The Health Benefits of Cheese on Your Mexican Grill

Cheese is delicious. We believe that it is one of the best gifts of nature. Cheese fills everyone’s heart with happiness, your mouth will be delighted and your soul with goodness. That’s probably one of the reasons you’re likely to find dedicated, hard-working employees at your local Mexican grill coming together in the kitchen to hand grate mounds of fresh, delicious, and nutritious cotija cheese. Lots of it! Mountains of it, even.

On the Mexican grill they grate enough cotija cheese to make the Pied Piper lose control of his mice. And the Pied Piper isn’t going to let those mice eat all his cheese. Because? Not just because of the superior cheese qualities mentioned above, although that clearly has a lot to do with it. But the real reason cotija cheese is a beloved staple on the Mexican grill is because cotija is among the best cheeses possible.

We know that’s a bold statement. It’s hard to take it at face value when there are so many other cheeses available, in all kinds of cultures, and on all kinds of foods. Even grilled Mexican food occasionally embraces other types of cheese, though we suspect it’s something of a somewhat begrudging foray into the world of cheeses other than the beauty and perfection that the cotija is more than happy to bring to you. table.

So why is cotija the most superior of cheeses? Why does “Mexico’s Parmesan” (but so much better than Parm in our opinion) have this?

Cotija is a salty, crumbly, and ridiculously tasty milk cow cheese named after the city of Cotija in Mexico. It’s a classic south-of-the-border ingredient prized for its tart flavor and unique texture. It is known as mountain cheese, because its makers live and make it high up in the mountains. And that’s where it gets its flavor and color, too: the milk that the cotija makes comes to us directly from cows that have been chewing on the rich mountain grass that only grows during the short rainy season.

It has a strong flavor, great for grating, and is found in so many grilled (as appropriate) Mexican dishes. From salads to soups, from tacos to tostadas, everything is enhanced with the magic of the cotija. Best of all, and perhaps why the Pied Piper has the energy to keep chasing mice, Cotija cheese is so much more than just delicious: it’s good for you, too.

Like most dairy products, cotija is a great source of the protein we need to build our heart tissue and other muscles and stay healthy. Just a one-ounce serving gives you 7 grams of protein, or a whopping 14 percent of your daily recommended amount of protein. Even better, cotija has plenty of bone-strengthening calcium. And if you’re diabetic or on one of those low-carb diets, it’s important to note that cotija is also low-carb. So get behind the Piper in line at your nearest Mexican grill to enjoy how cotija can really pack your taste buds.