A team of experts evaluated 15 brands sold in the supermarket; see the 3 samples
“My relationship with coalho cheese is from birth; I was born, raised and I continue to eat coalho cheese,” says, without hiding her enthusiasm, chef Cafira Foz, of Grupo Fitó @fitocozinha. “My mother says that coalho cheese is the best in the world and she lived in France for 20 years, who am I to say it isn’t so?”
So prepare your heart, because this week’s Paladar Testou is full of declarations of love. In addition to Cafira, originally from Piauí, two other chefs from the North and Northeast regions of Brazil make up the jury invited to evaluate 15 brands of coalho cheese on a stick, the same as the barbecue, usually served as a tapa as an aperitif before the meat banquet. They are Rodrigo Levino, of the restaurant Jesuíno Brilhante @jesuinobrilhante, specializing in peasant cuisine, and Bruna Moreira, of Engenho Mocotó @mocotorestaurante. The full team also includes a representative from São Paulo, Marciele Médice, executive chef of Chez Amis @chezamis.bistro and Vinho no Boteco @vinho.no.boteco, the place chosen as the setting for the evaluation.
Back to our passionate evaluator… Cafira says coalho has three moments: raw, for breakfast, as a chip on the tip of a knife; with molasses and melted over green beans. The chef also cites coalho cheese as a great option for children’s lunches and grilled on the barbecue, a version she got to know when she moved to the Southeast. “Not to mention that it’s as important an ingredient as cassava in the tapioca cubes immortalized for the world by Rodrigo Oliveira,” she concludes.
What is the difference between regular cheese and coalho cheese?
For Bruna Moreira, coalho cheese goes beyond the limits of cooking or barbecue. “When we put an ingredient like this on the plate, we represent not only a cuisine, but also an entire regional culture,” she believes. The chef also highlights the versatility of an ingredient that, in these parts of São Paulo, is directly associated with the Sunday barbecue, but in other regions of our country is present on the table in practically every meal. You can use coalho cheese in desserts, paired with guava or banana sweets, as a snack; rennet and molasses on the beach, just to name a few examples from the chef who also loves cheeses made with milk, rennet and salt.
Which coalho cheese is good?
A good coalho cheese should have a consistency, but it cannot be rubbery, according to the experts invited by Paladar. When heated, it should not melt, but form a crust on the outside and become soft on the inside. Coalho cheese can be baked, grilled, fried, breaded; You can also make coalho cheese popcorn. Undoubtedly a seducer, which releases flavor and gives a lot of identity to the dishes.
“Coalho cheese is one of the most important in peasant cuisine, it is a very old custom in the Northeast that families make their own cheese, present in all three meals,” explains Rodrigo Levino. “If allowed, peasants eat coalho cheese for breakfast, lunch, dinner and even as an afternoon snack.”
How is coalho cheese consumed?
Rodrigo believes that people could use coalho cheese much more than usual. And he cites some examples of using the ingredient in his cooking: “I like to make Italian pasta and grate the rennet on top, I like it fresh, to eat with desserts; fried, with meat, as an accompaniment to tapioca, cake, hominy, tamale…”
Coalho cheese also works great in the AirFryer, on a stick or cut into cubes, like popcorn. Rodrigo teaches that fried coalho can be made in bottled butter, regular butter, olive oil, or lard. It also works well when steamed, where it becomes deliciously more elastic than other versions.
In the north and northeast of Brazil, breakfast with coalho cheese is a classic, grilled, accompanied by a fried or scrambled egg, tapioca, cassava or boiled plantain.
Chef Marcile Medice believes in coalho cheese as a good companion to wine, as a snack and also in the preparation of risottos.
How was the test done?
The test was done blindly, as usual. The judges tasted one brand of coalho cheese at a time, warm, fresh from the oven. The grilled version of the cheese was accompanied by a stick of raw cheese. After tasting both versions, they made their assessments based on criteria such as flavor, texture and appearance.
Check out below the cheeses that achieved the best results in the test carried out by Paladar and also the individual rating of each of the brands tested.
*Prices were calculated in the last week of August 2024.
The champion brands of the coalho cheese test
- Tyrolean
- Polenghi
- Shining sun
What the judges rated on each coalho cheese stick
Burite
The appearance of the product was not pleasant. Excess acidity and vinegar flavor, ditto. In addition, the cheese melted on the grill, making it impossible to form a crispy crust (R$ 29.00, 352 g).
Catupiria
A cheese with a crumbly texture that according to the judges did not seem to have been fermented correctly. The slightly bitter taste, far from what is expected from a coalho cheese, also did not please the jury (R$ 41.12, 392 g).
Good BBQ
The coalho cheese had too much salt and a sandy texture at the end. It also melted more than it should on the grill (R$ 24.96, 342 g).
Classic/Carrefour
A stretched curd cheese with a rubbery texture, very firm, that does not cook well on the grill. When tested, the judges noted that the cheese crumbles in the mouth and has a very delicate flavor, data that did not contribute to the positive evaluation of the product (R$ 34.58, 366 g).
Cruzilia
A coalho cheese without much personality, medium consistency and that does not correspond to the flavor expected from the product. The appearance was rated good by the jury (R$ 39.12, 356 g).
Cambuiense Dairy
The product was rated as a curd cheese with a rubbery texture, both raw and grilled, and a “strange flavor” reminiscent of saturated fat (R$ 23.94, 342 g).
Polenghi
The brand’s coalho cheese took second place in the ranking thanks to its good balance between salt, whey and texture. A tasty, soft cheese with a good appearance and texture both raw and after grilling (R$ 34.10, 322 g).
President
The brand’s coalho cheese had, according to the guest judges, a very pronounced whey flavor, little milk flavor and little salt, reminding me more of mozzarella than coalho cheese (R$32.76, 360 g).
Quality
A cheese with little flavour, despite its good consistency before preparation. After grilling it could have been softer inside and not have a strong flavour (R$ 27.96, 400 g).
How much?
According to the jury, the coalho cheese had too much salt, despite its good appearance and adequate consistency (R$ 38.61, 322 g).
Stairs
In the raw version the cheese was crumbly; the flavour and appearance were rated acceptable by the judges after grilling (R$ 35.90, 285 g).
Shining sun
In its raw version, the cheese that came in third in our ranking had the presence of umami and a light fermentation note reminiscent of beer. Grilled, it was crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, just as a good coalho cheese should be. The product also had a good salt balance and an excellent texture (R$ 26.56, 322 g).
Tyrolean
The coalho sample in our test had a pleasant flavor and good texture both raw and grilled: “a juicy and tasty cheese,” according to one of the judges. The milk flavor is present in the cheese and the whey is well balanced. In addition, the cheese still looked great after grilling (R$ 33.85, 308 g).
Three Marys
After cooking, the cheese tasted rancid and slightly bitter. In the raw version it was tasteless (R$ 28.03, 438 g).
Xando
A product with a pleasant taste, but could use a little more salt. The brand’s coalho cheese also melted during grilling (R$ 36.22, 290 g).
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
