Villa María Produces the Largest Cheese in Latin America
Villa María, a city in Córdoba, has officially presented the largest cheese in Latin America, a 1,000-kilogram piece crafted from 10,000 liters of milk. This monumental cheese will be showcased at the Mega Expo of the Central Argentine (MECA) 2026, scheduled from September 3 to 6.
The cheese project not only stands as a technical achievement but also aims to highlight the potential of the regional dairy basin. Additionally, it supports a charitable cause: the cheese will be auctioned in portions, and all proceeds will be used to purchase powdered milk for local food banks and soup kitchens.
The production started on June 29 at the L.C.A. SRL plant in Villa Nueva, where the milk was donated by local producers who also aided in its transportation. The project is a collaborative effort involving companies, technical experts, and institutions that provided infrastructure, supplies, equipment, and expertise.
Key participants in this initiative included L.C.A. SRL, La Raíz, Alpha Química, Insumos y Servicios SRL, and Ucalac, guided by a technical team led by Sergio Chávez, Alejandro Coria, and master cheesemaker Nicolás Iparraguirre.
The cheese, a semi-hard Marble type, was produced using specially adapted processes to handle the large volume. The milk was pasteurized in two 5,000-liter vats, and the curd underwent a unique salting process called cheddarization, chosen because the cheese's size made traditional brine methods impractical. The curd was then pressed into a cubic meter mold, resulting in a cheese measuring one meter in length, width, and height.
Organizers highlighted that the project was originally intended to promote MECA 2026 but quickly became a testament to the collaborative efforts in Villa María's dairy industry. Ángel Barrenechea, head of L.C.A. SRL, praised the commitment of participating enterprises and institutions, while José Iachetta, the exhibition organizer, emphasized the initiative's role in showcasing the regional dairy industry's capabilities and its community commitment.
Combining innovation, cooperation, and philanthropy, this giant cheese has already become a major attraction for the upcoming exhibition and a new symbol of one of Argentina's most significant dairy regions.
