Indigenous Brined Cheese of the Philippines

Issue Date

7-2006

Abstract

The technology of "kesong puti" or soft white cheese manufacture, though very old, has to date, remained artisanal in nature, in certain provinces of Luzon and Visayas island in the Philippines. The technology is passed on through generations within the family. No temperature and quantity measurements were done and all the manufacturing steps and amounts of ingredients were established through experience. The characteristic of the cheese depend on the manufacturing procedures of the locality where it is made and the type and the quality of the milk used. Though highly popular locally, the volume of production is limited by the supply of carabao's milk, which is generally preferred by the cheesemakers over cow's milk. More recently, cow's milk alone or combine with carabao's milk is used to make the cheese. Eventhough numerous studies came up with recommendations to improve the cheese, technology adoption was poor and ancestral technology remained. Inspite of the fact that most cheesemakers do not pasteurize their milk, no disease outbreak from the consumption of the cheese has been documented. The cheese tastes salty with color varying from very light yellow to cream to white depending on the milk used. The texture is determined by the coagulant used which is either rennet or dilute vinegar. The packaging, which is either banana leaves or plastic laminates, allows for whey drainage during marketing and distribution. The banana leaves as packaging material highlights the cheeses indigenous nature and uniqueness.

Source or Periodical Title

Brined Cheeses

Page

249-263

Document Type

Article

Language

English

Subject

Dairy training and research institute (DTRI), Indigenous brined cheese, Raw carabao's milk, Santa Cruz and Lumbang method, Soft white cheese

Digital Copy

none

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