Turrialba cheese
{{Short description|Cheese from Costa Rica}}
{{about|the cheese from Costa Rica|the canton|Turrialba (canton)|the national park|Turrialba Volcano National Park|other uses|Turrialba (disambiguation){{!}}Turrialba}}
{{Infobox cheese
| name = Turrialba cheese
| image = Queso Turrialba.jpg
| caption = Block and slices of Turrialba cheese
| country = {{CRI}}
| region = Turrialba canton
| town = Santa Cruz district
| source = Cows milk
| pasteurised =
| texture =
| aging =
| certification =
}}
Turrialba cheese is a cow's milk cheese originally from Turrialba canton, in the Cartago Province of Costa Rica, it is origin protected since 2012.
{{cite journal
|last1=Blanco
|first1=M.
|title=La Ruta Agroturística del Queso Turrialba en Costa Rica
|date=2008
|language=es
|journal=ECAG Informa}}
{{cite book
|last1=Blanco
|first1=M.
|last2=Granados
|first2=L.
|title=Consultoría realizada para la FAO y el IICA en el marco del estudio conjunto sobre los productos de calidad vinculada al origen QUESO TURRIALBA
|language=es
|date=2007}}
{{cite book
|last1=Cascante-Sánchez
|first1=M.
|title=Concentración de queserías en las faldas del volcán Turrialba. Informe final
|publisher=PRODAR/UNCA/IICA
|language=es
|date=2007}}
{{cite book
|last1=Granados
|first1=L.
|last2=Álvarez
|first2=C.
|title=Estudio Técnico del Queso Turrialba como denominación de Origen
|publisher=PRODAR/UNCA/IICA
|language=es
|date=2007}}
{{cite book
|title=Estudio Técnico del Queso Turrialba como denominación de Origen
|publisher=Instituto Interamericano de Cooperación para la Agricultura (IICA)
|language=es
|date=2012}}
History
Production started in the 1870s when a Spanish family headed by Lucas Vargas came from La Mancha and settled in the region of Santa Cruz, in Turrialba, to start producing cheese with the recipes they brought from their homeland.
In the 1890s rail transportation between Turrialba and the capital of San José became possible, and the Vargas family started to ship their product to San José and Cartago in wooden crates.
In 1930 Florentino Castro, a coffee producer, acquired the Hacienda El Volcán. This was the first time in the country when cheese, butter and sour cream were produced and packaged with labels for further distribution throughout the country. In the 1950s, the cheese was exported for the first time to Chile and England, along with coffee.
| url =https://amprensa.com/2018/07/turrialbenos-se-preparan-para-llevar-sus-mejores-productos-a-la-expoferia-del-queso/
| title =Turrialbeños se preparan para llevar sus mejores productos a la Expoferia del Queso
| last =Aguilar
| first =Ana Yancy
| date =1 Jul 2018
| website = AMPRENSA.COM
| publisher =
| access-date =1 Jul 2018
| quote = }}