We travelled to the tropics this summer in search of cheesemakers and we found Quesos Vaca Negra, a company started by two women, Wanda Otero and Rosa Avalo, who pioneered the making of aged raw milk cheese in Puerto Rico. Follow our trail from Rafy Lopez’s dairy farm, where Wanda and Rosa source Brown Swiss milk for their cheeses, to the creamery, to the caves, and finally to the farmers’ market in Old San Juan. We threw in a few extra scenery shots as well, since everything we looked at was stunning!
Farmer Rafy Lopez with his Brown Swiss cows
Rafy’s wife made this entire mosaic by hand, and it now graces the top of the barn
Rafy in the holding pen
What milking looks like
Quesos Vaca Negra getting ready to fill their bulk tank with fresh milk
Wanda pumping the milk directly from the milking parlor
Rafy and his family
Back at the creamery, Rosa monitors the tank as it fills with milk from the truck
A closer look at the milk as it fills the tank
Adding the cultures to the milk
Rosa makes the first cuts to the curd
Cutting the curd
Wanda cuts vertically, Rosa cuts horizontally
Wanda turns up the heat to cook the curds
Filling molds is a team effort
They never stint on style
Rosa thinks it’s funny
Sittin’ in molds
Removing yesterday’s batch from the molds
Each cheese is stamped with its name
Next step: brine bath overnight
Flash forward to the shelves where the cheeses age with smoked plantain leaves
Aging cooler number 2 has no leaves
…and a hand-painted specialty
A view of one of their caves, with the selection at attention
This cave is a converted stairway to the second floor
We visited the farmers’ market in Old San Juan; these are annatto seeds, where orange cheese gets its color!
A local baker at the market
It’s a beautiful day for a farmers’ market.
The local flora for sale
The Quesos Vaca Negra booth is always busy
It’s even popular with the younger set
Brightly painted houses stand out in Old San Juan
This dog’s takin’ it easy
Kites!
This little guy is sunning himself on the fortress walls
Morning sweeping in Old San Juan
The shoreline
Fortress San Cristobal in the morning
A gorgeous balcony in Old San Juan
Shadows lengthen
Kate Arding
Kate Arding is an independent dairy consultant specializing in small-scale cheese production and an original co-founder of culture: the word on cheese. A native of Britain, Kate has worked in the farmhouse cheese industry for 18 years, first as wholesale manager for Neal's Yard Dairy in London and later helping establish Cowgirl Creamery and Tomales Bay Foods in California. Since 2003 Kate has worked extensively both in the United States and overseas as an independent consultant, specializing in affinage, sales and marketing, and helping small-scale cheesemakers adapt to changing market demands.
