Requexón
Requexón is a cottage cheese, in that it is a cheese that was, until very recently, made only at home - every home it seems. However, it is not technically the same as North American cottage cheese proper. It is much more closely related to Ricotta from Italy. more importantly, in Asturias it comes in several varieties. There is cow, sheep, goat, and mixed milk requexóns. I am particularly fond of the all-goat variety.
Where Is It From?
As mentioned above, requexón is produced throughout Asturias, in farmhouse kitchens and in industrial cheese factories, and everywhere in-between.
How Requexón Is Made
Requexón is made by first warming milk just to the boil and then being acidified (usually through lemon juice or vinegar). Once the curds and whey have separated, the cheese is slowly drained and then lightly salted before being cooled and packaged.
History
As I mentioned in the introduction, requexón is closely related to (if not exactly the same thing as) Italian ricotta. That should not be surprising, as pretty much the exact technique used to make ricotta, requexón, urda, anari, and a host of other cheeses have existed in Italy since the late Bronze Age.[1]
Uses For Requexón
Common Uses: the most traditional use of requexón in Asturias is as a dessert. Requexón con miel is a staple homey dessert. It also makes an appearance in a cheesecake variation; pastel de requexón.
How I Use It: At my house, we use it much as an American might use ricotta: we stir it through warm pasta as the basis for a cacio y pepe variation or add it to tomato sauce for a hearty pink pasta sauce. It makes an appearance in lasagna, and as an essential part of a white pie pizza when I miss New York pizza. I jam it into pancakes and cornbread, and I use it as a base for herbed spreads to make crostinis.
Recipes
No recipes currently use Requexón
Where To Find Requexón
There is no need to go hunting specifically for Spanish requexón in the States. Almost every recipe using it can be made using a creamy American cottage cheese. If you'd like to find a variety that is closer to the Spanish kind, check your local Mexican store for some. It is very popular in Mexican cuisine and easy to find.
- ↑ Kindstedt, Paul (2012). Cheese and Culture: A History of Cheese and its Place in Western Civilization. Chelsea Green Publishing. ISBN 978-1-60358-412-8.
