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Welcome back to our new series, Peace Corps Journals, which profiles Mayu’s friends who also served in Peru as Peace Corps volunteers. We are hearing again from Lindsey Carrrasco. This is Part 2 of her experience in the rural Peruvian Andes, in a community close to where Mayu’s artisans live. If you missed part 1, be sure to check it out to learn about the Peruvian Carnaval celebration. OK, lets hear about yummy Peruvian cheese. “Queso Fresco” from this region is well-known throughout Peru. Oh, how I miss “pan con queso”!

After graduating college my next journey took me to Peru with the Peace Corps.  I had never really lived on my own and didn’t technically have any REAL cooking abilities  (unless you count making macaroni and cheese or ordering pizza cooking).  When I arrived to Yanama, a small, rural village in the Andes Mountains I didn’t know what to expect.  There was another Peace Corps Volunteer named Brad living in Yanama and he worked with a family on improving their cheese business.  When he invited me to go with him to see how the cheese was made, I thought it would be interesting to see, little did I know that I would actually be making it!

When we arrived to the “puna” or mountaintop where his host family had their cheese factory, I was surprised to see that Pablo, Brad’s host Dad was waiting for us before he milked the cows.  Even though I had minimal cooking skills, I did know that cheese came from milk, I just didn’t think that I would be milking the cows!  That was an experience in itself.  First you have to wash the utters so that dirt doesn’t get into the milk and then you need to get the motion just right so that the milk flows freely.  It’s not necessarily a pulling up and down motion, you also have to squeeze slightly as you pull down.  I was able to milk the cow but not as quick and efficiently as Pablo could.  

After we finished milking the cow Pablo asked if I wanted to drink some of the fresh milk.  Now I remember a workshop during my Peace Corps training that discussed various medical and health issues volunteers should be aware of and one of them was drinking milk right from the cow.  It was supposed to be pasteurized or boiled first to avoid bacteria but I thought what’s one sip going to do?!  I tried it and it was gross!  I’m not a fan of warm milk.

The cheese making process is quite simple.  You boil milk, add salt and a rennet tablet (this helps the milk “gel”), strain the excess water and then place the cheese in chees presses.  The cheese has to sit and dry for a few days or even months, depending on how aged you like your cheese.  “Queso fresco” or fresh cheese is pretty tasty.

I have never made cheese since that day but I’m glad that I had the opportunity to learn how to do it.  It was an experience I’ll never forget.

Cheese Shop

Thank you for sharing, Lindsey. If you are excited about Peruvian food, don’t forget to check our blog for other posts on Peruvian delicacies as well as our favorite recipes. Also, follow us via RSS feed to hear about one more of Lindsey’s experience, find us on Twitter and become a Facebook Fan.

Happy Tuesday from Mayu!