PFew foods are more universal than cheese: it is present in all cultures and in (almost) all countries. There are as many varieties as there are languages, as many possibilities as there are milks or maturing processes. Spain is no exception: one could cross the country tasting, every day (or perhaps every hour), a native cheese variety, from those made in the green Cantabrian cornice to the specialties of the south, passing through the Extremaduran pastures or the rainfed fields of the central plateau.
The five routes of Spain's Cultural Routes cover more than 5,000 kilometres of roads and trails, passing through over 500 villages and dozens of unique natural landscapes. This means that many and very varied cheeses are produced within their domains. And not only that: there are territories where other local products such as peppers or quince contribute to invigorating this gastronomic treasure.
Did the Cid eat a thick slice?
Height is often synonymous with good cheese. The higher up, the better the pasture for cows, sheep or goats. The Alto Maestrazgo is, among many other things, one of the ‘rooftops’ of The Way of El Cid. This medieval itinerary, which begins in the heart of Burgos and ends by the Mediterranean, here encounters (in the highest lands of the province of Castellón) some of the highest landscapes of its almost 2,000 kilometres of route. In fact, the entire so-called Maestrazgo Ring is a ‘tour de force’ of beautiful mountain passes and slopes that will be enjoyed (or suffered, who knows) by those who have chosen the bicycle as their mode of transport for this adventure.
The effort is rewarded with, among other things, sparsely populated landscapes, a geography marked by mountains and deep ravines, and, of course, very good food. In the Maestrazgo region, a very peculiar cheese made from sheep's and goat's milk has been produced for centuries. It is called Tronchón, and is recognisable by the crater on its rind, which makes it look like a volcano. It is also known for a character as robust as the region's topography: it is intense and potent, and more than stands on its own, perhaps accompanied by a piece of bread, to impress the diner, without the need to season or enrich it with oils or cured meats. Tronchón is an explosion of flavour that has been happening for centuries: at least since the 17th century, when Cervantes mentions it in the pages of Don Quixote. Could El Cid have tasted it seven centuries earlier?
A cheese in a paprika suit
“The place that Charles V chose for his retirement could not have been better for someone seeking peace and a mild, pleasant climate (...) It is the most peaceful land of greatest temperance and recreation in Spain,” wrote a historian in the 16th century, referring to the Monastery of Yuste, located in the region of La Vera, the place chosen by Emperor Charles V to spend his final years and the heart of the The Emperor Charles V's Routes.
Five hundred years after that, La Vera has changed little. The region's name is known throughout Spain for a product (one that was not yet made in Charles V's time, to the emperor's regret) which is not a cheese but certainly helps to enhance it: pimentón de La Vera. Pimentón is the product resulting from the grinding of red peppers that have been slowly dehydrated with smoke from burning wood. Once ground, it becomes a light, volatile red powder capable of colouring, preserving and adding new nuances to the foods it is incorporated into, whether it's a stew of pulses, a piece of meat to be marinated, or freshly cooked octopus. Its applications in Spanish gastronomic culture are endless.
The cheeses of La Vera are no exception. Made with whole goat's milk, they have a compact appearance and come in many varieties (there are fresh, cured, and semi-cured types). Many of them are coated with a thin layer of paprika, giving them a slight smoky flavour, adding aromas and new nuances, and making the rind an edible part of the cheese.
Caves of Cantabria: Prehistory… and Cabrales
You don't need to be an agricultural engineer to deduce that Asturias is a region intrinsically linked to livestock farming and milk. The reason? A landscape where meadows practically reach the seashore. This translates into an unusual variety of artisanal cheeses or cheeses with protected designation of origin. One of the most well-known throughout Spain is Cabrales cheese, an artisanal cheese made from raw cow's, sheep's, or goat's milk, with a unique aroma and flavour. What makes Cabrales such a special cheese? The answer lies in its maturation, which takes place in natural caves in the Picos de Europa. It is inside these caves, with very specific humidity and temperature conditions, where the magic happens and moulds of the ‘penicillium’ type do their work, invading the veins and areas with their characteristic blue-green colour. The result? A creamy cheese, with a smooth texture, that crumbles when cut, and with an intense, strong, unique smell and taste, with spicy notes.
The caves of the entire Cantabrian coast, not just those in Asturias, are capable of hiding these cheesy surprises and others besides. For example? One of the largest and best concentrations of prehistoric rock art on the planet, recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site. One of them, La Covaciella, is located within the municipality of Cabrales, the town that lends its name to the Denomination of Origin appellation, and hides some of the best-preserved ‘bison’ in Palaeolithic art. An exact reproduction of this cave, a mandatory stop for those following the footsteps of Prehistoric Rock Art Trails, can be visited in the nearby town of Carreña de Cabrales.
THE CHEESE NEXT TO THE ROMAN ROAD
If only all ‘accidents’ were like this and resulted in a unique, creamy cheese. Casar de Cáceres is a village born, like so many others, along the route of a road. In this case, the road has a lot of history: it is the Vía de la Plata Route, passed down and then utilised (that is, established, urbanised, decorated, traded, trodden and a long etcetera) by the Romans. Casar de Cáceres is located to the north of the Extremadura region, in an area where the land begins to turn green due to its proximity to the mountains of the Central System and the Tagus River on its journey towards the Atlantic.
Casares is a crossroads of shepherd's paths and, therefore, a place of pastoral tradition. In days gone by, its shepherds made a type of cheese with raw sheep's milk, rennet, and salt which, on occasion, did not become solid and consistent but instead softened, lost its firmness, and became ‘squashed’ like a loaf of bread. Back then, shepherds discarded these cheeses, considering them unfit for sale.
Fortunately, on one occasion, someone tried the result and was surprised by its creaminess. One of Spain's most popular and in-demand cheeses had just been born, a gastronomic product with its own rituals: to eat it, you have to cut off the top lid and ‘scoop out’ its cream with a spoon or a piece of bread. There are surely few gastronomic pleasures in Spain like this.
QUINCE: THE SUN THAT ACCOMPANIES CHEESE
In countries with a strong cheese-eating culture, such as France, people are often surprised by a very Spanish custom (though it is also found in Portugal, parts of Italy and Latin America) which involves serving cheese with a piece of sweet quince paste. That is why our latest suggestion is not an Andalusian cheese but a ‘marriage’ of this dairy product with an artisan sweet that is a staple on tables throughout Spain: quince paste.
And we talk about it because Spanish quince passion has a proper name: the Cordoban town of Puente Genil, one of the stops on the route Paths of Passion The area is a true epicentre for the cultivation and production of this product, with a focus on Easter celebrations, Baroque art, and, of course, the region's incredibly rich gastronomy. It is there, and in nearby Priego de Córdoba, that the quince tree shares its landscape with another emblem of the Andalusian countryside that has shaped Spanish gastronomy: the olive tree.
In Puente Genil, furthermore, quince is woven into its tourist DNA, with opportunities to visit historic companies (El Quijote, La Góndola, or San Lorenzo), some of which have been operating for almost two centuries; to buy fresh fruit (and thus be able to make your own quince paste at home); or to attend tastings and celebrations in honour of this peculiar fruit, whose virtues were already celebrated by the Greeks.
Although quince has numerous applications beyond the famous quince cheese, this recipe, so closely linked to cheese, is perfect whether it's served with a very strong-flavoured cheese (in which case the sweet quince will help to soften it and provide a delicious contrast, as demonstrated by pairing it with Cabrales cheese, one of those named here) or with a mild one.
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