Cheeses "La Cava de Mia", the first refining cellar in Spain

"La Cava de Mia" the first cheese ripening cellar, unique in its kind, was presented on July 6th to the press, collaborators and friends of Cheeses Sierra de Albarracín.

Coinciding with our tenth anniversary, we decided to build this limestone cellar obtained from its environment which reproduces the conditions of a natural cave but having the latest technology. This allows a maximum control of temperature, humidity and aeration, favoring the implementation of a unique and exclusive flora cheeses, consisting of mildew (Penicillium candidum), yeasts,... which gives them their own personalitys as they mature on wooden shelves (sabina).

The human factor plays a fundamental role, as the cheeses are turned daily and changed of place periodically, in order to ensure a higher homogeneity in each shipment.

"La Cava de Mia" has a production capacity of 6,000 kilos per year of these sheep milk cheeses produced exclusively from the cattle owned by the Dairy and processed according to strict guidelines about food and hygiene.

Here is where our two new gastronomic treasures under this brand will be refined:
- Soft cheese with four weeks of maturation (150g).
- Pressed cheese with three months of maturation (750g).

Two new cheeses in which we have been working for a long time performing tests with different formats and textures, with different ripening times and observing the possibilities offered by these exclusive facilities.

Maturing cheese with organoleptic high-tech needs to have a good quality milk and follow a methodology and appropriate protocol to ensure the safety and wholesomeness of the final product. Thus, cheeses refined in "La Cava Mia" are unique products which have unique and unrepeatable textures and flavors.

"La Cava de Mia" comes from a complex project that began a year ago, with the idea of creating a place for cheeses which could mature in the same way as they have done since time immemorial: in contact with nature. The goal is to produce cheese with increasing quality and greater recognition, without losing the artisan value as differential element of our cheeses. Under these assumptions we decided to build "La Cava de Mia", a unique space within the Quesería in Albarracín becoming the first cheese refining cave in Spain.

"La Cava Mia" is a tribute to the tradition and culture of the environment, as it's represented by a symbol extracted from a cave painting in Pinares del Rodeno, which provided food and shelter for man for centuries. At the same time, it takes the name of the daughter of Alberto Asensio, director of Quesos Sierra de Albarracin, as her birth gift.

The opening of "La Cava Mia"

Its inauguration took place on July 6 in the presence of the Quesos Sierra de Albarracín team, headed by Alberto Asensio, as well as reference journalists in the Aragonese gastronomy, project collaborators, friends and prescribers.

Our sincere thanks to the sponsors of this special event: Antonio Jimenez, Managing Director of the Santa María de Albarracín Foundation and Maria Jose Meda, Michelin star chef of "Hospedería El Batan".

After the emotional welcome, we visited the cheese factory where Alberto Asensio explained in detail all the production stages while the smell of cheese wheted the appetite of the attendees.

Then, in small groups, the attendees could enter into the cave and learn about the maturation process of these new cheeses. José Luis Martin, Master Refiner and Collaborator, explained the highlights of "La Cava de Mia". (check out the video above)

Finally, the most awaited moment came: the tasting of the first soft and pressed cheeses "La Cava de Mia". A cheese tasting guided by José Luis, brilliantly to not miss a single nuance.

The private lunch celebration took place in the restaurant "Tiempo de Ensueño", owned by Chef Maria Jose Meda and Sebastian Rosello in Albarracin, where we enjoyed a delicious menu with great presence of other concerning products and ingredients from Aragon. Amazing.

After a morning full of gastronomic pleasures, nothing better than ending the day with the great Albarracín Cathedral, when the Foundation celebrates its 20th anniversary.

Gracias querido Antonio por mostrar el valor de nuestro patrimonio en la Catedral de de #Albarracín #LaCavadeMía pic.twitter.com/1pUG5h06HV

— Albarracín Cheese (@CheesefromSpain) 6 de julio de 2016

In short, all our high expectations for this day were perfectly fulffilled.

Thanks to all who joined us and made possible this unforgettable day. Now, it's time to share "La Cava de Mia" with all of you.

