Colonia cheese originated in 1868 in the city of
Nueva Helvecia, founded in the early 1860s in the
Colonia Department by
Swiss immigrants. A Swiss settler from the
canton of Bern, Juan Teófilo Karlen initiated its production as a family enterprise in a region that subsequently developed into the country's main dairy-producing area, largely due to the significant settlement of
Central European immigrants in the second half of the 19th century. It originated as an attempt to reproduce
Emmental cheese. However, due to factors such as climate, technology, geography, market conditions, and milk availability, it ultimately developed into a distinct Uruguayan cheese variety with its own flavor and consistency. == References ==