writing about food, being irritable

A few days ago I featured a Q&A with Mexican cheese expert Carlos Yescas of Lactography.com, on the grand opening of his new “Queso Store” in Mexico City’s Mercado Roma. Carlos divides his time between New York City and Mexico City, and only a day after posting that, I had the opportunity to attend an impromptu Mexican cheese tasting in Brooklyn, hosted by Liz Thorpe (author of The Cheese Chronicles) and presented by Carlos! 

Clockwise from the top, the cheeses are:

Raw milk Bola de Ocosingo, made by the Bassoul family in Chiapas; only 4 families still make this cheese, in batches of less than 50 balls a day.

Raw milk, aged Cotija, made by the Barragan family in Michoacan. If you’re used to the white, crumbly stuff that you get on corn or tacos, this cheese is a revelation. 

pasteurized-milk Queso Fresco, made in Brooklyn. 

pasteurized-milk Oaxaca, a pasta filata (pulled curd) cheese, also made in Brooklyn.