Learning about Mexican Cheese with Cacique

by Dorothy Reinhold on March 20, 2015


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Believe it or not, this crazy looking plate full of stuff the size of a man’s head is actually a “knot” of cheese!

Enrique Botello stretches the Cacique Queso OaxacaIt’s called Queso Oaxaca (say it wuh-HAH-kuh), hails from Oaxaca, Mexico, and is similar to mozzarella. While being made by hand, it is formed into a long rope that is then coiled into a ball. As you eat it, you uncoil, and if you pull it apart further, you’ll create strings, much like you find with string cheese.

That’s just one of the fascinating things I learned while visiting the Cacique Mexican cheese plant in La Puente, on the outskirts of Los Angeles. Here, in a huge factory, some of the finest Mexican cheeses in the country are made, packaged and sent on their way to grocery stores everywhere. In fact, Cacique is the largest fresh cheese company in the U.S., with facilities and distribution centers throughout the country.

It wasn’t always this way. When Gilbert de Cardenas came here from Latin America with his young family, seeking a better life in America, he  began small. Although he worked as a handyman, he knew how to make high quality, authentic, fresh cheese, called queso fresco, which at that time wasn’t sold in stores. So he and his wife took their $1,500 life savings and began selling the cheese out of the back seat of his teal green Pontiac. He went store to store, selling his cheeses a few here, a few there.

He named his first cheese Queso Fresco Ranchero, after a restaurant in Pasadena that used it, and Cacique was born. The term cacique, in Latin America, means “the chief” or the head of the tribe; the very best or the pinnacle.

The de Cardenas family has been living up to that name since the beginning.

Cacique pillarsToday, the children of the elder Gil run the company. Gilbert B. de Cardenas, Ana de Cardenas-Raptis, Maria de Cardenas-Krakovic and Antonio de Cardenas carry on their parents’ vision and ideals, built upon the pillars of  family, quality, integrity and authenticity. It is these guiding principles that they refer to daily as they guide and grow the company. 

A single statistic might give you a good idea of this growth. In earlier days, Cacique used 600 pounds of milk a day. Now they process 1.2 million pounds of hormone-free, Kosher-certified milk per day. These days, Queso Fresco takes only 2-4 days from cow to store. “Nothing can be fresher than that,” says Enrique Botello, Cacique’s director of marketing, who is pictured above with the Oaxaca cheese the size of his head. “We have quality you can taste.”

All that milk makes for a lot of cheese, and their product line has expanded quite a bit beyond that first Queso Fresco Ranchero.

Cacique Mexican CheesesHere are a few of the cheeses and their characteristics:

Panela: Crumbly curd style, all-natural fresh cheese, has a mild, milky flavor. When heated it will soften but not get stringy, and it has the magical ability to be seared into a golden slab without getting runny. It crumbles easily and is great to stuff jalapenos.

Cotija: A robust flavored artisan cheese with a dry, crumbly texture, much like Parmesan cheese. It’s used as a topping and can be subbed for Parmesan.

Ranchero Queso Fresco: This signature cheese is mild and buttery, with a fresh milky flavor. It will soften when you heat it, but won’t get stringy, and goes well with spicy flavors and ingredients. Crumble it in your salad!

Four Quesos Blend: In response to consumer demand, Cacique has introduced shredded cheese blends in bags. This blend combines four authentic, Mexican-style cheeses: Manchego, Oaxaca, Quesadilla and Asadero. I found it so much more flavorful than other cheese blends in the market. It’s smooth, buttery, rich and goes well in all sorts of dishes, from enchiladas to omelets, from soups to salads.

Cacique also makes a few fresh creams, called cremas, that home cooks will find useful.

Crema Savadorena: Sour cream that has a hint of cheesy flavor, to be used as a flavor booster

Crema Mexican Agria: Mexican tangy, pourable sour cream that isn’t quite like gelatinous American sour cream

Crema Mexicana: Pourable table cream for both sweet and savory dishes, or in your coffee!

Ranchero Crema Natural: Unsalted sour cream, can be used in any recipe that calls for sour cream.

