Cheese Database

Minas vs Queijo prato

Minas

Facts

Milk
Cow
Country
Brazil

Minas is a family of cow's milk cheeses from Brazil, and the name points to Minas Gerais, the state where the style took shape. The best-known version is fresh, white, moist, and mild, with little or no rind. Firmer versions are lightly cured, deeper in color, and easier to slice. All of them are everyday cheeses rather than long-aged grating wheels, and cooks use the fresh kind with bread and fruit. More than one style shares the name.

Queijo prato

Facts

Milk
Cow
Texture
Semi-hard
Type
Pressed
Country
Brazil

Queijo prato is a mild semi-hard cheese from Brazil, and it is one of the pressed cheeses people there use every day. Dairies make it from cow's milk and color the paste with annatto, which turns it a warm yellow. The body is smooth and elastic, with few openings, so it slices into even pieces. Salt stays light, and the flavor is buttery rather than sharp. You will see it as a flat round or as a rectangular block meant for the slicer.