Serra do Salitre Cheese

In August 2014, the Agricultural Institute of Minas Gerais (IMA) published a decree in the state’s Official Gazette identifying the municipality of Serra do Salitre, 404 kilometers from Belo Horizonte, as a “micro appellation for the production of artisanal Minas cheese”. Araxá, Campo das Vertentes, Canastra, Cerrado, Serro and Triângulo Mineiro already were in that list. Made with freshly milked raw cow’s milk, Salitre cheese follows a centuries-old recipe. The main features of this local product are the creamy texture, the mild flavor and the rind, consisting of a deep yellow resin. As it ages, the flavor becomes more intense and acidic.