Marajó Island, surrounded by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the Amazon River, holds a universe of legends, traditions, customs and delicacies of its own. One of these treasures is Marajó cheese, made from buffalo milk and renowned for its smoothness. The Caminhos da Reportagem team went to this region of Pará to discover its charms, how the cheese is made and the story behind the product, which in 2021 received the Geographical Indication (GI) seal from the National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI). Two types of cheese are produced on the island: butter cheese and cream cheese. The main difference between them is the use of ghee in the recipe. “Cream cheese is less fatty and has a creamier texture”, says Eduardo Portal, manager of Laticínios Portal, defending the product he makes. Having been on the market for just over a year, the cheese factory sells to cities in Pará and São Paulo. Eduardo says that the certification brought visibility and the conquest of new markets, beyond Soure, in Marajó: “It is very gratifying to see that a dream is becoming a reality”. The influence of the seal on sales is also linked to the originality of the cheese. Rubens Magno, superintendent of Sebrae in Pará, explains that the IG endorses that, in only one region, the product can be made in a certain way: “It is a recognition that confirms ancestry”, he emphasizes. Prudêncio Paixão, owner of Queijaria do Prudêncio, has been making butter cheese for 25 years, the way he learned from his ancestors. “My day starts at three in the morning, working in the cheese factory. Around six thirty, we go to the corral to collect the milk and, by seven o'clock, I already have the first batch of cheese on the stove”, he says. With Marajó cheese, entrepreneur Francisco Moya makes a cheese bread that is half Minas Gerais, half Marajó; Chef Jerônima Barbosa cooks Marajoara steak and other typical local dishes at the Bacuri restaurant; and Joniel Nascimento has gained popularity with his Ice Buffalo ice cream, which features the German buffalo as its poster boy and favorite. On the largest river-sea archipelago in the world, buffaloes have become a symbol and a major attraction of the island. The herd outnumbers the cattle and the number of head corresponds to 38% of the national total, according to the IBGE. They are found on farms, in the streets, on the Marajoara police force, in handicrafts and on tourist tours. At the São Jerônimo Farm, which has 400 hectares and different biomes, one of the most popular tours takes tourists swimming with the animal. “I wanted to show a little bit of Marajó. How? Creeks, beaches, mangroves and meadows,” says Raimundo Brito, owner of the farm. Buffaloes were introduced to Marajó in the late 19th century and have adapted to the region’s hot, humid climate. Today, they drive the island’s economy and, for Tonga Gouvêa, an agronomist and cheese producer, they have had the ability to keep people in the countryside: “They have the ability to produce cheap protein and adapt; they are a spectacular species,” he believes. Along with his daughter Gabriela Gouvêa, president of the Marajó Milk and Cheese Producers Association, he runs Fazenda Mironga, where tourists experience the so-called “experience,” where they learn about the history of the family, the buffaloes, the cheeses, and taste what the farm produces. “Marajó goes beyond the territory. Marajó is about feeling. You need to allow yourself to live listening to the sounds we have here, feeling the buffalo, eating the buffalo’s things. There’s no way I can tell you what this is like here, unless you come and live it,” says Gabriela. Technical information Reporting: Flávia Grossi Cinematographic reporting: Eduardo Guimarães Technical assistant: Felipe Messina Production: Carolina Pessoa Text editing: Renata Cabral Image editing: Mauro Fernandes and Diego Lourenço Art: Julia Gon Check out the programming on your TV Brasil: http://tvbrasil.ebc.com.br/ Follow TV Brasil on social media: Facebook - / tvbrasil Twitter - / tvbrasil Instagram - / tvbrasil TikTok - / tvbrasil