For Cheese Lovers Only

Thanks, CCC. I know Liliya (I spent two months when I first arrived in her rental near La Ronda -- highly recommended).

I will check out her suggestions -- I agree with Gardener that the cheese situation is Ecuador's national shame!

cccmedia wrote:

La Maison du Fromage, aka La Casa de Queso
Rusia N3-21 y Avenida Eloy Alfaro
02-333-2375
Monday through Saturday 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Double-checking some of the information about La Maison du Fromage, it appears they have reduced their hours since the original dayinquito.com listing although still being open Monday through Saturday.  Some travel sites list the street address as being on Eloy Alfaro.  In any case, it's apparent that La Maison is on or near the corner of Eloy Alfaro and Rusia.

Also, La Maison may be primarily a restaurant or fondue place and not strictly a cheese shop.

Enjoy your cheese.

cccmedia, Quito

BobH wrote:

The cheese situation is Ecuador's national shame!

Based on the above statement alone, Bob, I hereby nominate you for Gringo of the Year.

And to think you garnered this honor without even being in Ecuador the past few months.

cccmedia wrote:

La Maison may be primarily a restaurant or fondue place and not strictly a cheese shop.

I asked Liliya (of dayinquito.com) about La Maison du Fromage.  Though she said she hasn't been there for awhile, she assured me that she was able to go in there just to buy a cheese take-out order.  She said, however, it was pricey.

Also today here in Quito, I ordered some French fries to go, at Menestras del Negro ("Blackie's Vegetarian Stews") in Mariscal.  When the order was ready, I asked them to include some ketchup.  The joven at the counter said they didn't have any and gave me salsa de queso (cheese sauce) instead.

It was unexpectedly delicious and made for the best papas fritas experience I've had in a long time. 

Salsa de queso:  try it, you may like it.

cccmedia, Quito

Gotta hand it to you ccc, you have become the Nards Barley of Quito, quite the accomplishment.

cccmedia wrote:

Posting on the Club Correos $42 thread, Top Cat stated that he was unable to find decent cheese on a trip to Ecuador.  The unsliced blocks of queso blanco didn't do it for him.

She. I unveil my identity, I am a she, not a he.

Rejecting the political correctness of 'personhood' I am a girl who is evolving into a cranky old lady.

P.S. I am also the poster who put up the the post on City-data you referred to, about the trans-south American railroad. Small world, eh?   

Mugtech wrote:

"You have become the Nards Barley of Quito."

Me siento muy halagado.

Speaking of Nards, I plan to put in a request at his Cuenca "Deep Thoughts" thread when he gets just a bit closer to his historic 1,000th post.  (He's at 996 as of this writing.)

I am hoping he'll re-post with #1,000 the famous picture of Nards Barley and Police Patrol Surveying the Ecuadorian Beachfront.

cccmedia, Quito campaign manager, Nards Barley for Presidente 2017

I unveil my identity, I am a she...

Rejecting the political correctness of 'personhood' I am a girl who is evolving into a cranky old lady.

Thank you for revealing your alter ego, Gatubela ("Catwoman").

cccmedia wrote:

Speaking of Nards, I plan to put in a request at his Cuenca "Deep Thoughts" thread when he gets just a bit closer to his historic 1,000th post.  (He's at 996 as of this writing.)

I am hoping he'll re-post with #1,000 the famous picture of Nards Barley and Police Patrol Surveying the Ecuadorian Beachfront.

cccmedia, Quito campaign manager, Nards Barley for Presidente 2017

Yes, it will be quite a milestone for the exalted one.  Being a man of the people, I do believe he will be happier about "The Unofficial blog of the greater Cuenca expat community" being viewed 100,000 times.  It was very important to him back in the day when he passed another thread about the best places to live in Ecuador.  There have been over 99,000 viewings so far, so when it will hit 100,000 is anyone's guess.  Hope I can be here for the  festivities.

