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Couple left the corporate routine, invested in a farm in the interior of Minas and started producing artisanal cheese with Jersey milk, combining tradition, technical control, and dairy-derived foods in Coronel Xavier Chaves.
The Jacuba cheese, produced at Fazenda DuJapa, in Coronel Xavier Chaves, in Campo das Vertentes, Minas Gerais, is made on a small scale with milk from Jersey cows, a breed associated with a raw material with a higher concentration of fat and solids.
The production is led by Teresa Boari and Edmar Okamoto, a couple who worked in multinational companies in São Paulo and Minas Gerais, invested in the property in 2015, and started making artisanal cheese in 2017.
The journey of Fazenda DuJapa combines career change, rural production, and artisanal milk processing.
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Instead of operating with large volumes, the couple structured the cheese factory based on raw material control, herd routine, and possible standardization within a small production.
In addition to Jacuba cheese, the property also produces DuJapa dulce de leche, in traditional and lemon zest versions.
The milk used on the farm has, according to the original text, a fat content between 4.8% and 5.5%.
This index is related to characteristics such as texture, creaminess, and yield in the production of dairy derivatives.
Embrapa states that Jersey animals and Jersey crosses may present a higher solids content in the milk, a relevant characteristic for the production of cheeses and other derived products.
What differentiates the artisanal Jacuba cheese
In cheese production, the composition of the milk is one of the factors that influence the final result.
Herd feeding, milking hygiene, temperature, maturation time, and daily management also affect the product’s characteristics.
Commenting on the farm’s work, Edmar Okamoto attributes the cheese’s quality to the raw material.
“Our main concern is the quality of the milk. We believe that it is from quality raw material that good products are made,” he stated.
The Jacuba is described by the producers as a smooth-textured cheese, without eyes, the technical name given to the “holes” found in some types of cheese.
This characteristic indicates a more uniform texture.
According to the product description, the cheese has a softer texture and a milder flavor, without the presence of visible internal openings.
The manufacturing follows standards defined by health authorities, according to the production’s own information.
This point is relevant because the Artisanal Minas Cheese uses raw milk and depends on rigorous control in stages such as milking, filtration, salting, maturation, storage, and transportation.
According to the Government of Minas, the Artisanal Minas Cheese is produced with raw cow’s milk milked on the same property where the cheese factory is located, and its production method has been recognized by Iphan as Brazilian intangible cultural heritage.
Even with defined procedures, artisanal production can present variations.
Teresa Boari states that the small scale does not allow the farm to maintain its own laboratory for daily milk analysis.
Without this internal monitoring every day, small differences may appear in the final result.
According to the producer, the essence of the cheese remains, but the texture can vary, being softer one day and less so the next.
From a career in multinationals to rural production
Teresa Boari and Edmar Okamoto arrived at the farm after a professional journey outside the agricultural sector.
The couple had built a career in multinationals and decided to invest in the property in Coronel Xavier Chaves in 2015.
The cheese production began two years later, in 2017, after the initial structuring of the farm.
The change involved a new work routine.
In dairy activity and cheese production, daily stages such as herd care, milking, sanitary control, manufacturing, maturation, and sales are part of the property’s operation.
The process requires regularity so that the product maintains standards compatible with commercialization and inspection requirements.
In 2020, the Jacuba Cheese received the ARTE Seal, a federal certification aimed at artisanal animal-origin food products.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, the seal allows national commercialization of certified products and is associated with compliance with good agricultural and manufacturing practices.
The certification expanded the commercial reach of the product.
Before it, artisanal animal-origin cheeses faced restrictions for sale outside the state or municipality, depending on the available inspection structure.
With the ARTE Seal, national circulation is allowed, provided that the producer complies with the required sanitary rules.
Jacuba Cheese won a state award in Minas Gerais
The Jacuba gained prominence in the 13th State Contest of Artisanal Minas Cheese, held in 2021.
According to Agência Minas, the cheese produced by Maria Teresa Viana Boari, in Coronel Xavier Chaves, was voted the best in Minas Gerais that year.
The evaluation took place on October 6, at the Senac Minas Restaurant School, with the participation of 35 judges.
According to the official publication of the Government of Minas, the cheese scored 2,964.8 points out of a total of 3,500.
The evaluation considered criteria such as flavor, aroma, texture, and appearance.
In the flavor and aroma category, Jacuba achieved 1,029.9 points out of a possible 1,225.
The competition is promoted by the Government of Minas, through Emater-MG, and seeks to encourage the improvement of production quality, promote cheeses to consumers, and stimulate the legalization of cheese factories.
For small-scale producers, this type of recognition can increase brand exposure in specialized markets, fairs, and events related to gastronomy.
Participation in events is also part of the trajectory of Fazenda DuJapa.
Since the beginning of Jacuba cheese production, according to the couple’s account in the original text, the brand has been present in editions of the Festival do Queijo Artesanal de Minas.
Teresa Boari states that the first contact with the festival occurred through tasting when the production still did not have the volume for larger-scale sales.
Campo das Vertentes and Cheese-Making Tradition in Minas
Coronel Xavier Chaves is part of the Campo das Vertentes, a region recognized for the production of Queijo Minas Artesanal since 2009.
In 2024, the Government of Minas reported that the region came to include 18 municipalities, after the inclusion of Barbacena, Entre Rios de Minas, and Ibertioga by ordinance of the Instituto Mineiro de Agropecuária.
The location is part of the production context.
In the case of artisanal cheeses, factors such as climate, management, milk composition, and traditional manufacturing practices help to form the unique characteristics of each producing region.
In Minas Gerais, the regions recognized for Queijo Minas Artesanal include municipalities with a history of production and specific identification standards.
Regional events are also part of this environment.
In April 2026, Emater-MG reported that Coronel Xavier Chaves hosted the 4th edition of the Festival do Queijo e da Cachaça das Vertentes, promoted by the city hall with the support of the public company.
The program included courses on municipal inspection, sensory analysis of cheeses, and guided tasting, as well as gastronomic activities related to local products.
The presence of these events indicates the collaboration between producers, public authorities, and technical assistance institutions.
For artisanal cheese dairies, fairs and festivals can function as channels for promotion, consumer contact, and exchange of information about legislation, good practices, and sensory evaluation.
DuJapa Dulce de Leche Expands the Use of Raw Material
In addition to Jacuba cheese, Fazenda DuJapa produces dulce de leche on a small scale.
The traditional version uses the same dairy base from the property, while the option with Sicilian lemon zest adds flavoring to the product.
Diversification allows the farm to work with more than one dairy derivative without moving away from its main raw material production.
In the artisanal products market, variety can help expand the brand’s presence in fairs, festivals, and specialized sales points.
Even so, in the case of DuJapa, Jacuba cheese holds most of the public visibility, especially after the certification of the ARTE Seal and the state award in 2021.
Teresa Boari assesses that the artisanal cheese market is undergoing expansion and increased competition.
“Artisanal cheese is in fashion. There is an increase in the number of producers and, consequently, in competition. I perceive it as a growing business, but only the best will remain,” stated the producer.
The statement indicates the entrepreneur’s market perception, not an official sector projection.
In the case of Fazenda DuJapa, the strategy reported by the couple focuses on the quality of the milk, production control, and participation in specialized events.
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