinary purposes throughout the world – primarily for its juice, though the pulp and rind are also used, mainly in cooking and baking...
juice. It is left there to soak in the liquid for about three to four hours and then put out to dry in the sun. When it is dry, the rennet is ready to curdle the milk.
For the curd, the full-fat milk is put inside a container, the rennet is added, then the mixture is stirred occasionally for about an hour. After that time, it is tested by dropping some of the liquid in the palm of the hand, if there are curds then the rennet is removed and the milk is left for a short while to finish the process.
Finally, the cheese is formed by breaking the curd, after which it is left again to settle for another few hours so it loses some liquid called whey
Whey
Whey or Milk Serum is the liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained. It is a by-product of the manufacture of cheese or casein and has several commercial uses. Sweet whey is manufactured during the making of rennet types of hard cheese like cheddar or Swiss cheese...
. After this, the curd is squeezed until all the liquid is gone. When the curd has no more whey, it is put in specially made frames with rectangular shape called cheese-dishes. The next day the “kesú Paraguay” is ready to be consumed.
History
The elaboration of the “kesú paraguai” started in the country states (dedicated to the agricultureAgriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
and cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
) of Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
.
According to some scholars of social history
Social history
Social history, often called the new social history, is a branch of History that includes history of ordinary people and their strategies of coping with life. In its "golden age" it was a major growth field in the 1960s and 1970s among scholars, and still is well represented in history departments...
of Paraguay, all the Paraguayan popular gastronomy
Gastronomy
Gastronomy is the art or science of food eating. Also, it can be defined as the study of food and culture, with a particular focus on gourmet cuisine...
, which establishes itself as a small family industry after the War of Paraguay against The Triple Alliance
Treaty of the Triple Alliance
The Treaty of the Triple Alliance was a treaty which allied Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay in the Paraguayan War. Signed at the beginning of the war, its articles prescribed the allies' actions both during and after the war.- Legal Restrictions :...
(Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, 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...
and Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
, between 1864 and 1870), is really abundant in caloric content, because of the situation that overcame to the country after the conflict. In the aftermath of the war, food was limited, groceries were hard to find. So Paraguayan cooking has a high protein content to make up for the scarcity of daily meals.
Today the cheeses elaborated in the Mennonite
Mennonite
The Mennonites are a group of Christian Anabaptist denominations named after the Frisian Menno Simons , who, through his writings, articulated and thereby formalized the teachings of earlier Swiss founders...
colonies located mostly in the Paraguayan Chaco
Chaco Department
The Paraguayan Chaco or Región Occidental is a semi-arid region in Paraguay, with a very low population density.The Chaco is a large geographic area that is sparsely populated. Many of those living in the region are native peoples...
.