Queso Cabrales is a natural cheese made in the artisan tradition by rural dairy farmers. This cheese can be made of pure cow's milk, but, depending on availability, it can also be blended with some goat and/or sheep's milk as well. All the milk used in its production must come exclusively from herds raised in a small zone of production in northern Spain. Cabrales is aged from two to six months in natural caves in the mountains nearby. In these caves, the relative humidity is 90% and the temperature varies between 45 and 55 degrees Fahrenheit. These conditions favor the development of penicillium molds, yielding veins of blue-greenish color. Cabrales is sharp and tangy, and even more so when made with mixed milks. Like Gorgonzola and Roquefort, it is a famous blue cheese whose name is often copied by inferior competitors.
Note: Contrary to popular belief, all imported Cabrales is wrapped in aluminum foil, not leaves (due to EU regulations). Spanish blue cheese wrapped in leaves is either called Valdeon or Picon.
- Made from unpasteurized cow, goat, and sheep's milk.
- Photo depicts whole 6 lb. form of cheese.
- We cut and wrap this item by hand.