Colony cheese facts for kids
Colony cheese is a special kind of cheese. It comes from the highlands of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil and also from Uruguay. This cheese is a very famous food in southern Brazil. You can also find it made in Santa Catarina. Even though it's popular in Brazil, it first came from Uruguay.
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How Colony Cheese is Made
This cheese is often made by hand in small batches. It usually comes from farms in the highlands. About 200 years ago, German and Italian immigrants moved to these areas. They brought their old traditions of making cheese with them.
Making Colony cheese is not expensive. This is because the process is quite simple. The main things needed are milk, salt, and special milk enzymes. After mixing, the cheese needs time to get ready. This is called maturing or aging. It can take several months.
As the cheese ages, it gets its special qualities. The inside becomes soft and a little spicy. It has a rich, complex flavor. The outside forms a solid yellow crust. The older the cheese gets, the bigger and harder its crust becomes. This also makes the flavor stronger and more noticeable.
Sometimes, small white mold might grow on the outside. But don't worry, this does not mean the cheese is bad! You can prevent this by keeping the cheese in a place that is not too humid. People often eat this cheese with red wines. It is also great for cooking. You can use it on pizzas, in lasagnas, and with other pasta dishes.
What Makes Colony Cheese Special
Colony cheese has a mild, slightly spicy taste. It also has a fresh, milky flavor. The inside of the cheese is a pale yellow color. It is made without any added colors or preservatives.
The outside of the cheese is hard or semi-hard. But the inside is soft and quite creamy. It is also stretchy, which means it has good elasticity. This cheese is easy to slice. It also melts well when it gets warm, making it perfect for cooking.
Colony cheese is shaped like a flat cylinder. It usually weighs from 800 grams to 4 kilograms.
The History of Colony Cheese
The idea for this cheese was first brought by a person named Juan Teófilo Karlen. He took it to a Swiss settlement called Nueva Helvecia. This town is in the Colonia area of Uruguay. That's why the cheese is called "Colony cheese"!
See also
Learn more in Spanish: Queijo de colônia para niños
