The second day of Fromago Cheese Experience 2024 Cheeses of Spain has left a full city of Zamora on a day in which professional activities have filled the calendar of the fair from early morning, when the meeting with international buyers began within the framework of the Reverse Mission.
The workshops have not stopped happening throughout the day as the ‘Ordaña a Florita’ of Gaza, which has been one of the biggest attractions for children and also that has made EILZA ‘Fresh Cheese Making and Guided Tasting’.
One of the highlights of Fromago began at midday with the celebration of the Cincho Awards at the emblematic Ramos Carrión Theater, where the three best cheeses in the world were chosen as winners of the Gran Cincho de Oro: Quesos Pajarte, from the Cadiz cheese factory Lopicomo SL, Carlos Navas 10 months from the cheese factory Quesos Navas SL, located in Peñaranda de Bracamonte, Salamanca, and Daniberto, from the cheese factory Daniberto SAT in Lugo.
At the same time, the renowned journalist Javier Perez Andres made his program ‘El Picaporte’ to be broadcast this Saturday and in which he has shelled the most relevant of the fair with Sara Fregeneda, president of EILZA, organization in charge of Fromago 2024.
New tastings
The tastings of exhibitors have been repeated, this time, by Quesos de Hualdo, Salsas Gonzalo Guerrero, Xunta de Galicia – Experiencias de Calidade, Quesos de Cantabria Quesera y Sobao IGP de Cantabria paired with Limonchello de La Flor de Novales, Quesería Aramburu and Quinta Do Pomar.
The Troncoso viewpoint also hosted the pairing of cheese and wine with Sabor a Málaga and, later, the concert group ‘Gaucho’ performed in the Plaza de Caja Rural de Zamora.
This Friday has also been one of presentations, specifically of the new Metaverso of Quesería La Antigua and the Zamorano Cheese Guild, sponsored by the Royal Guild of Friends of the Cheeses of the Principality of Asturias. Manuela Turiño and a group of brotherhoods, friends of cheese, have decided to take a step forward to defend Zamorano cheese and, with it, the raw material with which it is made. Turiño, soul of this organization, has encouraged all those present to join her in defending the star product of Zamorano gastronomy.
The round tables that have repeated today in the incomparable setting of the Sala de la Encarnación have revolved around several themes. The first, ‘The Cheese Factory of the Future’, sponsored by Iberdrola. In it, the importance of implementing heat decarbonization technologies in the industry has been emphasized, seeking economic, social and environmental sustainability of sectors that are linked to the territory and are economic engines of these areas.
At the same time, in the Plaza de la Marina, was taking place the presentation: ‘Marketing and Sales in the cheese sector’ by QUERED. Spanish Network of Country and Artisan Cheese Factories. And, on another stage, the presentation ‘General tools to facilitate exports to SMEs’ in the MECyL Ethnographic Museum of Castilla y León on how to deal with the export of Spanish agricultural products.
In the afternoon, from five o’clock, new cheese experiences have been resumed with Asturian cheeses with PDO and PGI, Quesos La Huertona, Slow Food Vía de la Plata, Opening and Tasting of Parmesan 48 months of Quesoteca Cuevas, Dulce Locura Miel Artesanal, Slow Food Alimentos del Camino, Xunta de Galicia: Experiencias de Calidade, QUERED and the world of Tourism. Presentation, S’Arangí Cheeses, Cárnicas Culebra, I.G.P. Fresno-Benavente Pepper and Félix Cheeses.
At the beginning of the afternoon, the Atrium of the Cathedral hosted the Pozcas ‘The program that speaks singing’, 100% Zamorano and in which Fromago has been discussed for more than an hour, in an unbeatable setting, and with an important public following.
At the same time, in the Mirador del Troncoso there has been the Tasting of Cheeses of the North of Gran Canaria with (D.O.) while, at the same time, a few meters away, a new children’s workshop of Quesosonrisas-Cáritas has been developed.
The round tables were resumed in this second part of the day with the theme ‘Recovery and preservation of livestock as cultural heritage’, which dealt with the way in which some species have been returned to territories in the region, as is the case of the guisandesa goat in the province of Avila.
After it, the presentation ‘Role of women in the dairy and cheese sector’, which was attended by the vice president of the Junta de Castilla y León, Isabel Blanco, from Zamora. The role of women in the sector, which barely reaches 20%, was discussed. For this reason, public policies are working to achieve a considerable increase in this figure.
And to close this series of talks in the Sala de la Encarnación, the round table ‘The Cheese Model. Hard or Soft. Which is the favorite’ on the future in the elaborations of cheese, trends or realities. The final touch has been celebrated in the tent located in the Cathedral with the round table ‘The Cheese Factory before the sustainable challenges’.
The Best Cheese Board contest was also held today, with the winner being Álvaro Portillo. In second place, Álvaro Ocaña and in third place, Noemí González.
At seven o’clock, at the EILZA stand, a cheese making workshop was held, and at the Mirador del Troncoso, the master pairing ‘Quesos La Antigua y Cervezas Mica’.
Today, as on Thursday, children’s activities have also taken center stage, such as Quesosonrisas-Cáritas, the children’s workshop of pastries made with Gaza milk, the elaboration of La Antigua cheeses, the storytellers with Judynski Cuenta y Crea, or the children’s workshop Chocolates – Tierra Dulce.
Cultural activities
And as not everything was going to be cheese, or yes, at the end of the day, music has taken center stage with several performances. In the Plaza Mayor de Caja Rural, the concert of Diego Jiménez, in the Plaza de la Marina, the folk group ‘La Arracada’ from Zamora, on the stage Claudio Moyano, the group ‘Manteos y Monteras’, in Arias Gonzalo, the Ethnographic Association ‘Don Sancho’ and along the route, Ronda Folk Group ‘Ron Duero’.
Also represented ‘The Siege of Zamora’ and in the Plaza del Lechacito has performed Dj Nico, to close in the Atrium of the Cathedral with the concert Santaren Folk.
This Saturday, Fromago lives its third day, already in the middle of the fair, where it expects to welcome thousands of visitors during a day full of activities and many surprises for all attendees.