"La Cava de Mia", the exclusive spanish cheese matured in a natural cellar

We are excited to announce that next July 6 our new cheese "La Cava de Mia" will be introduced, the great newness and pride from the Sierra de Albarracin Dairy. A Spanish gourmet sheep's cheese differentiated and exclusive because its maturation: in a natural stone cellar on savin wood shelves and under conditions that facilitate the cultivation and growth of a specific mildew (penicidium candidum).

Alberto Asensio, director of Quesos Sierra de Albarracin which celebrates its 10th anniversary, will welcome the guests at the Cheese Factory. Here we will pay attention to the interventions of Jose Luis Martin, an expert cheese refiner and project collaborator, and Antonio Jimenez, managing director of the Santa Maria de Albarracin Foundation.

At 12:30 we will visit the facilities and the official opening of La Cava de Mia, unique in Spain as cheese ripening cellar. Here's when we can enjoy the first taste of cheeses made in the Cava. A smooth and creamy texture with the aromas and flavors provided by its natural cave, and the very intensity of our raw sheep's milk.

The lunch will take place at the restaurant "Tiempo de Ensueño", owned by Maria Jose Meda and Sebastian Rosello, who also manage the "Hospedería El Batan" in Tramacastilla, awarded with a Michelin star.

Photo: Sara Gimeno

A special day like this must end the same way: with an exclusive private tour at 17:15 to the Cathedral of Albarracín, before its pending opening for September this year when the Foundation celebrates its 20th anniversary. 

We look forward to sharing with you this new Spanish gastronomic treasure in which such dedication and enthusiasm were placed. These cheeses "La Cava de Mia" assume a new life for Quesos Sierra de Albarracin and we invite you to join it.

Merry Christmas. Our best wishes with our best cheeses.

From Quesos Sierra de Albarracin, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year 2016 full of joy and health.

To make the most of these special days we'd like to share with you our best and winning cheeses.

Thank you for your continued confidence that you have placed in our gourmet products. We hope to keep surprising you with the best flavors from Spain in 2016.

Our best wishes with our best cheeses.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

We are "Chinese friendly"!

Last 29th of August due to a Press Trip promoted by Aragonese tourism department, we had a pleasant meeting with a Chinese journalists group who came and visited “Quesería de Albarracín”.

They toured most important touristic sites in Aragon, one of which is the beautiful village of Albarracín. In our cheese factory they had the chance to discover our range of products and careful production process.

Tourist gastronomy is a good way to discover the places history and in this case our goat´s cheese offers a superb chance.

We are "Chinese friendly"! A pleasure to have welcomed the @aragonturismo Press Trip in our Quesería:-) #Albarracín pic.twitter.com/tKjdHmKDTR
— Albarracín Cheese (@CheesefromSpain) agosto 29, 2014

We are grateful for being part of the amazing Albarracín touristic offer and we thank our Trip press visitors, hoping they enjoyed as much as we did. If you wish wider information of our products you can visit our webpage and online shop.

Hope to see you again and you will always be welcomed!!

Fried goat’s cheese with green tomato preserve

INGREDIENTS:
Albarracín cheese (creamy goat’s cheese)
breadcrumbs
For 3 kilos of preserve:
2.5 kilos of green tomatoes
1.5 kilos of sugar
1/2 litre of water
the juice of two lemons
a vanilla pod
1 decilitre of rum

METHOD:

Cut the cheese into circles. Coat in breadcrumbs and fry in sunflower oil. To make the tomato preserve (there will be more than you need), scold the tomatoes in hot water and peel. Cut in half and remove the pips and the juice. Boil the sugar and the water together for about 15 minutes until a thick syrup is formed. Add the tomatoes, lemon juice and vanilla. 

Cook on a medium heat, stirring frequently, for 45 minutes or until the tomatoes are translucent and the syrup has thickened. Add the rum and allow to cool. Serve the cheese with the tomato preserve on the same plate.

Source: El gizado sefaradí recipe book

Drunken Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 pound Drunken cheese (Queso Al Vino de Albarracín), thinly sliced 
• slices of bread 
• Extra virgin olive oil 

Preparation:

• Set out two slices of bread. drizzle  with olive oil of each slice, then flip the bread over so it is laying oil side down, then add desired amount of Drunken cheese.

• Place the second slice of bread on top (oiled side up) to make a sandwich. Repeat until you've made your desired amount of sandwiches - there should be enough cheese to make at least 4 sandwiches.

• Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the sandwich to the pan and cook 3-5 minutes until the side touching the pan is nicely browned. Flip the sandwich and turn the heat down to medium low. Continue to cook until the cheese is melted and the bread is nicely toasted. If necessary, you can add a lid to the pan to help the cheese melt.

Albarracín al Vino, is a Spanish cheese soaked in red wine for two to three days, giving the outside of the cheese a thin purple rind.

Our cheese offer comprises many different kinds; from creamy to hard ewe cheese, going through goat cheese, wine cheese and more. All of them are rich in flavour and texture.

We encourage you to visit our website and see the entire world that surrounds the production of our cheese. Then you will understand why we are so proud of what we do and also of how we do it.

ENJOY!

Source: cheese.about.com

Delicious Lettuce Crouton and Cheese Salad

A freshly tossed lettuce, crouton and cheese salad can be really delicious and satisfying. Crisp lettuce, cheese from Spain; toasted bread croutons and virgin olive oil make all the difference.

Ingredients

To Be Mixed Into A Dressing

2 tbsp oil

1 tbsp vinegar

salt and

Other Ingredients

3 cups lettuce torn into pieces

1/2 cup Albarracín sheep's milk cheese

1/2 cup chopped spring onions whites and greens

1/2 cup fried or toasted bread croutons

            

Method

Place lettuce in cold water for 10 minutes and drain well. 

Just before serving, combine all the ingredients, add the dressing and toss well.

Serve immediately.

Add your private note

Preparation Time: 10 mins

Makes 4 servings

RECIPE SOURCE : Soups & Salads

A Silver Medal for Albarracin Cheese at the World Cheese Awards 2013

Albarracin cheese factory is celebrating, once again, an international award. This time, hard cheese from Albarracín has been awarded Silver medal in the World Cheese Awards 2013.

More than 3.000 cheeses from 34 countries participated in the last edition of World Cheese Awards, in different categories, with different types of milk, judged by 250 experts from all over the world.

The awarded cheese from Albarracin is made with a mould used in different cheese factories all over Teruel region, however, each one has its own recipe. In this case, our cheese is made with raw sheep milk.

It is an honour for us to be rewarded by this prestigious event year after year. We are also proud of being able to offer our clients the best quality in all our products.

Thanks for being there and sharing our happines.

We are looking forward to welcome you in Albarracin and in our website.

How to wrap, taste and store Cheese from Albarracin

If you are a cheese lover it's your lucky day. Today we want to give you some tips to present, consume and preserve Cheese from Albarracín to get the best out of it.

To present cheese from Albarracin, keep its cylindrical shape (it is more important than cutting thin slices) because it will allow us to cut it into wedges, which are the easiest way to eat cheese.

Once we’ve cut it, it's time to taste our cheese from Albarracin (this is the best part). Alberto Asensio, Albarracin cheese factory's manager, recommends tasting it at room temperature. Consequently, our cheese will need more time out of the fridge in winter than in summer (some minutes will be enough in summer, however, we’ll need at least 30 minutes in winter).

Last but not least: preservation. It’s recommended to keep our cheese always in the fridge (no matter when). Some people doesn’t like it because it gets dry, but don’t worry, we give you a tip to avoid this annoying consequence:  Cover your wedge of cheese with a wet dish towel. It will protect your cheese with a humid film and it will last more, however, it’s better to eat a cut cheese in a few weeks.

Check our website, find the Cheese from Albarracin you like most and start practising our tips.

Gastro-tourism in Teruel, Spain

During the last month of March, it took place the Gastronomic fair “Gastro Mudejar”, dedicated to products from Teruel, the Spanish region where our exclusive cheeses come from, and of course, we didn’t miss the date.

A long the event, there was a huge amount of activities such as product tasting, gastronomic presentations, cooking demonstrations and even a cooking competition.

People attending the fair could taste our rewarded cheese by the World Cheese Awards and also enjoy tourism in Albarracín, one of the most beautiful and historic towns in Teruel, which has been declared National Monumet by the Spanish government, or visit Teruel, a legendary city thanks to the famous story of the Lovers of Teruel.

If you missed the fair, we encourage you to visit our website and see the entire world that surrounds the production of our cheese. Then you will understand why we are so proud of what we do and also of how we do it.

Enjoy!