Oaxaca cheese facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Quesillo
Other names	Quesillo de Oaxaca, Oaxaca cheese
Country of origin	Mexico
Region	Oaxaca
Source of milk	Cow
Texture	Semi-hard

Oaxaca cheese (Spanish: queso Oaxaca) is a white, semi-hard cheese from Mexico. It's also known as quesillo. This cheese is a bit like Monterey Jack but has a texture similar to mozzarella or string cheese. It's famous for being able to be pulled apart into strings.

The Story of Oaxaca Cheese

This special cheese gets its name from the state of Oaxaca in southern Mexico, where it was first made. The unique way of making string cheese, called pasta filata, came from Italy. Dominican friars brought this method to Oaxaca a long time ago. In Italy, this process often uses milk from water buffalo. But in Oaxaca, they used cow's milk instead, creating the delicious cheese we know today.

How Oaxaca Cheese is Made

Making Oaxaca cheese is a bit tricky! It involves a special process called pasta filata. First, the cheese is stretched into very long, thin ribbons. Imagine pulling a piece of dough until it's super long and thin. Then, these long ribbons are carefully rolled up into a ball, much like a ball of yarn. This unique method gives Oaxaca cheese its famous stringy texture. Mozzarella is another type of cheese made using this same pasta filata method.

Ways to Enjoy Oaxaca Cheese

Queso Oaxaca is a very popular ingredient in Mexican cuisine. It's especially loved for making quesadillas. In a quesadilla, the queso Oaxaca is melted inside a tortilla. People often add other yummy fillings like huitlacoche (a type of corn mushroom) or squash flowers. It's also used in empanadas, which are tasty baked or fried pastries with fillings.

Oaxaca Cheese Around the World

Sometimes, people confuse Oaxaca cheese with asadero cheese, which is made in northern Mexico. While they look similar, Oaxaca cheese is usually more moist because it's made differently.

In Costa Rica, this cheese is known as Queso Palmito. It got this name because its stringy texture reminds people of heart of palm (which is called palmito). You can find it made in certain areas of Costa Rica, like San Carlos and Zarcero.

In Nicaragua and El Salvador, people simply call this cheese Quesillo.

Images for kids

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  A quesadilla with queso Oaxaca, flor de calabaza, and epazote

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  A tlayuda topped with tomato and strings of quesillo Oaxaca

See also

In Spanish: Queso Oaxaca para niños