Ranchero Crema Con Sal: Cultured sour cream with salt; try it on your baked spud.

Cacique Yogurt Smoothie DrinksAnd then there are the yogurt smoothie drinks. All I can say is get your hands on that Pecan flavor. Pronto!

What can you do with Mexican cheeses and Cacique products?

I used Queso Fresco, Cotija and Mexican Crema in my recipe for Cornbread Waffles with Chicken, Avocado and Sweet and Spicy Crema. You can also take a look at the delicious recipes created by my fellow food bloggers over at the Cacique blog.

And take a peek at the feast Cacique served visiting food writers to show off their wares…

Wonton Wrapped Queso Fresco at Cacique

Wonton Wrapped Queso Fresco

Pan Fried Cotija with Cilantro Chutney

Pan Fried Cotija with Cilantro Chutney

Citrus Salad with Queso Fresco Panela and Cotija at Cacique

Citrus Salad with Queso Fresco, Panela and Cotija

Tostadas with Chorizo Cotija and Crema Agria at Cacique

Tostadas with Chorizo, Cotija and Crema Agria

Enchilado and Pasilla Stuffed Chicken Breast with Crema Enchiladas and Chipotle Crema at Cacique

Enchilado and Pasilla Stuffed Chicken Breast with Crema Enchiladas and Chipotle Crema

Banana Creme Pie with Crema Salvadorena  at Cacique

Banana Creme Pie with Crema Salvadorena

I look forward to showing you so much more about how to put Cacique cheeses and cremas to delicious use. Stay tuned for more recipes! I found my products at the supermarket, but if you can’t find Cacique products at your market, try their store locator.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post by Cacique Inc. and Society Culinaria. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands I work with and love, which keeps the lights on here at Shockingly Delicious. 

Cacique tour for food writers on ShockinglyDelicious.com

{ 40 comments… read them below or add one }

Carolyn March 24, 2015 at 5:54 am

What a great, informative post!

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Dorothy Reinhold March 24, 2015 at 5:58 am

Thanks Carolyn!

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Kelly @ TastingPage March 23, 2015 at 9:14 pm

I didn’t know they were based locally here in Los Angeles. How great. What a fun field trip!

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Dorothy Reinhold March 24, 2015 at 5:58 am

Kelly,
Yep, not so far away in La Puente!

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christine March 23, 2015 at 6:00 pm

What a great place to visit! The panela sounds like something I would like to try!

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Dorothy Reinhold March 23, 2015 at 8:35 pm

Christine.
Oh yes, it is! I am getting some more tomorrow and going to pan-fry it!

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susan @ the wimpy vegetarian March 23, 2015 at 10:26 am

I am now officially starving. What a great post – I love to hear how companies got their start. I’m going to look for Cacique now!! But first I’m off to check out your recipe – love the idea of savory waffles!

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Dorothy Reinhold March 23, 2015 at 12:21 pm

Susan,
Yes, I think it is so interesting to find out the origins of today’s companies. And I especially like it when they started as mom-and-pop and grew successful!

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Miss @ Miss in the Kitchen March 23, 2015 at 7:31 am

Amazing! I love small business success stories and I will be on the lookout for this cheese!

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Dorothy Reinhold March 23, 2015 at 12:22 pm

Miss,
You won’t be sorry when you find it! So many delicious possibilities!

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Catherine March 22, 2015 at 10:54 pm

I am very interested in trying Queso Oaxaca. Thank you for sharing. xo, Catherine

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Dorothy Reinhold March 23, 2015 at 12:22 pm

Catherine,
My family liked it BETTER than our usual mozzarell!

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Andi @ The Weary Chef March 22, 2015 at 9:26 pm

This is all so interesting, and it sounds like an amazing field trip. I’m happy you got to go (and maybe a little jealous…) Thanks for sharing what you learned!

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Dorothy Reinhold March 23, 2015 at 12:23 pm

Andi,
I hope you get to tour a cheese factory sometime soon!

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Valerie March 22, 2015 at 6:43 pm

How cool that you got to go there! Mexican is one of my favorite cuisines and I’m always intrigued by their cheeses!

