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Guapó Farm uses natural maturation, beneficial fungi, and original recipes to transform artisanal cheeses into award-winning products in Brazil and abroad
A cave built 5 meters deep has become the main differential of an artisanal cheese factory in Guapó, Goiás. On site, the rural producer João Vicente Borges ages cheeses with natural fungi, humidity control, and stable temperature.
The technique draws attention because it combines family tradition, dairy farming, and original recipes. As a result, the farm began producing award-winning cheeses, sold to different Brazilian states through the Selo Arte.
Family farm became a fine cheese factory in 2017
The production story began on a property that belonged to João Vicente Borges’ grandparents. The family always worked with dairy farming, but the producer decided to change the business focus in 2017.
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From that period, the farm started investing in fine artisanal cheeses. Currently, the herd has 50 cows of the Swiss Brown and Holstein breeds, responsible for supplying daily production.
The cheese factory processes about 600 liters of milk per day. This volume supports a monthly production of approximately 2,000 cheeses, with different maturation times and flavor profiles.
Cave maintains ideal humidity and temperature
The process begins in cold chambers, where the cheeses develop their rind and receive the first fungi. After this stage, the pieces go to the underground cave.
The space has stone walls and a floor covered with pebbles. This structure helps maintain air humidity close to 80% and temperature between 14°C and 16°C.
These conditions favor the growth of at least six types of beneficial natural fungi. Among them is penicillium roqueforti, associated with the typical flavor of gorgonzola.
The environment also harbors the fungus popularly known as “cat’s fur”. The presence of these microorganisms helps create more complex flavors, aromas, textures, and appearances.
Dark beer, whiskey, and pequi join the menu
The farm currently produces nine types of artisanal cheeses. Each recipe combines maturation time, natural technique, and ingredients or inspirations that make the products more distinctive.
The beer cheese is immersed in dark beer for 48 hours. The technique gives the piece a caramelized hue and creates a different visual profile.
The Foguinho is flambéed in whiskey and aged for 60 days. The Do Cerrado seeks inspiration from the flavor of pequi, even without using the fruit in its composition.
The Bálsamo is among the most valued pieces of production. The cheese can reach about 2.5 kilograms, depending on the batch and maturation period.
Award-winning production gains space outside Goiás
The underground cave can hold up to 8,000 pieces of cheese. This space allows the farm to maintain a continuous maturation routine, with products at different stages.
Commercialization to other states occurs through the Selo Arte, a certification that authorizes the interstate sale of artisanal products of animal origin.
According to João Vicente Borges, all the farm’s cheeses have already received awards. Many of them have been recognized more than once, in national and international evaluations.
The producer now plans to expand the business. The proposal, however, remains linked to the same differential: natural maturation in a cave, beneficial fungi, and artisanal identity.
Given such an unusual technique, how far can cave-aged cheeses take Goiás’ artisanal gastronomy?
