Minas Artesanal Cheese Contests: tourist and gastronomic attraction

Disclosure

Anyone who enjoys good Minas Artesanal cheese must check out the schedule of municipal cheese competitions in Minas Gerais. The season, which started in April, promises popular events and delicious artisanal cheeses. This Saturday (27/04), the 15th Minas Artesanal do Serro Municipal Cheese Competition will take place, a place with a great tradition in the art of making cheese. But the municipal competitions agenda remains busy in the months of May and June.

Serro cheese is one of the most famous in Minas Gerais, with pieces of compact consistency, yellowish color and a semi-hard interior. The action of bacteria found in the soil around Serra do Espinhaço provides a slightly acidic, but smooth flavor. The Minas Artesanal do Serro Municipal Cheese Competition will take place at Praça João Pinheiro, starting at 9 am, accompanied by the Family Farmers’ Free Market.

Cheese tourism

“Historically, Serro is a municipality very involved in cheese production, naming an entire region. As it is a historic and tourist city, the Serro competition is an important moment for cheese producers, which are part of tourist itineraries. Being one of the champions is an attraction for tourists to look for that cheese factory to visit”, comments the state coordinator of Minas Artesanal Cheese at Emater-MG, Maria Edinice Rodrigues.

The coordinator also highlights that the municipal competitions are an important stage of the Minas Artesanal Cheese State Competition (scheduled for August), as it is in them that the competitors for the regional competitions are defined, whose finalists go to the grand state final. In regions where there is no competition, a selection of cheeses will be made from businesses legalized with the IMA or official inspection services to participate in the state competition. In April, municipal competitions took place in Bambuí (the 7th), in Paulistas (the 12th) and in Materlândia (the 24th).

Event programming

Disclosure

In the month of May, five municipal competitions will be held: Vargem Bonita (the 4th), Dom Joaquim (the 10th), Piumhi (the 18th), Alvorada de Minas and Sabinópolis (the last two on the 30th). In July, there is a competition in São Roque de Minas (1st) and Delfinópolis (30th), both in Serra da Canastra. “Municipal competitions are an important stage, as it is a particular moment for that place. At the event, producers evaluate their cheeses, as well as the quality of other competitors. Winning the title of champion adds a lot of value to production. The competition also promotes cheeses from that municipality”, highlights Maria Edinice.

In municipal competitions, the judges will evaluate the internal and external aspects of each piece. Externally, aspects such as presentation (shape and finish) and color (uniform or stained) are evaluated. After splitting, the texture (appearance and graininess), consistency (hardness and greasiness) and taste and smell (flavor and aroma) of the cheeses are analyzed.

Throughout the year, there will also be regional stages and all competitions have the participation of Emater-MG. The Minas Artesanal Cheese State Competition is organized by the Government of Minas Gerais, through Emater-MG, linked to the State Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply of Minas Gerais (Seapa). Artisanal cheeses from Minas Gerais are increasingly gaining national and international recognition, with awards abroad and the candidacy of their Way of Making Cheese Minas Artesanal (QMA), as Intangible Heritage of Humanity.

2024 ARTISAN CHEESE COMPETITION SCHEDULE