{"id":6429,"date":"2013-01-25T12:38:28","date_gmt":"2013-01-25T17:38:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/?p=6429"},"modified":"2016-05-05T11:23:55","modified_gmt":"2016-05-05T16:23:55","slug":"top-5-cheeses-save-us-colombias-obsession-with-fermented-curd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/seecolombia.travel\/blog\/2013\/01\/top-5-cheeses-save-us-colombias-obsession-with-fermented-curd\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 5: Cheeses save us! Colombia’s obsession with fermented curd."},"content":{"rendered":"

Before I begin, I’d just like to make it clear that cheese is great (get it, haw haw haw?). Not only do I get baffled when I try to work out how somebody in the dim, distant, depressing days before the birth of Baby Cheeses finally worked out the complicated process necessary to produce this dairy-good; but I feel that a day without cheese is a day with a little less joy in it. Lucky I moved to Colombia. Remember how it’s the happiest country in the world<\/a>? Hmmmm…..<\/p>\n

It seems like the philosophy behind a staggering proportion of Colombian cuisine is as follows: if it seems like any dish at all is missing something, why not try adding a lump of cheese? Not only could this explain the incredibly generous lashings of cheese found on the local pizza or hot dogs; but also the following, more traditional phenomena…<\/p>\n

\"I<\/a>
I know the suspect is trying to hide, but look, there it is behind the mug!!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

1. Hot Chocolate.<\/strong><\/p>\n

This manifestation of the Colombian philosophy in question is probably the most obvious one. Delicious, sweet, hot chocolate, bread, and…of course!! … a bit of cheesy goodness! Drop it right in the mug (go on now, live dangerously), and you’ll actually find it’s not that bad at all. You may wonder why<\/em> it’s done, but still…<\/p>\n

\"Running<\/a>
Running with a sweet, sweet, cheesy theme.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

2. Aguapanela.<\/strong><\/p>\n

OK, so once the results were in for Hot Chocolate with Cheese, the Colombia Unusual Cheese Placement Foundation decided it was time to branch out even further down the sweet-drink-with-cheese tangent. Aguapanela, a powerful, slightly earthy sugary treat needed the cheese treatment too.\u00a0 Don’t pass judgement; I don’t even see you wearing the Judging Hat!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"She<\/a>
She saw me coming, but couldn’t run away in time.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

3. Obleas.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Like the lady’s sign says, her messy little disks of tastiness come with all <\/em>the flavours. Obiously, these wafers have all the sweet things you’d expect from a dessert; cream, caramel, fruit, coconut, nuts, confectionery, and so on. Yes, but where’s the cheese?? Oh, my bad: there it is – in grated form here. Of course. What was I thinking?<\/p>\n

\"Before<\/a>
This guy is eerily familiar…<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

4. Ice-cream<\/strong><\/p>\n

Right, so with the hot chocolate and aguapanela, at least the cheese can hide from unfriendly eyes at the bottom of a mug; and with obleas, the cheese could be mistaken for dessicated coconut or something, but here<\/a>, it’s on proud display for all the world to see. I’m not talking boysenberry cheesecake<\/em> flavour or anything; I’m referring to pure, unadulterated grated cheese sprinkled on top of guiltless, inoffensive plain ice-cream, as if it were so much spaghetti bolognaise. Dairy and dairy = OK, no matter in what form?<\/p>\n

\"Everyone<\/a>
Everyone say, cheese!!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

5. Comedy.<\/strong><\/p>\n

What better accompaniment to a comedy film than a good big chunk of cheese? If you haven’t noticed already, I’m quite the cheesiness enthusiast, and so I feel I’ve found a comfortable home here in Colombia. To my untrained eyes and ears, some of the local comedy is reminiscent of the Bumble-bee Man from The Simpsons.<\/em> Ai, ai, ai!!!<\/p>\n

So, that’s my 5. There were a few unlucky runners-up in the category; such as Pasto’s own Pastel de Queso (a little sweet pastry featuring cheese; and no, it’s not the more familiar New York Cheesecake) and Cuajada con Miel (a cheesy dessert with honey); but we can’t all be winners. I should know.<\/p>\n

Gilesy.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Before I begin, I’d just like to make it clear that cheese is great (get it, haw haw haw?). Not only do I get baffled when I try to work out how somebody in the dim, distant, depressing days before the birth of Baby Cheeses finally worked out the complicated process necessary to produce this […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":88889,"featured_media":6464,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0},"categories":[115,66,65],"tags":[2872,2867,2891],"yoast_head":"\nTop 5: Cheeses save us! 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