Friday, April 22, 2011

Rennet in Brazil!!!!!

Yes, Jim, this one is for you ;)
I am launching here a campaign among our readers and Expats bloggers, putting you all on a mission to help Jim find rennet, ("COALHO" or Renina in Portuguese) in Brazil.
Edited post publishing: "Renina" is another word for "Coalho" in Portuguese. Thanks to the link posted by "Plugadao". Thanks Plugadao. 
I am placing pictures of the most common brand of rennet found in Brazil below, if you find it in your grocery isle, please do share the news.
Fiona, if you find rennet in Germany let us know and post a picture, just for fun, let's go global, why not? :)
Danielle, rennet on the Sao Paulo coast? Please let us know!
Rachel, Lindsey, how about your side of the Guanabara bay, you guys have bigger grocery stores and lots of feiras, Laranjeiras, Flamengo, Downtown?!!
Nina, "The Reader", Paulinia, Campinas region? rennet, "coalho"?
Jana, "BornAgainBrazilian", Chris, "OJeitoBrasileiro"? Have you guys seen rennet in Sao Paulo? Any of these brands below? If any of you guys go to the "Mercado" for that Mortadela sandwich would you please ask around and let us know? :)
Shelley, any luck downtown Belo Horizonte?
Stephanie, how about Ipatinga! You live in the Brazil's equivalent to Wisconsin, Cheese central, any rennet?
Leo, could you or Vivi ask around, have you heard of "coalho" at the Mercado Modelo in Salvador?
Please let us know!
Ginger, have you found rennet in Nova Friburgo? I thought maybe with all the Swiss immigration in the moutain region of Rio you would be able to find rennet on your local grocery store!
Sara? ( Private Blog ) "Coalho" in Macae? Could you please ask Claudia? perhaps she knows!
Did I miss anyone?
We would love to hear from all of you! :)

Dry rennet "Coalhopar" brand!

Niteroi doesn't really strike me as a place where people make cheese at home or "coalhada" which is a Lebanese/Arab type of yogurt many folks make it at home in Sao Paulo, which has millions of Lebanese and it's descendants along with Greek and other folks who make cheese and other dairy products at home that requires the use of rennet.


Traditional Coalhada Schaffer found in Sao Paulo grocery stores

I first thought Jim would be able to find it at his local grocery store, my mother said she buys her rennet from her local supermarket in Sao Paulo, she usually finds it at the yogurt isle, near the butter, cream cheese and all of those refrigerated goods, maybe you can find it in your local grocery store, if you do, please share with us.


Rennet, Coalho, "Astra" brand.

Jim couldn't find it in his local grocery stores, yes, the same grocery stores with the Saints and images from the pictures on his blog :)
I asked my mother, my aunts, and a couple friends from Rio, I found a few tips to help Jim find rennet, so he can make cheese at home.

Liquid rennet, "Danilac" brand.
Jim, I will be looking forward to the cheese recipe when you find it.
All right, without any further delay, HERE you can buy rennet on line, COALHO in Portuguese, they have it both in LIQUID or DRY rennet.
This web site also has all kinds of things you will need to make cheese or any other dairy products at home, THIS is their main page where you can find recipe books, cheese molds and everything else you may need for your homemade dairy making wishes :)
If you still want to find rennet, "coalho" at your local supermarket, my mother buys "coalhos combate", "combate" is the brand of the rennet she can find at her local grocery store. I didn't find a picture of her brand of rennet but I placed a few other rennet brands found in Brazilian grocery stores.

"HA-LA" brand liquid rennet

"Estrela" brand rennet. Coalho estrela 

Liquid rennet for Tofu making! Sorry, can't translate that one :(

Believe it or not, I even heard that in small towns, folks buy rennet at their local pharmacy, most pharmacies in small town don't stock on the product, but if you order in the morning they can have it delivered by the end of the afternoon. I know, it sounds odd, but these folks assured me they can buy liquid or dry rennet in their local small town pharmacies.
Medium sized Brazilian towns usually have a local farmers market that you can find rennet where you buy your cold cuts and or dairy products. Some local "feiras", street farmers market will also have rennet, if not in stock, you can order it and they will bring it for you on the following week.
My mother believes coalho is common in Sao Paulo grocery stores because of the Lebanese population in the city, Lebanese folks love to make their "coalhada" at home, coalhada is a sort of thicker yogurt.


"Coalhada Seca", "Dry Coalhada"light found in Brazil


Popular "Coalhada" brand in Brazil

My mother also has a recipe for coalhada dip that she makes it at home and it's a hit at parties.


Coalhada Dip, similar to the one my mother makes for parties, always a hit!

She also makes homemade Mussarella and Ricota using the same rennet she uses for "coalhada".
One tip she shared is that for homemade cheese making, the liquid rennet is better in her opinion, it looks like the liquid rennet is more popular in Brazil anyway.
Jim, we will be looking forward to your update for when you find "COALHO"  ;)

Forte abraco

Ray

26 comments:

American Heart Brazilian Soul said...

Plugadao,

Thanks for you link. I didn't know "coalho" is also known as "renina", it actually looks more like "rennet" than "coalho".
When we left Brazil in 1998, coalho cheese was unknown in Sao Paulo, but more recently we have seen it been served in several Churrascarias. I tried it last year, it is delicious, I love it.

