The Philippines is the only country in south east Asia in which cheese is traditionally part of the diet, all the same, what is the story behind the balls of cheese covered with wax, queso de bola, that become so popular at Christmas? Even the sight of a queso de bola will send your average Filipino wafting off into paroxysms of nostalgia so where it it come from? During the Spanish period the well-off would get wines and cheese from Spain through Mexico. It's a long voyage and one of the few cheeses that could survive was something that looked like Edam but was hard and covered in wax. The hardness and the wax prevented spoilage. Not the most pleasant of cheeses but it was a taste of home for Spanish ex-patriates. The journey was long and the cheeses traded through several hands before they arrived in the Philippines so they were extremely expensive, too expensive for everyday consumption. Christmas was the time for conspicuous consumption, hence queso de bola become associated with Christmas. There is, however, one other element - they are round and red, traditional symbols of prosperity like gold-coloured oranges and other roughly spherical fruit. Although associated with Christmas they are actually a New Year thing - queso de bola are supposed to remain untouched until eaten at the New Year to attract prosperity in the coming months.
Thanks Bob, this is fascinating! We see round hard red cheese, a thing indigestible by most Chinese people, who are commonly lactose intolerant, being influenced by Chinese Spring Festival customs! Only in the Philippines is such a cultural collision possible! The usual Spring Festival gift is a kumquat tree adorned with small round red fruits (OK for marmalade).
