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Sizzling Hispanic-Style Cheeses

Mirroring the explosion in the U.S. Hispanic population, sales of Hispanic-style cheeses are sizzling. Domestic versions of the cheeses prized in the Latin American kitchen—such as queso fresco, cotija and panela—are earning more and more shelf space in supermarkets. But is there an opportunity here for the specialty retailer?

Absolutely, cheese authorities say. Hispanic-style cheeses may not have the complexity and compelling flavor that make them worthy of the cheese course, but they are essential ingredients for cooks. America’s ballooning Hispanic population (up almost 60 percent between 1990 and 2000, according to the U.S. Census) and the growing interest in Latin cooking among non-Hispanics means that these cheeses will be increasingly in demand.

“Food writers are calling for authentic ingredients now, says Lynne Devereux, a cheese educator who works with the California Milk Advisory Board. “It used to be that if a recipe called for queso fresco, it also said you could use Monterey Jack. But in the specialty food realm, people want to make dishes as authentic as possible.

80 Million Pounds of Cheese
In California, the nation’s largest supplier of these cheeses, production has more than doubled in the past 10 years, to nearly 80 million pounds. Although retail sales are concentrated in Hispanic markets and supermarkets in Hispanic neighborhoods, some observers believe that the specialty food segment could grow.

Marcy Huber, cheese buyer for the upscale Mollie Stone’s chain in Northern California, says that her stores stock Hispanic-style cheeses in refrigerated cases in the international aisle. Often she’ll suggest queso fresco or cotija to non-Hispanic customers as a topping for beans or a casserole. Nevertheless, admits Huber, these unfamiliar cheeses do get lost in the grocery aisles. Bringing them into the specialty cheese department, where staff can educate customers, would make it easier to build a non-Hispanic clientele.

At the two Pasta Shops in Berkeley and Oakland, Calif., Cheese Buyer Juliana Uruburu says that her customers’ growing awareness of Hispanic-style cheeses has encouraged her to bring in high-end versions, such as the queso blanco and queso fresco produced by Dallas’ Mozzarella Company. She also reminds customers that fresh Hispanic-style cheeses can fill in for other fresh cheeses in recipes. “If I’m out of basket ricotta, I’ll recommend queso fresco, says Uruburu.

Consumers who have not grown up with these cheeses need to be taught how to use and appreciate them (see sidebar, p. 40). They can seem bland or excessively salty to those who don’t understand the cheeses’ role in the Hispanic kitchen. For the most part, says Devereux, cheeses like queso fresco, panela and cotija “hold a textural place in the cuisine. They are meant to counterbalance spicy foods and sauces rather than adding another flavor.

Tortilla Slaw with Cotija Cheese
Because many of these cheeses are high in moisture and not aged, they have a short shelf- life, a challenge for some retailers. Cathy Strange, national cheese buyer for Whole Foods, says the longevity issue is one reason the natural food chain has not invested more in Hispanic-style cheeses. A high-quality producer who can promise a “solid shelf-life would get her attention.

Huber disagrees that Hispanic-style cheeses such as queso fresco present a storage problem. “It’s just like fresh mozzarella and we sell a ton of that, says the buyer. “You just have to keep an eye on it.

Huber also sees a lot of cross-merchandising possibilities for these cheeses in deli departments. Mollie Stone’s deli makes a tasty tortilla slaw with cotija cheese. The growing popularity of both Mexico’s regional cuisines and the Nuevo Latino movement suggests that non-Hispanic consumers are ready for more authentic Latin flavors, including traditional cheeses, in the deli.

Not everyone is convinced that Hispanic-style cheeses have sales potential in stores without a Hispanic clientele. Kathleen Shannon Finn, a distributor sales representative in the San Francisco Bay area, persuaded one high-end Northern California retailer to give Hispanic-style cheeses a big push a few years ago. Recalls Finn, “I said that if you make a statement in a line, you’re going to sell it. So we did a four-foot section, with queso ranchero, crema (Mexican heavy cream) and cotija. It didn’t work.

Huber believes that education can be used to grow sales of these cheeses. When customers see how to cook with Hispanic-style cheeses—in a store demo or in prepared foods—they will buy them. The cheeses’ distinctive textural characteristics—many soften with heat but do not melt—make them desirable, even essential, in many authentic dishes. “They’re great cheeses, says Huber.

Janet Fletcher writes for the San Francisco Chronicle and is the author of The Cheese Course.