Physico-chemical properties of handcrafted Canastra minas cheese

In order to obtain informations to increase the knowledgements about the artisan cheese and its relationship with the region it is made in, 120 rural farms within the Canastra micro region were visited. Samples of cheeses were collected in two period of the year (wet and dry), in every county of the Canastra region, taking technological differences into consideration. It was observed that cheeses presented differences in physic-chemical and chemical properties. Contents of both chlorides and lactic acids, along with extension of proteolysis were the parameters with the highest variation coefficients. The Minas cheese, hand made in the Canastra micro region, State of Minas Gerais,. presented high variation coefficient in all sensory properties, being the "pingo" (natural starter culture) responsible for the invariable sensory profile of the cheeses in different period of analysis. It was verified that, in the micro region, exist handcrafted cheeses with different characteristics of production, physic, physic-chemical and chemical patterns as well. Moreover, the interrelationship of those characteristics might be used as an important tool to establish or study patterns of handcrafted cheeses.