Buy Spanish Cheeses
The artisan cheeses are characterized by their special and careful way of elaboration, always in the hands of the & ldquo; master cheesemaker & rdquo; . Usually these artisan cheeses are produced with & nbsp; the milk of the own animals of the processors, or of milk of their immediate surroundings, with what the trazabilidad of the raw material is & aacute; & nbsp; always very controlled, to reach the maximum quality of the final product.
Spain is a country with a broad tradition of cheesemaking with many varieties by geographical areas and sometimes with international recognition.
We currently have & nbsp; more than 150 different types of artisanal cheese , many of them with Protected Designation of Origin D.O.P. e Protected Geographical Indication I.G.P.
The D.O.P. They are governed by a strict regulatory council that constantly monitors the quality of the cheese they produce, controlling the manufacturing standards, the correct origin of the milk according to the breeds and grazing areas of the cattle, the type of milk to be used, raw milk or pasteurized milk, the different stages in the manufacturing process, milk heating temperatures, types of rennet and ferments used, times and places for maturation, and the various organoleptic and sensory parameters that must be met.
All this to achieve excellence in the quality of the artisan cheeses of each D.O.
These artisan cheeses are registered in an official register, where the quantity of production is controlled and properly labeled.
Classification of artisan cheese
There are different ways of classifying artisan cheeses , as we can attend to several factors, in addition to their origin or region of origin. By the type of milk, it is the most common and known by consumers, by the type of coagulation, by the fat content, by the time of maturation, by the type of crust it has, by the processing mode, ...
Types of artisan cheese according to milk
- Artisan cow cheese . They are produced in areas with many fresh and green pastures, mainly in Galicia, Asturias and Cantabria. They are soft and creamy cheeses.
- Artisan sheep cheese . & nbsp; They are usually produced in areas with somewhat drier pastures such as in the regions of Castilla-León, Castilla-La Mancha, Extremadura, since sheep coexist better with this type of pasture. They are more cheese and salty and contain some more vitamins and proteins.
- Artisan goat cheese . & nbsp; They are mainly produced in the regions of Andalusia, Levante and also in the Canary Islands. & nbsp; They are more digestive cheeses and contain less heat and fat and have a white appearance.
- Artisan cheese mix . They are usually produced throughout & nbsp; the national territory and are made with the mixture of two or three types of milk in different proportions to get cheeses with unique aromas and taste
Types of artisan cheese according to maturation.
- Fresh cheeses. After the elaboration process they are already ready for consumption and do not need any maturation time.
- Soft cheeses . The maturation period is set between 10 and 45 days.
- Semi-cured cheeses . Maturation is established between 45 days and 3 months.
- Cured cheeses . Between 3 months and 7 months of maturation.
- Old cheeses . They mature between 7 months and 12 months.
- Cheeses a & ntilde; ejos . They are those that have a maturation period that exceeds 12 months.