Since Mexican food first made its debut in Queensland in the late 1960s, Australian restaurant-goers have fallen in love with it. But, with the burgeoning American food movement across the country, Australian diners have come to expect a lot more from Mexican-inspired restaurants than those stodgy, often oily and soggy dishes made with substitute ingredients, which were first served up more than fifty years ago.
As Australians travel and experience more of north America more often, they are coming home expecting a more authentic taste when they dine out. There is also an increasing awareness of the diversity and freshness of genuine, quality Mexican food.
Of course, one of the essential elements of much Mexican food, particularly from the south-east, is the unique blend of cheeses used to enhance dishes like authentic nachos, tacos and burritos. Gone are the days when you could serve up a taco with a handful of grated local cheddar cheese and expect to get away with it!
Surprising to many, Mexican cuisine features a wide range of different types of Mexican cheese – a legacy of Spanish colonisation.Some 40 different types of cheese are made in Mexico, many with a strongly regional focus. Generally milder than European cheeses, they range from the semi-soft, white melting queso asadero, to the feta-like queso fresco and harder, more tangy queso chihuahua. But south-east Mexican cuisine also often features cheese types from further north, such as Monterey Jack and mild cheddar – in fact the first nachos ever produced reportedly used cheddar cheese.
Authentic Mexican cuisine relies on an authentic mix of cheeses – light, melting with a mild flavour that doesn’t detract from the quality of the base meal it’s being used on. A mix of Queso asadero, queso quesadilla, Monterey Jack and mild cheddar forms the perfect combination to deliver a complementary melting cheesy addition to the best nachos and tacos.
Of course, like so many other products and in the spirit of Australia’s famed fusion food culture, a high quality Mexican cheese blend can be adapted to a range of other dishes including lasagne, sandwiches, salads and anything that requires good quality mild melting cheese.
Discerning diners expect high quality, authentic food. That means using the very best quality, authentic ingredients. The best Mexican food needs the best Mexican cheese blend to deliver outstanding results.
