What queso de bola means
Queso de bola means ball cheese in Spanish, and it is the name used in the Philippines and parts of Latin America for Edam or Edam-style cheese. The cheese is a semi-hard cow’s milk cheese, traditionally shaped into a ball and coated in red wax, with a firm, smooth texture and a mild, salty, nutty flavour that becomes sharper as it ages. Edam was originally imported from the Netherlands, and in the Philippines it became a prized luxury during the Spanish colonial era. Today, queso de bola is closely linked to Christmas in the Philippines, where it is an essential part of Noche Buena, the feast held on Christmas Eve, served alongside glazed ham and bread rolls called pandesal.
Large red balls of cheese are given as gifts and sold widely in supermarkets in the weeks before Christmas. It is also grated over sweet buttery buns called ensaymada and used in Filipino desserts, such as cheesecakes, cassava cake, leche flan variations and ice cream, as well as in savoury dishes like macaroni and cheese and pastries. In Latin America, especially Mexico and Venezuela, similar ball cheeses are used in festive dishes, such as stuffed queso relleno in the Yucatán. You will see queso de bola in Filipino recipes, particularly for Christmas and baking.