This just in to the Expat Cheese Desk:

There is a "Cheese Capitol of Ecuador."

This according to a Peace Corps volunteer named "Danni" who apparently had enough time on her hands to research and report on this matter at capitolsouthbound.com (note the consistent spelling of "capitol" with an "o")...

Anyway, the location is Salinas de Bolivar (not to be confused with the coastal town of similar first name) -- a mountain pueblo near Guaranda, about equidistant from Quito, Cuenca and Bahia de Caraques (the coast).

They have many co-operatives in that town making cheese, chocolate and other products, then selling the "mercancias" to bigger companies.

cccmedia, Quito

Barb S will be so happy to know she does not have to smuggle 300lbs of cheese from North America.
We expect the cheese desk to send someone to verify said Peace Corps rumor.

In other global cheese news, one person in Yakima, Washington died of listeria and two others were reported ill in neighboring counties.  The disease was determined to have originated from a Yakima cheese maker.  Queseria Bendita has stopped producing cheese and is subject to a voluntary recall.  The questionable cheese was distributed to Hispanic grocery stores.  All Queso Fresco, Panela and Requeson brand cheeses should be thrown away and not eaten.

From the Morning Call by Tribune Wire Reports, 01/17/15

mugtech wrote:

The questionable cheese was distributed to Hispanic grocery stores.  All Queso Fresco, Panela and Requeson brand cheeses should be thrown away and not eaten.

I've never been a fan of Mexican cheeses, so I will be unaffected, but thanks for the heads-up. I hate to see the King of Foods brought into disrepute in this way.

Actually, it just occurred to me how seldom there are problems with cheese -- this is the first such thing I can recall.

Don't be fooled by the labels on supposedly American cheese and Swiss cheese being sold in Quito under the Quesería brand as queso americano and baby suiso.  They're not the real thing as you would find in the U.S. and the taste doesn't make it.

My eyes lit up when I saw these products today among the usual cheesy suspects in the specialty section off the meat and seafood counters at MegaMaxi 6 de diciembre.  I hadn't seen American cheese anywhere in Quito for a year-and-a-half.  Swiss cheese here never.

Big disappointment when I got home and tried them tonight.  The suiso is fine when heated as in a microwaved sandwich, but tastes nothing like the real thing.  I have nothing good to say about the queso americano except that it looks like actual American cheese.

cccmedia at the Expat cheese desk in Quito

Okay all you cheese lovers:
I haven't posted for awhile. Some of the old timers may remember me.
Anyway, I am currently in The States. Where you may ask? Beautiful Minneapolis, MN. Now, you may ask yourself, how this is pertinent to this thread. Look at a map. I am a mere 45 minutes from Wisconsin, The Cheese Capital of the world. I return to Cuenca on the 24th of July.
I will be taking orders forthwith. < Grin >
Be Well
ZenSpike

ZenSPIKE wrote:

Okay all you cheese lovers:
I haven't posted for awhile. Some of the old timers may remember me.
Anyway, I am currently in The States. Where you may ask? Beautiful Minneapolis, MN. Now, you may ask yourself, how this is pertinent to this thread. Look at a map. I am a mere 45 minutes from Wisconsin, The Cheese Capital of the world. I return to Cuenca on the 24th of July.
I will be taking orders forthwith. < Grin >
Be Well
ZenSpike

MN too hot in July and August, welcome back online.  Good luck in your cheeses import business.

Spike: You've been missed.

When I lived in Chicago, we regularly traveled for long weekend to Wisconsin Dells. We always returned with large supplies of cheese. Loved the cheese curds -- yum!

Minnesota too hot ???
Well, yeah. That's why we all have lake places. I have been putting lot's of time on < and in >the water.
Life is good!

