"The dentist comes on Wednesdays, the clinician on Thursdays, the orthopedic surgeon on Fridays and when the power goes out, the town is left without a signal. They get angry here if I say that we are in the middle of nowhere, but hey, I say it coolly. , There's nothing wrong". Juan Mendoza (49) is from Santa Fe but lives in Córdoba, between Arroyito and Toro Pujio, a place "six blocks by four", where 180 people reside. Without being
born and raised
, Mendoza is his illustrious citizen thanks to
Quesos Toro Azul
, his factory that led him to be
one of the most recognized cheese makers in the world.
A chemical technician who has worked in different production plants, where he was in charge of "order and organization," Mendoza
has been a blue cheese producer for just seven years
and in such a short time he achieved the unthinkable:
two gold medals, another silver and a bronze
in different world competitions held in Wales, England, Spain and France. "Not even in my greatest fantasies did I dream that this gauchito from the pampas, alone, would go so far," he confesses to
Clarín
.
He has practically as many trips to European competitions as he has years dedicated to production. "A certain inexperience, at the beginning, led me to make mistakes such as
wanting to compete with my blue cheese in the cradle of blue cheese, which is in France
. But it didn't go badly for me, I came out third," says the maker of five variants: blue common, gourmet blue, quadratto and its two stars, Mariello (yellow in Asturian) and Stracco, awarded worldwide.
The "Messi of cheeses" or "the cheesemonger at the end of the world", as he was nicknamed in Great Britain, believes that his rapid growth in the industry "is due to my audacity, to believing it a little since I am a rarity in the Old Continent," he laughs during a break from his intense daily work.
"How many are there in my factory? Let's see, let me count... one, two, mmm, one, two. I have an employee and I work about twelve, fourteen, fifteen hours a day," he comments with a sense of humor
. one of the five blue cheese manufacturers" in Argentina
.
"I am not a mass producer, I produce 5,000 kilos per month, because my cheese is a specialty, for a few, since it is aimed at a certain segment."
Juan Mendoza, one of the five blue cheese manufacturers from Argentina, awarded in Europe.
International Cheese Day was celebrated on March 27 and was established in France – the birthplace – to honor
one of the foods that arouses passions around the world.
Mendoza says that "it is a date that is not given much attention, there is a mixture of indifference and ignorance. A shame, because we could get together and make an interesting move... Every now and then a journalist like you calls, but in the Argentina does not hold any type of event."
Mendoza points out that, unlike Spain, France or the United Kingdom,
"Argentina does not have a cheese culture and the State turns its back on it, not now, eh, forever...
What a shame, because our country is the
seventh largest producer." Worldwide
, it produces about nine thousand tons per year, of which 4.5 are exported and the other half is sold in the domestic market... But because of the way this year is being considered, they are not going to be sold, unfortunately."
He agrees with the "painful" increase in the price of cheese. "Everything is very difficult and cheese is not exempt...
Sales are down 40 percent compared to last year because prices are very high
. Keep in mind that between when they leave my factory and when they arrive in Buenos Aires, the increase of my product is greater than 100 percent. How is it done? The issue is difficult, however in Argentina we still consume 11 kilos per year per capita, a figure that puts us on par with first world countries."
Juan Mendoza from Santa Fe, proud, wearing the medal he won in the world competition.
A tireless taster of his cheeses and of others as well, Mendoza speaks of his industry "as a place in which I think to continue manufacturing to keep the plant running, I don't see it as a business, I think of it like that, I feel that
mine is love to art
. I am a precious person, who makes by hand, I make personalized cheeses but it is not easy to be an entrepreneur in Argentina.
From Europe I have very tempting offers
and they offered me the key so that I can take care of everything in Spain, in Oviedo, but I don't want, I love Argentina, a punished power."
His wife and two children, who live 40 kilometers from Toro Pujio, do not think the same. "They have their suitcases ready, ready to leave and they insist that we leave, but I am the one who has reservations, you see... In seven years I have achieved many achievements, going to Europe I have been recognized and
obtained the silver medal in a international competition, where more than four thousand cheeses from 30 countries around the world participated
and with my
stracco
I was able to raise the Argentine flag high.
The "stracco" blue cheese, one of the hits produced by cheesemaker Juan Mendoza.
In Italian
stracco
means tired and Mendoza desasna: “I named it that because it is a type of Italian cheese that
is made with the milk of the cows that come down tired from the Alps to the valleys
when summer ends. And this is also the result of my cheese that was made by a tired cheesemaker, who tried and tried again, until he finally succeeded.” He returns to reality: "So my fear is to leave all this great little money, in this incredible place, and arrive at the first world and lose the magic, the charm and above all the passion. Because I am passionate about what I do."
Another of Mendoza's medals is
being the only Argentine master cheesemaker summoned to join the exclusive international brotherhood of Saint Uguzon
. The prestigious entity awarded him after being multiple winners in various international gastronomic competitions.
"I was able to reach very high places and be part of a group of the best cheesemakers in the world where they try to take care of the cheese, to teach and learn from each other. When they proposed it to me, I didn't hesitate for a second, I said yes and within hours of Being part of the brotherhood, a lot of doors began to open,” he says.
Juan Mendoza, in Europe, as a brand new member of the international brotherhood of Saint Uguzon,
The million-dollar question is how a chemical technician, who rubs shoulders with the first world, ended up in a cheese factory in a small town of 180 inhabitants. Mendoza, who defines himself as "a rigorous and demanding worker, but who knows how to enjoy free spaces," laughs heartily.
He says that a former boss called him to take charge of an abandoned blue cheese factory "in a place north of Córdoba, where the specialty was Roquefort-type cheeses and accepting that offer, with one hand behind and the other in front, changed him forever." "My story, the direction of my life.
I rented it, got it up and running, and here I am
."
“When I came here, it was Kosovo to this factory, everything was destroyed. So with a lot of sacrifice and dedication I started from scratch and starting like this allowed me to chart a path. Today I can say that I am different, neither better nor worse, different. The only thing that differentiates me is that
I am not looking to make a business, but rather the best cheese possible.
Is it a way to compete? No, I am not in a position to compete with the big brands because I am a cheese artisan, which means giving each cheese just the right amount of time to get the best possible flavor."
MG