Preliminary study of the touristic artisanal product spinned-paste cheese “of leave”, in a volcanic environment

Abstract

This work objective is to describe the characteristics of the (spinned-paste or “stringed”) cheese “of leave”, focusing to its technological improvement and touristic commercial link. It is a typical Andean product, with no formal documentation about its specific technology and quality. Anyway, it is known the use of cow’s raw milk with its original micro-flora and not applying any thermal treatment and calcium chloride nor acidifying bacteria. The first determinant step in cheese making is the milk coagulation, so obtaining the semi-solid “curd” which increasingly acquires firmness till its “cutting moment”, expelling the whey and forming the “cheese-dough”. Specifically for spinned cheeses, the other determinant step is the knead-stringed treatment of that dough within hot water. This “of leave” cheese is finished in form of a band-spread of the “texturized paste” stretched by means of double “spinning”, to make the “leave” and roll it as a small cylinder. To be sold, it is wrapped up in the leaves of a typical Andean tree or packed up into plastic bags. Within the already commenced research, it will be determine optimum parameters in the curd and for the water of the hot knead-spinned. Also, it will be designed a touristic product-service, integrating the cheese elaboration with the existing excursions-visits to the close volcano. This would be: “The Route to the ´of leave´ cheese and the Cotopaxi”, with process “demonstrations”, degustation of the product and direct selling…in some cheese-farms.