Kesong Puti (fresh carabao’s milk cheese) is a traditional specialty of Santa Cruz, Laguna. This fresh, soft cheese is best eaten immediately after production, or within a few days. Since it is neither aged nor pressed, Kesong Puti is white and very soft, resembling silken tofu. It is creamy and spreadable, unlike firmer versions made elsewhere that can be sliced. Traditionally, it is wrapped in banana leaves, which are believed to impart a subtle aroma and flavor to the cheese. The Kesong Puti of Santa Cruz is prized for its mild taste, slightly salty, with only a faint hint of sourness, making it distinct from similar cheeses in other provinces. Its soft texture and delicate flavors allow the unparalleled richness and unique aftertaste of carabao’s milk to shine through.
Being an agricultural area, Santa Cruz and its neighboring towns have abundant rice fields and farms where carabaos are widely used for fieldwork. This abundance ensures a steady supply of carabao milk, which can be collected daily. The milk is either consumed fresh or processed into cheese. Due to the hot climate, which is not conducive to aging or fermenting, milk products in the area must be consumed quickly or transformed into Kesong Puti and eaten within a few days. The production process uses either coconut or cane vinegar, or rennet, to curdle the milk. The curds are mixed by hand, poured into molds lined with fragrant banana leaves, and refrigerated until firm.
Kesong Puti has been a staple in Santa Cruz for generations, though unfortunately, little written history exists. The craft has been passed down orally and is now maintained by only four families who have dedicated themselves to preserving this tradition.
It is consumed year-round, typically eaten at breakfast with bread or mixed into rice. Carabao milk, much higher in fat than cow’s milk, lends the cheese its rich texture and distinctive flavor.
While Kesong Puti is usually eaten as is, its versatility has inspired creative culinary uses, both savory and sweet, including as a pizza topping, in pasta sauces, in drinks, ice cream, cheesecakes, and other desserts.
However, the tradition faces serious threats. Farm modernization and the conversion of agricultural land into residential and commercial developments have reduced the carabao population, diminishing the supply of carabao milk. This, coupled with a waning interest among younger generations in cheesemaking, puts the future of Kesong Puti at risk.
The problem is low supply of milk leads to lower production and demand, which in turn discourages the continuation of the craft because it is no longer economically viable. Steps that can help preserve this tradition include:
Encouraging carabao farming specifically for milk production, improving production, packaging, and storage methods to extend the cheese’s shelf life, and exploring new markets and innovative uses for Kesong Puti.
Without concerted effort, there is a real danger that the current generation of cheesemakers may be the last. Protecting this culinary heritage requires support from the entire community and beyond.