Thanks for your comment and for sharing the link. :)

Ray

American Heart Brazilian Soul said...

Hey, have a great week you too!
Boa semana e bom feriado! ;)

Ray

Fiona said...

OK I will look for some rennet here.

American Heart Brazilian Soul said...

Dear Fiona,

It would be cool to learn the translation of "rennet" in German! :)
Maybe similar to English...

Thanks for joining our campaing ;)

Ray

Jim said...

Thanks Ray! Today, this morning, in a few hours... we are going to the Municipal ?Market in Belo Horizontes specifically to look for rennet. My friend Carlinhos called a friend who said she was quite sure we could find it there. I´m going to stock up - if we find it.

The online resource seems like a sure bet.

Also, Carlinhos is sure he has seen corn tortillas in a large super market here in BH - so we are going there as well.

It could be a very happy Easter!

SN said...

Just looked in a few stores in Macae and nothing turned up so far.... I still have one more store but I doubt they have it. Macae doesn't keep good stock of things though so maybe this week they don't have it but next week they will. The lookout begins!

Sara

American Heart Brazilian Soul said...

Jim,

I am looking forward to your updates. I think you are on the right track.
If everything fail, still have the website to back you up.
I looked in Boston this morning and some stores near our home in Rhode Island and couldn't find it yet, most people have no idea what I am talking about.
I am going to a cheese distributor near our house on Monday and check it out.

Ray

American Heart Brazilian Soul said...

Sara,

The way Macae is growing every day with all the new people moving in, I wouldn't be surprised if you find it.
Who knows, maybe those folks make their own cheese or "coalhada" on the Oil Rigs ;)

Ray

Jim said...

Whoo Hoo! Not only did we find rennet/coalho at the Municipal Market, but the store also sold cheese molds and other supplies.

I bought two bottles of coalho, a mold and ml measuring spoons.

When I get back to Niterói on Monday I will post of our success.

The corn tortilla story has a negative endinga, but se still found enough to make a Mexican dinner.

More to come. *happy dance*

American Heart Brazilian Soul said...

Yehaaa!
Halleluyah!
Happy dance in New England!
I knew Minas Gerais wouldn't disapoint!!!
Congrats!!!


:) :) :)

Ray

Anonymous said...

Hey Gil! :-)

Isn't coalhada more like sour cream? That's what I remember it tasting like. Habib's sells great coalhada, the most similiar to American sour cream I know of. I've never bought coalhada at the grocery store, so I wouldn't know about it. My grandma makes it at home. I could ask her how she "coalha" milk because y'know I'm mineira and we know all about cheese. lol

Rachel said...

You can totally find the coalho in Zona Sul on my side :)

Jim said...

Rachel!!! Where have you been while I have been whining about not finding it!!?? OK, you no longer get my second batch of cheese... you will have to wait for the third. ;-)

American Heart Brazilian Soul said...

Dear Samia,

My mother also makes coalhada at home.
I was never a big fan of "coalhada" or sour cream, but that is a good point, they do look and taste familiar.


Ray

American Heart Brazilian Soul said...

Rachel,

Thanks for your report on "coalho" in Rio.

;)

American Heart Brazilian Soul said...

Jim,

Now you know when you take Rachel her batch of delicious homemade cheese you can stock up on "coalho" at Zona Sul. :)

Ray

American Heart Brazilian Soul said...

Dear Samia,

Sorry for answering your question to Gil, he is on a business trip, so I took the liberty to answer for him. ;)

Ray

Nina said...

way behind in reading post, just saw this. I will look and get back to asap!

Born Again Brazilian said...

Oops. I'm just catching up! Looks like the rennet was found. But now I'm intrigued. I'll have to ask my husband about making cheese!

Jana said...

Juuuuuust catching up sorry. I was actually just at the Mercado eating one of those crazy sandwiches with the MIL and wished I had seen this sooner and I would go ask. I guess I missed this, so what exactly is it? Ill be in the hunt as I would now love to try this...

American Heart Brazilian Soul said...

Dear Jana,

Jim finally found rennet at a Mercado in Belo Horizonte!
I am sure it will be easier for you to find it in Sao Paulo if you decide to make cheese at home.
My mother buys it at her local grocery store in Sao Paulo and makes her own Ricota and her Muzzarella.
Rennet is a sort of a coagulant agent used to make cheese.
I would still like to know if you find it in your local store in Sao Paulo and what brands types do they have it.:)


Ray

shelle said...

Hi there--I finally went to the Mercado Central and saw coalho, but I didn't buy any. I'm thinking about going back today to get some....

Daniel R said...

I was wondering if anyone knows if Lipase powder and Calcium Chloride are available for sale anywhere in Brazil for the production of fetta cheese?

cheese making supplies said...

I truly like to reading your post. Thank you so much for taking the time to share such a nice information.

Unknown said...

I have powder coalho lmf.I need liquid. Is it 3 grams to half liter? Making feta wth goats milk. The recipe asks for a 1/4 tsp of rennet

Unknown said...

Sorr my comment came up as unknown. This is Zen's Villa