Queso de Cabrales
It’s blue-green veins bulge out from its crumbliness. Its interior is a creamy white to pale yellow color. It has a pungent aroma.
I taste hints of spice and nuttiness, similar to other blue cheeses like Roquefort from France or Gorgonzola from Italy. There is an intense, robust flavor profile. It tastes strong and tangy, some added spice, and a slightly salty finish.
The creamy texture adds richness to tasting the cheese as it melts in your mouth. The subtle earthy undertone comes from the againg process and the humid caves where the cheese is matured for several months. It is produced from cow’s milk, curdled using rennet, then cut and drained, and hand-molded into various shapes. Then its pierced to allow air to enter to grow the blue mold.
I find it tastes best on its own. It is crumbly and creamy. To balance the bold flavors, it tastes delicious with crusty bread and sweet accompaniments like honey or dried fruits.
I would have never thought to melt the Cabrales cheese, but the smooth intensity of salsa de cabrales as a dip, flavorful topping, or sauce to a dish is quite impeccable.
On our first night in Asturias, we tasted Setas al Cabrales (mushrooms cooked in salsa de Cabrales). This was my first time tasting salsa al cabrales, and the earthy taste of the mushrooms combined with the tangy flavors of Cabrales cheese, and our eyes lit up upon first taste. On our second night in Asturias, Angelica prepared fillets of veal with cabrales cheese. The cabrales cheese soaked into the breadcrumbs, and the saltiness of the cabrales cheese balances the subtle sweetness of the veal. On our third day, when walking the Camino de Santiago, we made sandwiches on corn ciabatta, filled with salsa de cabrales, pork loin, scrambled egg, and lettuce. I was hesitant to add the egg, but I am glad I did as the egg was the binding element that held the flavors of the pork and the cheese, creating a harmonious blend.