These are the five best cheeses in Spain of this 2021

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, in its work to promote Spanish agri-food products, it has made knownr Spanish cheeses of higher quality and organoleptic properties through the awards Best Cheeses from Spain, year 2021.

The objective of these awards is to contribute to revalue the Spanish cheeses of the highest organoleptic quality and to stimulate producers to obtain and market quality cheeses. Likewise, it aims to improve its image and position in the market, promote its knowledge among consumers, sometimes limited to the production area, and value its sensory characteristics.

For the awards ceremony, the tasters and the jury count a sensory evaluation, which consists of two phases, visual and olfactory-gustatory. This is a first test that acts as a sieve, since only cheeses that have a minimum score of 80 pass. Subsequently, those selected passed a physical-chemical and microbiological assessment, which was carried out at the Santander Agrifood Laboratory, of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fishing and Food. The last phase of the awards is the tasting and deliberation by the jury.

The list of the best cheeses in Spain

1. The best matured cow cheese: ‘Castillo de Pambre’ cheese, from the Protected Designation of Origin Tetilla Cheese, from Pok Quesera, SL, from Palas de Rei (Lugo).

2. Best matured sheep cheese: Cheese ‘Gran Casar’, Protected Designation of Origin Torta del Casar, from Quesos del Casar, SL, from Casar de Cáceres (Cáceres).

3. Best matured goat cheese: Cheese ‘Tío Resti’, from the Protected Designation of Origin Cheese from Murcia al Vino, from Especialidades Lácteas, SL, from Caravaca de la Cruz (Murcia).

4. Best Blend Matured Cheese: Cheese ‘El 5.º Sabor Umami’, by Quesos Cerrato, Sociedad Cooperativa, de Palencia.

5. Better cheese matured with molds or blue cheese: ‘Savel’ cheese, from Airas Moniz, SL, from Chantada (Lugo).