Spain is a land of cured cheese. Every year we make the good taste of Spanish artisans more relevant when it comes to making and preparing the favorite food of dairy lovers. cheese is the undisputed king pecking, and once again, the cheese experts prove it again in the 29th Gran Canaria Official Cheese Contest. Find out with us!
An award-worthy dish
Ah, the cured cheese! An ideal dish that goes with everything and caters to the most diverse palates thanks to the immense variety of flavors and textures that it offers. Without a doubt, the cheese is a Spain brand. Today we are going to know one of his last records in the 29th Official Gran Canaria Cheese Contest.
Last Friday, May 6, at the Sociocultural Center for the Elderly of San Fernando, the cheese factory «The Cardon Era» got the Special Mention for the Best Gran Canaria Cured Cheese. The event was attended by more than 70 varieties of cheese from more than 30 artisan dairies. The prizes, distributed among more than 13 categories, were awarded according to the type of milk used or the rennet of the final product.
In the words of Miguel Hidalgo, counselor for the Primary Sector and Food Sovereignty, this event "has once again highlighted quality and variety of the cheeses of Gran Canaria that are from great importance, not only from the point of view of its elaboration, but also for its importance in the creation of employment, economy and a landscape rooted in customs and uses of our land, which are important elements of identity for Gran Canarians»
The history of cured cheese
But let's learn a little about how this delicacy is made. The history of cheese is full of myths about its origin, but there is one fact that we can know for sure: its origin dates back to the neolithic period. The most widespread legend is that she emerged accidentally on a journey through the desert. An Arab merchant carried milk in a container made from the stomach of a lamb. The bacteria in the container, together with the heat of the desert and the ups and downs of the journey, made the milk curdle into a first type of proto-cheese. Yum.
Another fairly widespread legend places its origin in Asia Minor, starring a shepherd and with a similar resolution. There is even a version narrated in ancient Greece in which they say that cheese is a gods gift for the humanity. Very misguided they were not, taking into account the result.
Since ancient times, cheese has been considered a food with lots of benefits. The oldest finds date back to Ancient Egypt. It is believed that fresh cheeses and curds were made there. Remains have also been found in the areas of Mesopotamia, and Ancient Greece. But without a doubt, the place where his popularity was catapulted is in the Ancient Rome. It was the Romans who began to consume it daily, seasoning it with nuts, thyme, pepper, raisins, pine nuts and many other dried fruits.
a world of cheese
Thanks to the Romans, cheese making techniques were expanded for all Europe. This made it easier for several regions to start developing different ways to make it, which prevented the recipes for its preparation from being lost with the fall of the Roman Empire.
By the end of the Middle Ages, the rise of trade and the increase in population made cheese a essential product for the economy of many businesses. This evolved until, in 1815, the first factory for industrial cheese production was opened in Switzerland.
The most important moment for the cheese industry was the discovery of the pasteurizationIn 1964. thanks to this invention, a young Hersilio García Baquero began to make a few cheeses a day by hand with the milk of his animals. The rest is history.
cured cheese today
History has shown that good delicacies will always be recognized and will triumph in any part of the world. Today we have the winner of the 29th Gran Canaria Cheese Contest as an example. A product resulting from the evolution of centuries of refinement and consistency to bring us a delicious candidate to our table.
What about you? Have you felt like a good cured table?
