Elaboraron un queso de 1000 kilos, el más grande de la Argentina, y tendrá un destino solidario

A team of producers, technicians, educators, suppliers and dairy industry professionals in the Villa María region of Córdoba province, Argentina, has created the country's largest cheese ever made, 1,000 kilograms of semi-hard cheese, marking a new milestone in Argentine dairy production. The achievement was part of an initiative led by organizers of the Mega Expo del Centro Argentino (MECA), aiming to surpass previous records and showcase the potential of one of Argentina’s leading dairy regions. The project began with approximately 10,000 liters of milk, distributed into two 5,000-liter vats, requiring six hours of continuous work. The process involved adapting traditional cheese-making techniques to an unprecedented scale. A key challenge arose when the team had to remove the curd from the vats, salt it, and shape it into a single piece of over 1,000 kilograms. This required innovative methods, including a technique known as cheddarization, which involves manually removing excess whey before adding salt, a method less commonly used in Argentina today. To manage the massive volume, the team divided the process into parallel steps. One batch included a natural coloring agent, resulting in a marbled effect within the cheese. The final shaping took place in a specially adapted mold, where the curd was pressed for 24 hours to form a cube measuring roughly one meter on each side. The cheese weighed close to a metric ton upon completion. Handling such a large piece proved equally challenging. Moving and turning the cheese required careful planning, as there were no existing facilities designed for this kind of task. The process continued with cleaning and drying stages, ensuring even moisture loss throughout the mass. Once shaped, the cheese entered its maturation phase, a critical stage for developing the texture and flavor characteristic of semi-hard cheeses. According to Alejandro Coria, a teacher at the Escuela Superior Integral de Lechería, the size of the cheese affects how it matures compared to smaller pieces. He explained that the unique conditions of a 1,000-kilogram cheese mean it will develop distinct qualities during the aging process. The team emphasized that the success of the project relied heavily on collaboration among multiple stakeholders, including local farmers who contributed raw materials, educational institutions providing technical guidance, and suppliers offering necessary inputs. L.C.A. SRL, based in Villa Nueva, played a central role by providing the industrial plant and workforce needed to carry out the operation. Angel Barrenechea, a managing partner of the company, noted that the effort was truly shared, involving not just the business but also producers, suppliers, and academic experts. The initiative aimed to highlight the capabilities of the Villa María dairy region, one of the most significant in the country. The cheese, currently undergoing maturation, represents more than just a record-breaking feat, it symbolizes the collaborative spirit and technical innovation driving Argentina’s dairy sector forward. As the cheese continues to age, it stands as a testament to the potential of regional agricultural expertise and industrial capacity.