White cheese or cottage cheese, whatever you want to call it, that’s kesong puti for you!
If you are Pinoy, this is one dairy we always miss. Because not every day one gets the chance to buy or have it as it is not available in supermarkets and other stores.
Made from the fresh milk of the carabao, kesong puti has that soft, smooth texture that often squashes or crumbles to the touch. Spread on hot pan de sal or salt bread, kesong puti softens and almost melts, releasing that smoky, distinct flavor. It is a bit salty, tangy, and mildly tart in taste.
Wrapped in banana leaves, kesong puti is rich in calcium, iron, phosphorous, and protein but low in cholesterol and has less lactose. So it is safe to consume by people with high cholesterol levels.
The question: where can we buy kesong puti? There are vendors who make and sell it during Sunday markets or food fests. But if you want the old, traditional kesong puti, you may visit Sta. Cruz or Lumban in Laguna. These places are famous for its authentic kesong puti that people purposely travel there — specifically to Aling Nora’s place in Lumban — to get a taste of it.
Kesong puti has a shelf life of about a week if refrigerated. But I don’t think it will last that long after one starts to dig in. Trust me, it just happened to me.
