His “Garrafao” is one of the 57 Brazilian cheeses that won a medal at the bi-annual “Mondial du Fromage” in Tours in September.
Rita de Cássia’s lonely farm, in a bucolic region of southeastern Brazil, is reached by wondering; there are no signs or GPS signal. But the cheese that he makes with his hands is now on the lips of many, after being enshrined in an international competition in France.
Su “Bottle” It is one of the 57 Brazilian cheeses that won a medal in the biannual “Mondial du Fromage” in Tours in September, placing the South American country on the podium of the best in the world, only after France.
“What do your cows eat to make the cheese so tasty?”, the French colleagues asked admiringly, according to the Brazilian representative, Débora de Carvalho.
The peaceful mountainous region of Cássia farm in southern Minas Gerais, a state with a long history of cheese making, has some answers.
Cheese has been made in this land where gold prospectors arrived 300 years ago, since an Italian shoemaker, Paschoal Poppa, arrived in the village of Alagoa at the beginning of the 20th century with a recipe for Parmesan.
Today, There are 135 producers, a drop of water among the 35,000 that the state is estimated to host, but several of them were awarded in the latest editions of the “Mondial du Fromage” and in the alleys of Alagoa several miniature reproductions of the Eiffel Tower welcome a nascent gastronomic tourism.
Rustic production
The awards in France “have changed our lives”, claims Dirce Martins, who has been in the trade for 39 years. “Before, hardly anyone came around here. They gave us what they wanted for the cheese. Now we have many visitors “explains in a tiny space of wooden shelves where the “Fumacê” cheese is cured.
Her cows graze at 1,500 meters of altitude, in wild lands of great microbiological richness and together with her husband and son they manage to produce at most 60 units a day of their smoked cheese, which has accumulated medals since 2017.
Cássia, who works with her husband Marcos, he produces 15 kilos of cheese a day with his 15 lactating cows called France, Spain, Denmark … “They are easy, elegant and feminine names”, explains this 32-year-old entrepreneur.
“It’s hard work: every day, from 6am to 10pm. With sun, rain and even pregnant “, says this teacher by training, who is expecting her second child. “And the competition is great”, he adds, while showing how the couple even takes care of the artificial insemination of the cows.
Cássia learned the trade from her father-in-law. “It became my passion. In the end, cheese is almost a living being ”, defends.
Traders from Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro come down a stony road to his farm located in a remote valley to buy his cheese for 45 reais / unit (8 USD), which allows them to get ahead. They owe a lot to their silver medal from France: “It gave us a lot of visibility”, admits.
“Legalize” the cheese
“An award represents a valuation of up to 20% for a French cheese. In Brazil, the increase is 300-400% “, illustrates Carvalho, director of SerTaoBras, an association that promotes artisan cheeses.
But international fame collides with Brazilian legislation, inspired by the strict rules on products of animal origin from the United States. A cheese must “meet 900 conditions” to be sold throughout the country and it is very difficult to export, says Carvalho. Hence, most of the region’s products have only a municipal marketing authorization.
“We pressure the government to legalize artisan cheese at the federal level”, explains Carvalho.
In Brazil, “a permit for a cheese like Cabrales from Spain, which matures in natural caves, is unthinkable”. Juliana Jensen, Responsible for Investigation of Cruzília cheeses, which retain an artisanal manufacture despite operating as an industry.
His “Santo Casamenteiro”, a blue with cream cheese, apricot and walnuts, and shaped like a wedding cake, won a “super gold” in France. With more than 90 products, the firm increased its production 30% in three years.
The awards made “Brazilians look at home and value the flavors and traditions” of their cheese, he concludes. (I)
Paul is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment and general news. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established herself as a respected voice in the industry.
