Cheddar in South America

[estes53]

I am living in Colombia and really miss my favorite Mexican dishes, but no one here seems to know what cheddar cheese is.

I've tried translating the word "cheddar" to spanish, with no luck.

Does anyone know what cheddar cheese is called in this part of the world?

If not, can you suggest a substitute?

Thanx, Alan

 

[thymeless]

Considering that Cheddar isn't really a mexican food, what you want is something americanized or tex mex. There very well may not be words for some of those items.

Jack cheese is close to the asadero cheese--the white melting cheese. The saltier, firmer non-melting cotija is also often used grated. Some of the hard italian cheeses substitute OK here.

 

[lulu]

Cheddar is called Cheddar the world over, as it is the name of the original place of makng, a village in North Somerset in the south west of England.

 

[ChefJune]

Alan, Clive is a chef in Caracas, and he will definitely have some ansers for you whenever he surfaces next...

 

[Constance]

I looked up cheddar cheese in the English/Spanish dictionary, and here's what I found:
cheddar ['tʃedəʳ] nombre (queso) cheddar

I hope this helps. If you can't find it, there are a lot of places where you can order it online.

 

[Reanie525i]

While I was in Costa Rica they really only had a few cheeses as most are made right on the farm with only the basics - For a mexican style dish may try using whatever cheese is available and add some hot peppers to taste. If cheddar is what you have the desire for, you may not be able to purchase it there- You can however order it from here over the pc and have it sent - Like the cheese stalls in the mall at Christmas time -- OR better yet, tell everyone here to send you some "CHEESEY" Christmas presents - lol

 

[TexanFrench]

Jack cheese, aka Monterey Jack cheese, was, I believe, originally produced by Mexican/Spanish folks in old-time California. They called it "queso del pais" or "country cheese." (Don't know if this would help you or not...)

Jack is basically like cheddar that hasn't been colored orange or aged very long.

 

[karadekoolaid]

You won't find Cheddar easily over here, I'm afraid.

Real Cheddar is from the Cheddar Gorge, in Somerset, England, is made to a specific recipe and aged for a specific time. There are hundreds of "Cheddar" type cheeses around, but I've never, ever had anything remotely the same as the real thing. Full fat, creamy, a little piquant...

If you want something "vaguely" close to Cheddar, look for some aged Edam cheese. NOT the same - but, well, at a pinch...

If you're making Mexican food, however, you don't want to use Cheddar - you need to use Cojita, or Queso de Año, or Queso Blanco, or Queso Añejado. I've tried some hard white cheeses in Bogotá - they'll be much more exciting than Cheddar for your Mexican dishes.

 

[Mr_Dove]

I was in Bolivia for 2 years and rarely saw any non-native cheeses. Bolivia is about as 3rd world as Columbia. You should be able to find some small groceries for americans that sell peanut butter, breakfast cereal and other amenities that americans want while in South America.