Cheeses of Cotija
A Michoacán town that gave its name to Cotija, the salty aged cheese of the Jalisco and Michoacán hills.
Made, aged and sold here
Best time: October to December, after the rainy-season cheese has aged.
Cotija de la Paz is a market town in the highlands of western Michoacán. The cheese named after it is made on small ranches in the surrounding mountains, between Michoacán and Jalisco, and was traded through the town. Aged Cotija is hard, salty and crumbly, and it is grated over beans, tacos, elotes and salads all over Mexico.
Cotija cheese
Cotija is made in the rainy season, when the hill pastures are green and milk is plentiful. Raw cow's milk is set, the curd is broken, salted, pressed and aged for months. Young Cotija is crumbly and mild, like a firm feta; aged, it is hard and sharp, and is compared to Parmesan. It softens with heat but does not melt.
The ranches
The cheese is made on ranchos in the Sierra de Jalmich, an area that crosses the state line. Producers have worked to protect the name with a collective mark for cheese made in the region of origin. Cotija town itself is a quiet place of churches and plazas, and the cheese is sold in its shops and markets.
A trail idea for Cotija
- Cotija town plaza The centre of the market town.
- A cheese shop Taste young and aged Cotija side by side.
- Sierra de Jalmich The ranch country where the cheese is made.
- A taquería Eat tacos or elotes finished with crumbled Cotija.
Written by the EveryCheese desk with AI assistance. Background: "Cotija de la Paz" on Wikipedia. Opening hours, markets, caves and tours change; check locally before travelling. If something is wrong, tell us.
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