Hey Bob,
Nice to hear from you. Unfortunately, I'm going to miss The State Fair, where cheese curds are a popular item.
Hope all is well with you.
ZenSPIKE

ZenSPIKE wrote:

Okay all you cheese lovers:
I haven't posted for awhile. Some of the old timers may remember me.
Anyway, I am currently in The States. Where you may ask? Beautiful Minneapolis, MN. Now, you may ask yourself, how this is pertinent to this thread. Look at a map. I am a mere 45 minutes from Wisconsin, The Cheese Capital of the world. I return to Cuenca on the 24th of July.
I will be taking orders forthwith. < Grin >
Be Well
ZenSpike

Cccmedia puts in the following cheese request: 1 of everything.

Stay cheesy Zen. Good to hear from you.

gardener1 wrote:

Cccmedia puts in the following cheese request: 1 of everything.

Gardner,
Good to hear from you. As far as one of everything ? Hell, were talkin' Wisconsin. I'd need a transport plane to bring back one of everything.
Take Care

Are there any restrictions on amounts of cheese allowed for one person to bring into the country? I'm originally from Wisconsin and visit frequently. I have to "import" Wisconsin cheese into Minnesota to have anything worth eating.  Lack of great cheeses is the one element of "culture shock" I'll have trouble adjusting to.

DorothyPeck wrote:

Are there any restrictions on amounts of cheese allowed for one person to bring into the country?... Lack of great cheeses is the one element of "culture shock" I'll have trouble adjusting to.

TSA has no specific restrictions against cheese or other non-liquid, non-gel foods.  Source... www.seatguru.com by TripAdvisor

In the unlikely event that the dogs of SENAE inspect your luggage upon arrival at an Ecuador airport, they will be the judge of whether you are importing cheese for possible resale.  It could then be subject to unpredictable tariffs.

Recommendations... Put 90+ percent of the cheese in your checked luggage, not carry-on, to reduce the likelihood of problematic inspections.  If you can think of a way to do so, wrap or pack the cheese in a way such that it does not appear to be for resale.

cccmedia at the Expat Cheese Desk in Quito

That's hilarious.

TSA has no restrictions on cheese, keep the cheese close to your person, distract SENAE from your cheeses, cheese inspections.....

Bwahahaaa, cheese is the new drug du jour. Cheese smuggling, cheese borders - No grilled cheese for you!

But it's true. In my local US supermarket cheese is literally the most expensive thing in the store. Fine steak? Less than $20 per lb. Fine cheese - $25+ a lb and more. Nothing in the store is more expensive that the best cheeses. Not even the booze.

Interestingly the Russians are having the very same problem. With the food sanctions and various stupid international goings-on, what got hit the hardest? Cheese. Western cheese not allowed in Russia. So now travelers are bringing in cheese. Parmesan, gouda, cheddar, feta, - you name it, visitors are winging in the banned cheese.

I think the world has nearly reached the height of ridiculousness. Cheese is the new heroin.

Because
Cheese
People love
Government will stop it

So, ZenSPIKE, did you bring some of that Wisconsin Gold with you when you came in July? Did you have an problems  with SENAE if you did?

Unfortunately, I didn't have an opportunity to " score " any Wisconsin Gold. But, I did find a source for fantastic  cheese here in Cuenca. His Blue Cheese is as good as any I've had. He makes it with Goat milk and Cow milk. The Cow's milk is hands down superior to the Goat's. Creamier texture, and much more robust. He carries a large assortment of cheese. Still hard to beat Stella Cheese out of Wisconsin.
If interested, I'll dig out his card.

ZenSPIKE wrote: I did find a source for fantastic cheese here in Cuenca. His Blue Cheese is as good as any I've had. ... He carries a large assortment of cheese.... If interested, I'll dig out his card.

Yes, please!! I really didn't want to haul a 5th suitcase just for cheese!!

A truly creamy cream cheese is now available in Quito.  As a bonus, it's lactose free.

