This is a well-written book, with simple and clear language, and with great editing work that eases its reading and comprehension. It is made up of three parts: the first contains the presentation and the introduction; the second has seven chapters and constitutes the body of work; and, finally, a useful glossary of cheese terms is presented, or of terms related to the activity, as well as the bibliography used as reference.

It is a dual work in its objectives, which fulfills academic parameters; however, it simultaneously has parts that allow placing it as a divulgation work. The proposal of different pairings, some unconventional ones, and the invitation to culinary experimentation and innovation, presenting Mexican cheeses as the main component, make this a provocative text.

In the first parts, a brief historical account of the origins of the cheeses and their etymology is made; later, in consideration to the reader who doesn’t know the books that have been written about genuine Mexican cheeses, and where two of the authors of this work have participated, two chapters are devoted to making an analysis of the characteristics of Mexican artisanal cheese production and of the problems it faces, as well as the dairy livestock production that supplies its main input, allowing to contextualize and expose different proposals related to the valuation of this food and its connection with the gastronomic culture of different regions.

The following paradox is established: despite genuine Mexican cheeses having multiple importance - nutritional, ecologic, gastronomic, economic, social and cultural -, they are insufficiently valued by some of the actors involved in the chain, in addition to having to face the disloyal competition that pseudo-cheeses represent, which are generally elaborated with different inputs to those of dairy origin, generating less production costs and the possibility of marketing them at prices that producers of genuine cheeses cannot equal.

Another important problem that is faced is institutional disdain, because the industrial paradigm is promoted without taking into consideration the gastronomic heritage that these cheeses belong to; in this sense, the NOM-243-SSA1-2010 is the best example. In its most controversial point, this norm considers that cheeses must be made exclusively with milk that is previously subjected to a thermal process, pasteurized; if this were to be applied fully, it would mean the disappearance of the large majority of artisanal cheese producers in the country, and the extinction of emblematic varieties of Mexican cheeses.

In sum, it is a norm that stems from two simplistic assumptions: that cheeses made with pasteurized milk are innocuous per se, and that those that are made with raw milk cause health problems to people who ingest them; in addition, this is far from the national reality and the resources and problems of Mexican artisanal cheese production. It is an affront against the gastronomic culture of the country, and as long as it is not repealed, it represents a latent threat for the functioning of countless cheese factories that are source of employment and an important activity in some regions of the country. With regard to this, good practices in production and distribution are suggested, throughout the whole agrifood chain for cheeses.

The technological changes that range from the consolidation of the chain in cold conditions, which included the widespread expansion of commercial and domestic refrigeration, were constituted as a relevant factor that has allowed the proliferation of fresh cheeses, to the possibility of elaborating “dairy by-products”, primarily cheeses, using the most varied inputs, from milk or other sources, resulting in products of the most diverse qualities, linked, in addition, to the segmentation of markets.

Considering this, the preoccupation of a consumer who is confused, interested in knowing about the quality of the product he will purchase, is totally legitimate; in addition, he/she faces various factors that can distort the perception there is about the quality of the cheese being acquired; among these, the aggressive publicity campaigns, the small print on labels, and the lack of a culture for reading them, the absence of labels, the product’s packaging, and the wide range of cheeses, national and imported, present in the market.

Another situation that contributes to distorting the perception of the cheese consumer is the distribution of space, in the areas of “dairy products” of large-scale retail chains, which are currently the principal traders of milk and dairy products, where the products elaborated with fluid milk and those that contain inputs of different origin are placed as products of the same segment, without them being as much.

In this same sense, it should be mentioned that, because of various reasons, artisanal cheeses that have “authenticity and genuineness” as important characteristics that the authors mention, are generally excluded from those distribution canals.

Considering this, there are five chapters in the book that contribute to clearing doubts for cheese lovers and which can contribute to this food attaining new adepts: 1) senses, cheese and tasting; ii) descriptive cards for a basic tasting of genuine Mexican cheeses; iii) purchase, conservation and cutting of cheeses; iv) cheese and its accompaniment; and v) gastronomy.

As can be observed, in the first of the chapters an appreciation of the cheeses is sought, by understanding their organoleptic characteristics as a way of exalting the senses, serving as preface to the guide for cheese tasting, which will help to appreciate the qualities and identify the defects of this wonderful food. In this regard, a figure is presented that synthesizes in an extraordinary manner the odor and aroma sensations of cheeses, and classifies in some groups the specific reference that cheese remits us to.

A relevant chapter, without a doubt, which will be widely valued and used for consult by consumers who consider cheese more than a simple food, is the one devoted to the purchase, conservation and cutting of cheeses; in it, through a series of simple and quite useful pieces of advice, the reader is directed towards the identification of a good cheese and the way it should be treated after acquiring it to be conserved or, even, to exalt its qualities for its tasting to be a great experience.

In the final part, there are two chapters that could be considered heretical, in the words of one of the authors. One is about the pairing suggested for the tasting of some genuine Mexican cheeses, the result of a study of the physical-chemical characteristics of each variety, originating proposals that are a combination of traditional pairings and, in other cases, of the idea of challenging the senses through the search for new sensations. On the other hand, the one relative to gastronomy is an invitation to placing cheese at the center of dishes, as a way to innovate the consumption of these foods.

In sum, it is a book that lovers of cheese will enjoy thoroughly, which teaches how to know and explore them, although the recompilation of the way they are cooked, consumed and combined traditionally, in the different regions where they are elaborated, is still pending.