A Guide to Cheese

On a recent trip to Mexico, I discovered - along with the delights of its ancient cities, its sunswept beaches, its regional cuisine - the deft use Mexican cooks make of local cheeses. I particularly liked the cheese soups I tasted there: sopa mexicana, a well-flavoured chicken stock enriched with cream, garnished with fine strips of cooked chicken breast and raw avocado pear, and topped with crumbled cream cheese; and sopa con queso, chicken stock simmered with cinnamon, paprika, onions, tomatoes and Mexican cheese.