Cabrales

Cabrales is one of Spain's most celebrated blue cheeses, with Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP) status protecting its production in the Picos de Europa and surrounding limestone massif of eastern Asturias. It is made from raw cow's milk or from blends of cow, sheep, and goat milk (the cow's milk dominates), and aged in natural limestone caves high in the mountains where the high humidity and constant cool temperature favor the growth of Penicillium roqueforti and related molds.

The cheese is traditionally made by small dairy families and shepherds in the high pastures, where the milk is curdled, the curd pressed by hand, and the small cylindrical wheels (around 12 cm tall and 2–3 kg) salted and matured for at least two months in caves — frequently under damp cloths that encourage the characteristic blue-green veining to develop throughout the paste. Mature Cabrales has a powerful, sharp, almost peppery flavor balanced by an underlying creaminess.

Eat it with the traditional accompaniments: fresh walnuts, quince paste (membrillo), dry crusty bread, and the local sidra escanciada (poured from height). Buy it at the village shops of Arenas de Cabrales, Poncebos, and Carreña; eat it at sidrerías in Oviedo and Gijón (such as Casa Fermín and El Bogey); and look for it at cheese shops and restaurants throughout Spain.

Cabrales cheese is produced in the Picos de Europa mountains of eastern Asturias, where its Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP) status protects its traditional methods and geographic scope. The cheese is aged in natural limestone caves, whose cool, humid microclimate encourages the growth of blue mold that gives it its distinctive veining. Its precise origins are debated, as the cheese has likely been made by mountain families for centuries, but written records are scarce and the exact timeline is not well documented. The name comes from the village and municipality of Cabrales, though production spans the surrounding limestone massif.

Made from raw milk, Cabrales is typically produced from cow's milk or a blend of cow, sheep, and goat milk, with proportions varying by herd and season — a reflection of the region's traditional pastoral economy. The cheese holds deep cultural significance in Asturias, where it is celebrated at an annual festival in Arenas de Cabrales and often served crumbled over salads, melted into sauces, or paired with local hard cider. Its bold, pungent character is a point of regional pride, distinguishing it from milder Spanish cheeses and reinforcing its identity as a product of the rugged mountain landscape.