Dairy
Queijo coalho
Queijo coalho
Also called queijo de coalho, coalho cheese, Brazilian grilling cheese
A firm, springy cow's-milk cheese from the North-East of Brazil that squeaks against the teeth and softens without melting when heated. It is best known grilled on a stick and sold on the beach.
Origin
The sertão of Pernambuco, Paraíba, Rio Grande do Norte and Ceará, where cattle ranchers have made it for generations. Coalho means rennet, the thing that curdles the milk.
Flavour
Mild, milky and salty, a little sour, with a rubbery bite. Grilled, it browns and turns nutty.
How it is made
Milk is curdled with rennet, the curd is cut, lightly heated and pressed into blocks or bars, and sometimes salted in brine.
How to use it
Grill sticks of it until golden and eat with molasses or oregano, cube it into baião de dois so it softens in the hot rice, or fry slices in a dry pan. Halloumi is the closest substitute outside Brazil.
Storage
Keep it wrapped in the fridge, two to three weeks unopened and about a week once cut. It freezes, but goes crumbly.
