The Mexican- Maya Pantry: Part Four - Dairy

This month we are continuing our exploration of the delicious ingredients common in pantries and kitchens across the Maya region of Mexico. Having already discussed herbs and spices, chiles and popular protein sources, we now turn our attention to the dairy products such as cheeses, creams and milks which you would be likely to come across on the Yucatán Peninsula.

Dairy products were not part of the Mesoamerican diet in the area that makes up modern day Mexico, and were seemingly unknown to the local people until they were introduced by the Spanish invaders in the 1500’s. The relative recency of this dietary addition is reflected in the types of dairy products available. A trip to a Mexican supermarket will reveal a much larger variety of lactose free products than you might be used to seeing in the US or in Europe. This is because a higher percentage of people in Mexico are lactose intolerant to some degree, with the percentage reaching as high as 75 percent in rural areas where many people are from Indigenous groups and are less people with partially European ancestry. The Zona Maya has some of the highest lactose intolerance levels in the country, which does impact the type and amount of dairy used in regional cuisine.

Many people who are new to Mexico also comment on the difference in flavor of dairy products that look similar to those they are used to back home. There are a few reasons for this, one being the different diet of cows and other dairy product producing animals in Mexico, another is that almost all milk and milk products are ultra heat treated (known as UHT in the UK and US), which does have an impact on the taste. There are also substantial labeling differences, meaning products with the same name as a familiar product are completely different products altogether.

Butter

Butter (mantequilla) is not as widely used in Mexican cuisine, with oils and manteca (lard) normally being used for frying or as a source of fat in many dishes. For this reason it is often best for vegetarians to clarify how food has been cooked in case a seemingly meat free dish has in fact been prepared with pork lard. It is available con sal (with salt) or sin sal (without salt).

Butter is still popular however, being primarily used for baking, with many Mexican brands available from stores and markets. It is always a good idea to check the label, however, as many butter flavored margarine products are sold in very similar packaging, particularly those with con sal (with salt) on the label.

You may also find some people using butter on tortas, Mexican sandwiches, although it is more common for them to spread liberally with mayonnaise. 

Cheeses

Cheese is widely consumed across Mexico, with some foreign cheeses being popular alongside a number of Mexican varieties. Here are a few of those you would most likely find in a Mexican-Maya kitchen, although you may see others which are less common.

Queso Oaxaca

Named after the state of Oaxaca where it was first made, this is one of the most famous cheeses produced in Mexico. It is sometimes also known as queso de hebra or as quesillo. It is white in color and has a stringy texture, somewhat reminiscent of a slightly harder and drier mozzarella. In the US, it would be considered a type of ‘string cheese’, with the string wound into a tight distinctive ball-like shape.. It has a mild but delicious flavor, and melts well, making it ideal for quick dishes such as empanadas and quesadillas.

Manchego

This controversially named cheese has very little in common with its European namesake. While Spain’s manchego is a relatively expensive hard cheese made from sheep’s milk, the Mexican variety is a mild cheese made from cow’s milk and sometimes vegetable oil. The use of the same name has caused problems in the past between Mexico and Spain, and has even delayed the signing of international treaties.

Despite this drama, Mexican manchego, which is a processed cheese, remains popular and affordable, and is widely used in street food and in home-made quesadillas, gringas and alambres. To an American or European palate it is slightly reminiscent of a very mild cheddar, and is similarly versatile.

Queso de Bola

Queso de bola, is the Spanish name for the Dutch edam cheese which is particularly popular in the Yucatán Peninsula. In fact the region is one of Holland’s biggest export markets, along with the Philippines, for the distinctive red wax wrapped cheese.

The cheese itself is made from cow's milk and has a light yellow color with a semi hard texture. The edam exported to Mexico is usually of the more mature varieties, and is made both harder and saltier than many varieties for domestic consumption, so that the cheese better matches local tastes. The flavor is correspondingly sharper, without losing its slightly sweet taste.

The cheese has a number of uses. It is an ever present in the region’s favorite sweet treat, marquesitas, which are rolled crepes filled with queso de bola and any number of sweet ingredients such as condensed milk or nutella. It is also used to make queso relleno (stuffed cheese), where the ball of the cheese is partially hollowed out and then stuffed with a number of ingredients before being cooked in stock.

Queso Fresco

Literally meaning ‘fresh cheese’ queso fresco is a very mild soft and crumbly cheese that is eaten all across Mexico. It is used to top a number of dishes such as flautas and huevos rancheros. It can also be added to salads in a similar way to feta cheese.

Panela

Queso panela, also known as queso de canasta, is a soft cheese which resembles Indian paneer cheese. It is extremely versatile, because although it does become softer when heated, it does not melt easily and generally retains its shape. It can also be sliced and fried in a similar way to haloumi. Like many other cheeses it is often used in empanadas and quesadillas.

Cream

The types of cream available in Mexico are very different to those available in the US, and searching for heavy cream or sour cream in a Mexican supermarket will likely not yield any results.

Media Crema

The most common variety is media crema which translates as medium cream, which is in fact a slightly soured light cream that is used in both desserts and savory dishes. It is common for a carton to be placed on the table for people to pour over their sopes, panuchos or empanadas.

Crema Para Batir

Crema para batir , or whipping cream, is the closest product to heavy cream, however it has a different taste and consistency. Crema para batir can be sweetened or not, and many times they’re not dairy-based, but vegetable-based. Cafés either beat their crema para batir or buy it already in whipped cream consistency to top coffee drinks and desserts. Crema de batir may be harder to find in smaller cities and is not a common feature of kitchens in the region. 

Crema acidificada

Crema acidificada is the closest Mexican cream to US sour cream, but is more liquid in consistency and more tart in flavor. It works well as a cooking ingredient, but not as well as a topping in the way sour cream is often used in US takes on Mexican cuisine.

Milk

As in much of the world, dairy milk is still popular in Mexico, however nondairy varieties are growing in availability and usage levels. Alongside these newer milk varieties, the sheer number of different dairy milks on offer in Mexico can be daunting, with various combinations of lactose free, added protein, vitamin fortified and flavored varieties available. The milk is usually not stored in refrigerators until it has been opened, as the ultra heat treatment allows for it to be stored in cartons unrefrigerated in the region’s hot weather.

Check out the recipe section of our blog page for some great recipes from the Zona Maya and beyond, and check back for the rest of our series on the Mexican-Maya pantry.

If you want to sample the unique flavors of the Mexican Caribbean, the best place is in the kitchens of our local families. Na’atik’s MaS (Maya and Spanish) immersion students stay with local families during their time with us, sharing three meals a day with their host family. To find out more about how you can improve your language skills and experience the real Mexico, visit our immersion page or send our team an email at mas@naatikmexico.org today.