Soft, squishy, salty, and sour – that’s what carabao cheese tastes like. And guess what? You can get that in the home of “queseo”, Compostela Cebu!
The Municipality of Compostela is located in the North of Cebu and its main delicacy is the queseo. Made from fresh carabao milk, the queseo is a type of white cheese that doesn’t need to be fermented. Every 25th of July, the municipality hosts the Queseo Festival which aims to showcase their delicious and tasty white cheese.
How Queseo Is Made
As compared to other types of cheeses that need to be fermented, queseo is much easier to make. Just follow the steps below to have a creamy and tasty queseo after getting the fresh milk from a water buffalo or carabao:
- Straining – Use a mesh cloth to strain the milk to separate the debris and the off-flavors from the actual cheese product.
- Heating – Prepare a cauldron and place it on a burning firewood. Once the cauldron is heated, place the cheese and stir until ready.
- Adding vinegar – The vinegar will serve as the acid that will clump up the cheese.
- Molding – Mold the cheese into balls or in batches.
- Wrapping – Wrap the cheese with banana leaf. The reason for this choice is to keep up with the freshness of locally produced products.
When you’re done, your cheese will be ready to serve or to sell.
What to Pair With Queseo
Queseo or carabao cheese can be placed inside sandwiches and empanadas as they pair well with savory ingredients. You can also sprinkle the cheese onto pizza and pasta dishes, and even add some queseo to your salad to add a kick of flavor with a dash of olive oil.
So, when you head to Compostela Cebu, don’t forget to bring some queseo on your way home as a pasalubong for your friends, family, and for yourself!
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