foodsources
officially launched in 2023. Federal approval to sell its products across Canada followed this spring.
Most Canadians have never tasted Minas Frescal. Originating more than 300 years ago in the state of Minas Gerais, it is made from cow’ s milk and sold fresh, without aging. The result is a soft, moist cheese with a delicate milky flavour and just enough tang to brighten each bite. Think of something creamier than paneer, softer than fresh mozzarella and lighter than feta. It’ s a cheese that lets good milk speak for itself.
In Brazil, it’ s just as likely to appear beside toast at breakfast as it is in salads, baked dishes or paired with slices of guava paste in the classic sweet-andsavoury combination known as Romeu e Julieta. Making it well, however, depends almost entirely on one ingredient.
“ One hundred per cent of the flavour comes from the milk,” Fabiola says. It didn’ t take long for her to notice the difference. She discovered that milk purchased directly from local dairy farms possessed a depth of flavour quite different from homogenized milk on grocery store shelves. By carefully pasteurizing fresh local milk, she found she could preserve the clean, delicate character that defines Minas Frescal.
Along the way, she also developed a deep appreciation for Manitoba’ s dairy industry. The province’ s supply-managed system, combined with consistent herd nutrition and carefully monitored milk quality, provides an ideal foundation for cheesemaking. While cheese reflects tradition, it also reflects place. Soil influences forage, forage shapes milk, and milk shapes the finished cheese.
Terroir, it turns out, doesn’ t end at the vineyard. The recipe may come from Brazil, but every wheel begins with Manitoba milk.
The challenge has been preserving that authenticity while meeting modern Canadian regulations. Production methods learned on a family farm have been refined through scientific testing, shelf-life studies and careful process improvements, without sacrificing the essence of the original cheese.” It’ s the true thing,” Fabiola says simply.
The awards suggest others agree. When Unique Brazilian Dairy won gold the first time it entered the American Cheese Society competition, Fabiola assumed there had been a mistake. The judges’ comments confirmed otherwise. This year’ s judging included one observation she’ ll never forget:“ I would love to sell this in my retail shop for the rest of my days. A wonderfully executed recipe with malleability for multiple purposes.”
Today, Minas Frescal appears on restaurant menus, in specialty food shops and at farmers’ markets across Manitoba. Sampling remains one of the company’ s favourite ways to introduce newcomers to the cheese because, more often than not, one bite answers every question.
Many first-time customers assume it’ s made from goat’ s milk. It isn’ t. Others simply ask how to serve it. Fabiola’ s answer is refreshingly uncomplicated.“ A slice with salad. Do whatever you want, it’ s going to be good.”
Manitoba diners have developed an appetite for artisan foods with a story behind them, and Minas Frescal arrives at just the right moment, introducing many people to a cheese that is ordinary in Brazil, but still a discovery here. Industry analysts expect specialty cheese to remain one of the fastest-growing segments of the dairy market in the years ahead, suggesting consumers are increasingly seeking distinctive products with authentic stories to tell.
Looking ahead, Fabiola hopes to see more cheesemakers emerge across Manitoba. She believes a vibrant local cheese culture creates opportunities for dairy farmers, producers and curious eaters alike.
It’ s a fitting ambition for someone who came to Manitoba simply hoping to recreate a favourite cheese from home. Today, that same cheese has found a new home of its own on Manitoba tables.
ciao! / aug / sep / two thousand twenty-six 9