Lactography: Farmstead Cheese Source in Mexico City
Jessica Fernandez and Georgina Yescas photo courtesy of Lactography
Mexico is a country that’s more than 761K square miles but according to some pundits writing “a complete guide to Mexican cheeses” the entire nation only produces 12 unique types. The owners of the Mexico City-based cheese shop Lactography want you to know that this is simply wrong.
Recent research by the University of Chapingo determined there are 30 traditional cheeses specifically unique to Mexico, proving there is more to the story. According to Jessica Fernandez, co-owner of Lactography, fifteen years ago a movement started, with traditional cheese makers diversifying to make more personal cheeses. And it’s those cheeses that Lactography strives to introduce and promote, not only to expand appreciation of farmstead products versus industrial ones, but to help identify ones that can earn a DOP (Denominación de origen protegida) designation.
Farmstead Cheeses in Mexico
Fenandez, who travels extensively with the company, says there are myriad farmstead cheeses made in every state throughout Mexico. Which makes sense for a country that was forecasted to consume 603 thousand metric tons of cheese in 2023, according to Statistica. Many of those makers are from incredibly small village producers, but due to a lack of cohesive infrastructure and investment, those cheeses aren’t produced to scale and due to regulations, they’re rarely distributed nationally or exported.
Visiting Lactography
Sliced Bola Ocosingo photo courtesy of Lactography
Until a time comes when these unique cheeses are widely in Mexico or even in the U.S., if you want to learn about them or even get a taste, your best and most practical option is to visit Lactography in Mexico City. You’ll have to get in touch by WhatsApp to make an appointment since they have limited hours since the beginning of the pandemic, but it will be worth it.
On a recent trip, we had a chance to try some incredible local cheeses that Lactography sourced for restaurants like Sud 777, that are (as of now) unavailable North of the border. Like other small production local artisan cheeses from around the world, they are simply local treasures that must be enjoyed domestically.
To learn more about all things cheese in Mexico, we spoke with Fernandez about her mostly wholesale, cheese company based in the Roma Norte district of the city. What started with the intent to “monger cheese education,” slowly grew into a business championing one of the overlooked products of their country. “Cheese is not just an ingredient,” Jessica thoughtfully muses “it is part of the fabric of our culture.”
The goal of the company is to raise awareness about rare Mexican cheeses, highlight female cheesemakers and sell wholesale and retail cheese. They also want people to unlearn their preconceived ideas about what Mexican cheese is.
Company Background
Lactography was started in 2012 by siblings Georgina Yescas and Cheese Professor contributor Carlos Yescas, to introduce people to a wider variety of the Mexican cheeses and makers lacking visibility and distribution.
Funked. Photo courtesy of Lactography
Fernandez finished her degree in Journalism and in 2014 was hired as an assistant at the shop. She’d been following Lactography’s work online and had met the proprietors a few times at local farmers markets. As the assistant she naturally became obsessed with cheese and took on more and more responsibility, including joining in on visits to cheese makers and learning about production and quality control. In 2019 she took the leap and decamped to Spain for a month to learn how to make cheese herself. She now has her own signature cheese, Funked, an 8-15 day aged Camembert style cow’s milk cheese with a beer washed rind. Eventually when she married Georgina, she became both a business and life partner.
Championing Women Cheesemakers
One of the clear core values of the company is their commitment to Mexico and women who make cheese. “We visit all of our producers and see the hard work and taste the cheeses” she explains, adding “We value the women doing this work. They are the heart of everything, and we want to be there to help them succeed.”
Ovni, a non-traditional sheep’s milk cheese. Photo courtesy of Lactography
One cheesemaker Jessica mentions as an example is Gabriela Flores, of Quesos Del Rebaño. “She makes Ovni, a non-traditional sheep’s milk cheese. The milk comes from her own East Friesian flock and the name means UFO, because it is shaped like a flying saucer. It has terroir.” Others she enjoys are Queso de Bola de Ocosingo from Chiapas, which is a double cream, raw cow’s-milk cheese sold in a small or large ball that’s made by a co-op of local producers.
Thanks to their high profile and energetic commitment, they are also working with businesses and policy makers to share more about local cheeses and hopefully create more infrastructure, bring about subsidies and let the world know more about Mexican cheese. The company consults with the Mexican Institute for Industrial Property who are working towards creating collective trademarks for cheese.
“We want to empower rural Mexican women to be able to sell the cheese they work so hard to make.”
Encouraging ethical agritourism
In the interest of really highlighting not just cheese, but encouraging ethical agritourism in the country, they’re busy organizing curated tours that will visit creameries, wineries, breweries and bakers. Fernandez wants people to come to Mexico and try the artisanal food, both the traditional and the new.
They also offer professional cheese making classes, sensory analysis classes and offer periodic public tastings. As we spoke, Jessica twice repeated, with pride, that “this work is about making Mexico a better place for everyone.” The commitment of this company to elevating women through their hard work with cheese is something the world needs now.