Food
and cooking articles and information:
An
Artisan Spanish Cheese . . .
by
Orce Serrano Hams
Guadix lies half way between the village
of Orce and the Andalucian capital Granada, also famous
for its cave dwellings Guadix is another example of
a picturesque Andalucian town. It is also home to a
very special cheese.
Quesos de Leyva are so named after the Father of the
producer not the town or village, yearly production
barely exceeds two and a half thousand kilos so when
owner Ignacio invited us to go along and take a look
at this special cheese we simply had to oblige! Upon
entering the farm you can immediately see that it is
a very tight operation, a working farm with a mixture
of caves and conventional farm buildings to house sheep
and also Iberian pigs.
Quesos de Layva are different, you could say that the
cheese has a certain pedigree as it is a cheese made
with 100% pure sheep's milk which is only provided by
their own stock. In fact, the whole process from breeding
to the cheese production is done personally by Ignacio
and his father at La Finca Castañuelo
which is the name of their small farm in Guadix.
Even the feed for the sheep is made on the premises
by the family and their workers. They have their own
mill so carefully produce the highest quality feed from
the best pure raw materials to ensure the finest milk
and consequently, finest artisan cheese in the area.
The ewes, from where the milk for the cheese comes,
are all their own and occasionally they buy in specially
selected males for breeding. The animals are then carefully
tended to in situ on an ongoing basis to achieve the
highest quality ewes yielding some of the finest milk
in the area. Regular inspections of the animals, milk
and cheese also take place and each animal has a unique
number, as does the cheese so everything can be traced
back to origin which ensures and guarantees quality.
Milking, which is done twice a day, takes place directly
next to where production begins. It is here where the
process starts. In a sterilised and optimally clean
environment Ignacio explained the whole process from
beginning to end which is done by Ignacio and his father
following traditional, artisan methods of the highest
sanitary standard. Once the cheese has been made it
is left to cure for between 65 and 70 days in an environment
with optimum humidity and temperatures. Once cured,
they are then vacuum packed and stored at 4C° which
is the perfect temperature and will ensure the cheese
lasts.
Quesos de Leyva, is a small family run business which
is the best kind of producer we like to work with and
they represent the highest level of standards, quality
and professionalism. The philosophy and vision of Quesos
de Leyva is to always guarantee and assure customer
satisfaction by providing the finest product, which
has been hand made following traditional, artisan methods.
The resulting cheese from this wonderful family operation
is a pure delight and a must for any cheese connoisseur.
Packaged in various weights with the option of a fine
extra virgin olive oil inside the cheese is rich, creamy,
mild yet unmistakable and certainly unlike anything
else in the ewes milk range.
The cheese is best enjoyed as Ignacio regularly does,
before lunch at room temperature with a glass of red
wine for the perfect aperitif. It is also delightful
after dessert with fruit to end an evening meal in style.
Do we have a winner? Well we think so! After a trip
around the farm and the acres attached it was time to
sample some of the wine in the cave bodega, very palatable
indeed but unfortunately not for sale! Cheese and wine
. . . some of the regions finest complimentary flavours.
Can we tempt you?
www.orceserranohams.com
©
Copyright 2008 Orce Serrano Hams - www.orceserranohams.com
Published
07 May 2008
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