(Post 50 of 233. Thanks again to those who participated in the Fundrazr!)

Shortly after I moved here in 2017, I began hearing rumours about the cheese man. Like the bread and ice cream men, he apparently roams the neighbourhood ringing a bell and selling delicious things.

It was only a few months ago that I finally heard the cheese man’s bell, which is actually a recording of a cow mooing loudly with its bell ringing in the background. The recording promised all manner of fresh cheeses, sausages, and whole milk. It sounded too good to be true and every time I would go out to try to encounter him, I could not see him.

Until today. I caught him right outside my house.

His covered, so shaded, bicycle cart held a couple of coolers full of ice to keep delicious things cold. For 115 pesos, I acquired this beautiful fresh Oaxaca-style cheese and a package of green chorizo. Just like with salsa, I prefer my chorizo green rather than red. It’s just the different chiles and herbs that go into it that give it that colour.

Bonita and I immediately tucked into the cheese and gave it two enthusiastic thumbs up. Well, she doesn’t have thumbs, so she just smiled and licked her chops and asked for more. Fresh cheese doesn’t last long, so I froze 2/3 to enjoy later. I look forward to trying some of this chorizo at lunch!

Next time I manage to catch him, I think I will try his panela cheese, which is sweet and chewy, similar to Indian paneer. I am also going to ask about real cream, something that I have not been able to find here yet, so that I can perhaps churn my own butter because good butter here is so expensive and sometimes hard to find. I will just need to make sure that I slip on my chanclas the first time I hear that cowbell!