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Dorothy Reinhold March 23, 2015 at 12:24 pm

Valerie,
It was super cool to tour! I hope you get to do it some day.

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Liz @ I Heart Vegetables March 22, 2015 at 5:34 pm

Ooh my gosh now I’m craving cheese! haha. I love making mexican street corn so Cotija is a must!

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Dorothy Reinhold March 23, 2015 at 12:24 pm

Liz,
And you can use the crema to “glue” the Cotija on there!

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Stephanie Stuart March 22, 2015 at 3:00 pm

Wow what an intriguing article about Cacique cheese! I can’t believe the size of that cheese knot! Thanks so much!

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Dorothy Reinhold March 23, 2015 at 12:26 pm

Stephanie,
I think that size is for foodservice, not home use, but man, it was impressive!

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Joy @ Joy Love Food March 22, 2015 at 1:14 pm

All of these cheeses sound so good! I want to try the cotija and do a pan fried preparation similar to the photo from your visit, yum!

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Dorothy Reinhold March 23, 2015 at 12:26 pm

Joy,
Good idea! If you do, snap a picture and show me!

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nancy@skinnykitchen.com March 22, 2015 at 9:42 am

I can’t wait to try this cheese.

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Dorothy Reinhold March 23, 2015 at 12:27 pm

Nancy,
You will love it!

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Susie Gall March 22, 2015 at 7:17 am

I love the post – it was a great idea and I learned so much. Pinning to my private board for future reference. Great job, Dorothy.

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Dorothy Reinhold March 23, 2015 at 12:28 pm

Susie,
Thank you!

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Sheena @ Hot Eats and Cool Reads March 22, 2015 at 5:35 am

All of those cheeses look and sound so delicious!!

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Dorothy Reinhold March 23, 2015 at 12:28 pm

Sheena,
Oh yeah, they ARE! I hope you can find them where you live!

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cristina March 21, 2015 at 8:25 am

What a great experience to have toured their facility, Dorothy! Been using their Cotija for longer than I can remember…other brands don’t compare. Thanks for sharing…good/informative post. 🙂

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Dorothy Reinhold March 23, 2015 at 12:29 pm

Cristina,
Thank you!

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Marye March 21, 2015 at 7:17 am

This is fascinating! Thanks so much for sharing your experiences. Here in Texas we have lots and lots of Mexican cheeses available but I didn’t know much about them.

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Dorothy Reinhold March 23, 2015 at 12:30 pm

Marye,
It’s funny, isn’t it, that we can be surrounded by something and not really know about it. I hope you get to tour one of the cheese factories in Texas!

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Ericka @Nibblesnfeats March 21, 2015 at 1:53 am

So glad you could join us, Dorothy! I want to take that Oaxaca cheese knot home with me.

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Dorothy Reinhold March 21, 2015 at 6:21 am

Erika,
I almost asked him if I could take it! I thought it would be too obnoxious. I shoulda!

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valentina March 20, 2015 at 10:42 am

Such a fantastic recap of a lovely day with Cacique.

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Dorothy Reinhold March 20, 2015 at 3:16 pm

Thank you Valentina! I learned so much that day!

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Connie March 20, 2015 at 9:55 am

How cool you were able to visit to Cacique facility! That is the brand of queso fresco I usually buy, and occasionally the chorizo. I love queso oaxaca, makes the best quesadillas and is delicious in chiles rellenos. It is great to see small local businesses become successful!

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Dorothy Reinhold March 20, 2015 at 3:18 pm

Connie,
I agree with you about taking delight in small businesses growing and succeeding. My family had a dinner around the queso Oaxaca the other day…we had fun uncoiling it, eating it with bread dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sublime!

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Sippitysup March 20, 2015 at 8:56 am

I’ve been a fan of Cacique for sooo long. I remember when I had to make a special stop at the Latin Market to get some. Thanks to the success of this great product I now see Cacique in stores everywhere. GREG

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Dorothy Reinhold March 20, 2015 at 3:28 pm

Greg,
I know, right? What was once a rare find is spread across the land. Clearly, the country was ready for fresh Mexican cheese.

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