Is Mexican queso the same as nacho cheese?

In usage, they are sometimes interchanged. But those who don’t use terms loosely know that they really aren’t the same. Not at all.

Queso is Spanish for cheese. Cheesemaking was introduced to Mexico by its Spanish colonizers who brought dairy animals with them. Over time, cheesemaking in Mexico was tweaked and modified to suit the palates of the colonizers who have settled there as well as the locals. In time, the Mexicans were producing cheese that were more Mexican than Spanish. Queso de bola, beloved by Filipinos and part of the Philippines’ Christmas tradition, traces its origins in Mexico.

Nacho cheese is not Mexican at all. While it is undisputed that the dish we call nachos was invented in Mexico by a Mexican, the pourable orange sauce that tortilla chips are often served with was an American invention. It was first introduced in 1976 at a Texas Rangers baseball game in Arlington, Texas. It is sometimes referred to as cheese sauce or queso dip (or queso for short).

We love nachos (and quite a number of Mexican-inspired dishes) here at home but how the cheese sauce is prepared depends on who’s making the dish. Or, sometimes, depending on how much prep time there is.

The cheese sauce you see in the photo above is a real quickie. Just heat some milk and shredded cheese or cheese in the microwave. Don’t heat for too long. Just until the milk is hot and the cheese or cheeses are softened. Stir them all together until smooth, and season if you need to. And you have delicious cheese sauce.

When there’s no rush, we make it the meticulous way. Start with a roux, stir in plenty of shredded cheese or cheeses, stir until the cheese or cheeses melt and the mixture is a thick but pourable sauce. See my recipe for spicy beef nachos with cheese sauce.