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 kindness. That’s probably one of the reasons you’re likely to find at your local Mexican grill dedicated, hard-working employees 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 of Hamelin lose control of his mice. And the Pied Piper of Hamelin is not going to let those mice eat all his cheese. Why? Not just because of the cheese’s superior qualities mentioned above, though 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 is 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 all kinds of food. Even grilled Mexican food occasionally adopts other types of cheese, though we suspect it’s some kind of begrudging foray into the world of cheese that isn’t the beauty and perfection that cotija is more than happy to bring to your table. table.

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

Cotija is a salty, crumbly, and ridiculously flavorful cow’s milk cheese named after the town of Cotija in Mexico. It’s a classic south-of-the-border ingredient, prized for its tangy flavor and unique texture. It is known as the mountain cheese, because its makers live and make it high up in the mountains. And that’s where it also gets its flavor and color: the milk that makes the cotija comes to us directly from the 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 Mexican grilled dishes (appropriately). 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 stamina 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 and other muscle tissue and stay healthy. Just a one-ounce serving gives you 7 grams of protein, or a whopping 14 percent of your recommended daily amount of protein. Even better, cotija is packed with bone-building 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 hit your taste buds.