Processed in Denmark and featuring English-language packaging, Arla-brand Lactofree Fresh Cheese lives up to its claim offering "the great taste of dairy."  And did I mention it's wonderfully creamy -- unlike Reynoso and the other brands in the MegaMaxi dairy section.

I found Lactofree at MegaMaxi 6 de Diciembre near the Benalcazar stop of the Ecovía bus line.

When I discovered the creaminess, I put together a sandwich with unexpected tastiness from ingredients bought at MegaMaxi -- a Manna-brand veggie dog with sea algae and Maille-brand Dijon mustard, plus the cream cheese .. on lightly toasted whole-wheat bread.

The sea algae is available in the ice-cream and frozen foods aisle.

cccmedia at the Expat Cheese Desk in Quito

ZenSPIKE wrote:

Unfortunately, I didn't have an opportunity to " score " any Wisconsin Gold. But, I did find a source for fantastic  cheese here in Cuenca. His Blue Cheese is as good as any I've had. He makes it with Goat milk and Cow milk. The Cow's milk is hands down superior to the Goat's. Creamier texture, and much more robust. He carries a large assortment of cheese. Still hard to beat Stella Cheese out of Wisconsin.
If interested, I'll dig out his card.

I'm interested ZenSPIKE. How you doing? Been a while since we last typed :-)

symo

Arla-brand cheese is shocking the Ecuador cheese world ...

Holy cow!  (Pun intended.)   La República now has Swiss cheese!

I discovered Arla's emmental cheese -- a cheese that originated in Switzerland's Emmental Valley -- at Megamaxi 6 de Diciembre in Quito, in the cheese section off the meat and seafood area.

It's delicious.  Swiss cheese lovers will recognize the taste.

Arla's emmental is unsliced and produced in Denmark.

But hey, T.I.E. -- This Is Ecuador.  We'll take it!

-- cccmedia at the Expat Cheese Desk in Quito

EDD SAID that cheese in Cuenca is bland, so he has taken up the art of bringing plenty of cheese back with him from the USA, encountering no problems.  He did not say how much he brought.  He also mentioned that wine in Ecuador is twice as expensive as in the USA and the same wine is even cheaper in other South American countries.

mugtech wrote:

EDD SAID that cheese in Cuenca is bland, so he has taken up the art of bringing plenty of cheese back with him from the USA, encountering no problems.  He did not say how much he brought.  He also mentioned that wine in Ecuador is twice as expensive as in the USA and the same wine is even cheaper in other South American countries.

I think SAID has a point.

Numerous things I've read have referenced the liquor-pricing problem, with general agreement that it's caused by high tariffs.

The core cause of the cheese problem remains a mystery, however.

Cheese mystery.

Perhaps Ecuador needs a Department of Cheese Investigation.

It is official! Cheese is addictive. This story was published in the Los Angeles Times

"According to a new study from the University of Michigan, cheese crack is a real thing. And so is your addiction.
The study, published in the U.S. National Library of Medicine, examines why certain foods are more addictive than others. Researchers identified addictive foods from about 500 students who completed the Yale Food Addiction Scale, designed to measure if someone has a food addiction.
The study found certain foods are addictive because of the way they are processed. The more processed and fatty the food, the more it was associated with addictive eating behaviors.
Cheese happens to be especially addictive because of an ingredient called casein, a protein found in all milk products. During digestion, casein releases opiates called casomorphins.
"[Casomorphins] really play with the dopamine receptors and trigger that addictive element," registered dietitian Cameron Wells said. So there you have it. Your cheese addiction has been validated by science."

wow I am really addicted to cheese!   Now I have an excuse for having a home that is NEVER empty of cheese, butter & heavy cream!  Every thing else is up for grabs.  Does any one know if you can get heavy cream/wiping cream in Cuenca?  I am also addicted to it in my coffee 2 cups decaf coffee per day.

Hi Can you list some of the cheeses not available in Cuenca?  I would like to bring w/me some not found cheese so I don't go into cheese withdraws.  Thanks in advance