Minas cheese — a dairy delight from an agricultural region in Brazil that gives it its name — was added to UNESCO’s global list of intangible cultural heritage on Wednesday.
The inscription elevates the cheese’s profile internationally and helps protect the traditions involved in its production.
The cheese, called Queijo Minas in Portuguese, is made from fresh cow’s milk. It is firm and has a mild, slightly salty flavor.
It comes in different varieties: fresh, which is somewhat reminiscent of ricotta, although with a different texture; semi-cured; and cured.
The cheese comes from the state of Minas Gerais, in southeastern Brazil, a region — with a population of 20 million — known for its mines and agriculture.
The state is the largest hub for milk and cheese production in South America.
Minas cheese is still largely produced by family-owned businesses on small farms nestled in green hills — about 9,000 of them in different parts of the state.
They mix raw milk with “pingo” (drop), a natural starter culture made up of bacteria typical to each region, according to Brazil’s dossier submitted to UNESCO, which, combined with “the maturation period and the climate of each location, contributes to the specific flavor, color, and aroma of the cheeses.”
The tradition of making Queijo Minas began in the 18th century — when half of the gold used on the planet came from the mines of Minas Gerais, then under Portuguese control.
The Portuguese brought the European techniques necessary for preserving food on long journeys within that vast Brazilian region.
These techniques were then locally adapted and passed down orally through generations, maintaining family traditions and the character stemming from the microclimates of the properties.
The inclusion of Queijo Minas in the UNESCO intangible heritage list makes it the seventh Brazilian cultural tradition on that list. It now joins capoeira — the dance/martial art sport — and the traditional carnival rhythm from the Recife region in the northeast of the country.
It is the first Brazilian food to enter the category.
Source: AFP