Queso Cabrales
Buy it from a Cabrales village cheesemaker in the Picos, not a supermarket. Aged, not young.
Asturias' fierce blue cheese, made from blended cow, goat and sheep milk and aged in limestone Picos de Europa caves for months. Intensely pungent, sharp and salty — one of Europe's strongest blues, traditionally wrapped in maple leaves.
At a Glance
- — You dislike strong blue cheese
This fierce Asturian blue is made from a blend of cow, goat, and sheep milk and aged in limestone caves in the Picos de Europa. It develops a pungent, sharp, and salty profile that is among the most intense in Europe, often retaining the herbal notes of the maple leaves it is traditionally wrapped in. Buy a wedge directly from a cheesemaker in one of the mountain villages to ensure it has been aged properly, and serve it with caution—it is not for the faint of heart.
How it got here
The production of this cheese relies on the limestone caverns of the Picos de Europa, where high humidity and stable temperatures create the environment for the penicillium mold to colonize the interior of the curd. This practice emerged from the isolation of mountain villages where pastoral farmers sought ways to preserve excess milk from summer grazing. By maturing the wheels in these natural karst formations, the cheesemakers ensured a consistent product despite the harsh winters of Asturias. The tradition persists as a local labor practice, preserving techniques that predate modern industrial dairies while maintaining the distinct acidity and blue veining that define the product.
Where it sits
The Picos de Europa rise as a jagged limestone barrier between the Cantabrian Sea and the interior of the Iberian Peninsula. Glacial valleys carve deep into the massif, and the high pastures turn vibrant green after the spring thaw. Access follows narrow mountain roads that wind through steep slopes and forest cover. Summer brings cooler temperatures to these elevations while autumn mists gather in the deep gorges. The landscape consists of rock, scrub, and the hardy grasses that support the herds during the warmer months before snow blocks the high trails for the duration of the winter.
What to eat and drink
Cabrales demands a partner that can stand against its intensity. Sidra, the dry and acidic apple cider of Asturias, cuts through the fat and salt of the cheese with its crisp finish. Serve the blue with chunks of crusty bread or walnuts harvested from the mountain groves to balance the sharp bite. The cheese also dissolves into a dense sauce for meats or sits alongside slices of membrillo, a firm quince paste that offers a necessary sweetness. These combinations draw upon the limited larder of the mountains where dairy, fruit trees, and traditional cider production provide the daily fare.
Asturias: the whole region
Asturias fits a whole coast, a mountain range and a serious kitchen into a province you can cross in two hours. Cider poured from a height, blue cheese, working fishing ports, and the Picos de Europa standing over all of it. It rains often…
Minimum 4 days · better 7 days · deep 10-12 days
Pair It With
In Asturias
In Asturias
In Asturias
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