$3 Million Cheese

While in a small town at the foot of the tallest mountain in Central America, we came across the most peculiar sign. It read: “Swiss cheese”. 

Swiss cheese? In Costa Rica?

We followed the gravel driveway up to a little house, eager to explore the mystery. We were greeted by a young man named Steven. He showed us around to where they aged their cheeses, then gave us samples. They were delicious! Fresh mozzarella, aged parmesan,  goat, habanero, gouda, and cheddar.

It all began 20 years ago when Stephen’s father, a dairy farmer, needed to make more money. He joined a co-op teaching rural farmers how to run successful dairy farms. 

Here, he heard about a Swiss man eager to teach Costa Ricans how to make European cheeses. One thing led to another, and the Swiss man arrived to teach a three-day workshop at the farm. 

“It was difficult at first,” said Steven. “All we had to go off of was three days of instructions. We had to figure out all the aging processes and troubleshoot on our own. Then nobody liked our cheese, it was too strong for Costa Ricans.”

Fortunately, their cheese was a hit with the large expat community that lives nearby. Over time, Steven's family continued to develop the recipes for the Costa Rican environment and palette; all their recipes are uniquely their own.