Spain has up to 26 different cheese Denominations of Origin

Spain can boast of producing more than 200 types of cheese annually and, in addition, of being able to count on 26 cheeses that are protected by Protected Designations of Origin that recognize a superior quality depending on different factors.

The Denomination of Origin (DO) acts as a guarantee of quality and authenticity, ensuring that the cheese meets the required standards of quality, characteristics and tradition.

This classification system follows a series of rules and regulations to ensure the quality and authenticity of the products. Cheeses with designation of origin are produced in a specific region, using traditional methods and techniques that are an integral part of the culture and history of the area.

Asturias 4

Cabrales cheese: blue cheese made from raw cow’s, goat’s or sheep’s milk. It is characterized by the presence of the fungus Penicillium roqueforti. It is matured in natural caves in the Cabrales Council and some villages of the Peñamellera Alta Council, very close to the Picos de Europa.

Gamonéu cheese: semi-hard blue-veined cheese made from raw cow, goat or sheep’s milk. It is produced in the councils near Cangas de Onís and is characterized by a powerful and slightly spicy flavor.

Afuega’l Pitu cheese: soft cheese with a creamy texture, made exclusively with whole cow’s milk from the Frisona or Asturiana de los Valles breeds and their crossbreeds.

Queso Casín: soft cheese made with raw cow’s milk. It is considered one of the oldest cheeses in the country. It has a particular texture very buttery and compact, with an intense, strong and even spicy flavor.

Cantabria 3

Picón Bejes-Tresviso: this is a blue cheese made from raw cow’s, sheep’s or goat’s milk. It is characterized by its intense flavor and the presence of blue mushrooms which makes it slightly spicy as it is matured in natural caves and is creamy and unctuous.

Cream Cheese from Cantabria: it is made with raw milk from Friesian breed cows that give it a creamy and delicate texture. It is produced in different parts of the Cantabrian region.

Quesucos de Liébana: these are small cheeses made in the Liébana region and characterized by their soft paste and natural rind. They are made with whole or pasteurized cow’s, sheep’s or goat’s milk, or a mixture of them.

Castilla y León 1

Queso Zamorano: cured cheese with a history dating back to Roman times, made with raw sheep’s milk from the Churra and Castilian breeds, with an intense and slightly spicy flavor.

Since May 1993, Zamorano Cheese has been part of the select group of cheeses protected by denomination of origin.

It is a pressed paste cheese, fatty and with a minimum curing period of 100 days. The cheeses are cylindrical in shape and weigh about 3 kilos. The sides are straight and have the pleita mark printed on them.

Among the cheeses there are differences that can be seen in the upper and lower sides, the color and the treatment of the rind, which varies from yellow to dark brown. The ripening time produces different cheeses.

Zamorano cheese has small eyes of mechanical origin, they are relatively abundant and the largest are about the size of a grain of wheat. Zamorano cheese is soft, unctuous, somewhat adherent and with moderate elasticity in the medium ripening cheeses, then it loses elasticity and becomes floury or grainy with the more mature cheeses.

Castilla-La Mancha 1

Manchego cheese: it is made exclusively with milk from sheep of the Manchega breed and is a hard cheese with different degrees of curing. Its flavor is strong, slightly salty and with a deep milky aroma.

Catalonia 1

L’alt de Urgell cheese: this is the only DO of the Catalan region. Fresh Friesian cow’s milk is used for its production, which makes this a cheese with a hard paste but full of very particular aromas.

Extremadura 3

Torta del Casar: one of the best identified and most characteristic cheeses. It is a cheese made with raw sheep’s milk and extremely soft paste. In fact, the upper part is cut like a lid and its interior is spread on bread thanks to its creamy texture. It is so called because it has been made for centuries in the Cáceres town of Casar de Cáceres.

Queso de la Serena: it is a soft cheese made with raw Merino sheep’s milk. As a curiosity, each Serena cheese is identified on its underside by a quality seal.

Ibores cheese: it is a semi-hard cheese made with raw milk from Serrano, Retinta and Verata goats. It is characterized by its intense and slightly spicy flavor. It has herbaceous nuances and a penetrating aroma.

Galicia 4

Tetilla cheese: this is another of the best known PDOs in Spanish gastronomy. Its name is due to its conical shape. It is made with milk from Friesian, Brown Alpine or Galician Blonde cows, or a mixture of them. It has a creamy interior with a smooth and sweet flavor.

Arzúa-Ulloa cheese: it is made with Friesian cow’s milk and is distinguished by its soft and delicate flavor, with a melting and buttery texture in the mouth.

O Cebreiro cheese: this is a soft cheese made from cow’s milk with a mild and slightly acidic flavor. Its popularity is due in part to the fame it achieved among the pilgrims who passed through O Cebreiro as part of their journey.

San Simón da Costa cheese: this cheese is made with cow’s milk. One of its main characteristics is its smoked aroma and flavor derived from a process made with birch wood.

Balearic Islands 1

Mahón-Menorca cheese: has become a true emblem of the island of Menorca and is recognized for its quality and tradition. It is made with raw cow’s milk to achieve a firm but creamy texture and its characteristic salty flavor develops during a ripening process of at least two months.

Canary Islands 3

Majorero cheese: it is considered a gastronomic jewel of the island of Fuerteventura and its flavor is closely linked to the arid island climate. It comes in a wide range of varieties.

Flor de Guía cheese: it is produced on the island of Gran Canaria. It is based on Canarian sheep’s milk, but also adds cow’s and goat’s milk. Its main peculiarity is to use the thistle flower as natural rennet, leaving a soft and delicate flavor.

Queso Palmero: it is a symbol of the island of La Palma since its artisanal process goes back generations. Its characteristic flavor is made using almond shells, Canary pine needles or dry fiber from prickly pear cactus.

La Rioja 1

Camerano cheese: it is made with goat’s milk because Camerano is a cheese that stands out for its mild and sweet flavor. Its characteristic exterior is marked by the braided wicker mold used during its production.

Navarre 1

Roncal cheese: this was the first cheese to receive a PDO in Spain, in 1981. Its production is entirely handmade and is made with sheep’s milk, mainly from the Latxa breed, which graze in the meadows of the Roncal Valley.

Murcia 2

Murcia cheese: it is made mainly with goat’s milk, although varieties are also produced with a mixture of sheep’s and cow’s milk. Two varieties are produced, one fresher and the other more cured.

Queso de Murcia al Vino: it takes the essence of the PDO Queso de Murcia, but in this case this variety is washed with wine during its maturation, which gives it a more complex flavor and a smoother texture.

Basque Country and Navarre 1

Idiazábal cheese: Idiazábal cheese was born between the Basque Country and Navarra. It is made with raw milk from Latxa and Carranzana sheep. It can be presented unsmoked or smoked, according to the gastronomic tradition of the different valleys.

The designations of origin for artisan cheeses in Spain are a system that guarantees the quality and authenticity of the products. They are regulated by specific rules and regulations and apply to cheeses produced in a given region, using traditional methods and techniques, and with local ingredients.

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