Cabrales Cheese

2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29

Blue cheese is a real aristocrat among cheeses, and they represent a really huge variety. The sharp spicy taste is only for true connoisseurs.

Blue cheese is a generalized name for salted products that contain a special type of penicillin mold. The result is the blue stripes in the cheese, which give it its name.

The mushroom responsible for obtaining this cheese is found in nature. The spores of the fungus most often develop in caves and therefore the valuable blue cheeses are aged in a real natural refrigerator, such as the cave.

French cheeses are always among the best blue cheeses. This is not entirely true, although the French blue cheeses have won the championship. A Spanish blue cheese managed to establish itself as an absolute favorite in this aristocratic company. This is the blue Cabrales cheese.

Where does Cabrales cheese come from and how is it made?

The Spanish region of Asturias is home to the tempting product. It is produced only in the Bay of Biscay area. The raw material used is most often a mixture of the three types of milk - cow's, sheep's and goat's milk.

Cabrales cheese matures in caves, the right to use which is passed down from generation to generation. The ripening time is 2-3 months. The rind of the cheese is perforated with rods so that the mold can spread inside. Locals prefer to consume it when 6 months have passed and the color has become almost blue. Its aroma is sharp, specific and it hints of fermented fruits, molds and yeast.

It is known that the serving of cheese is subject to certain requirements for their combination, as well as for the types of cheese that must be present on the plate, so as to assess the taste of each to the best extent.

Cabrales cheese is served wrapped in ash and maple leaves, emphasizing the aroma of the product. The classic combination of wine and cheese connected Cabrales with mature, aged white and dessert wines. You can also try red wine with a thick sweetness, with ripe tannins.

With its 400 thousand kilograms per year, this cheese will surely take the championship of the most widely known and preferred Spanish cheeses in the world. It has been the best Spanish cheese for 7 years.

Ingredients of Cabrales cheese

The caloric content of the cheese is 388-392 kcal per 100 g, of which:

1. Protein - 21.50 g;

2. Fat - 34 g;

3. Carbohydrates - 2 g.

Vitamins per 100 g:

1. Vitamin A - 300 mg;

2. Thiamine - 0.03 mg;

3. Riboflavin - 0.6 mg;

4. Niacin - 6.3 mg;

5. Pyridoxine - 0.08 mg;

6. Folic acid - 80 mcg;

7. Cobalamin - 1.2 mg;

8. Tocopherol - 0.8 mg;

9. Vitamin D - 0.23 mg.

Minerals per 100 g:

1. Sodium - 1067 mg;

2. Calcium - 700 mg;

3. Phosphorus - 379 mg;

4. Potassium - 95 mg;

5. Magnesium - 20 mg;

6. Zinc - 2.3 mg;

7. Iron - 0.6 mg.

Fat per 100 g:

1. Cholesterol - 93-98 mg;

2. Monounsaturated fatty acids - 9.4 g;

3. Polyunsaturated fatty acids - 0.92 g;

4. Saturated fatty acids - 17.7 g.

IN the composition of Caberles cheese essential amino acids are also present: glutamic and aspartic, proline, serine, histidine, valine, tyrosine, phenylalanine, lysine, leucine, threonine and isoleucine.

It is an extremely useful product for those who lead an active lifestyle and exercise. In order to produce the necessary amount of keratin, which takes care of the body's replenishment and is the necessary energy reserve, only 70-80 grams of cheese will be needed. It is synthesized stably, namely after the complex of amino acids (arginine, methionine and glycine) in Cabrales enters the body. Although not present in a large percentage in cheese, it is quite sufficient for these purposes of the body.

It is necessary to mention separately the content of sodium in the product, which is also important for health.

The health benefits of Caberles cheese

As you know, this variety is a fermented dairy product that is rich in many valuable and important substances for health. For example, the fatty acids in its composition take care of the beauty of the skin and increase vascular tone. Of course, this is far from the only health benefit of cheese.

Caberles is very useful for bone and cartilage tissue, strengthening it and protecting the body from various degenerative-dystrophic changes in the musculoskeletal system. People who have included this type of cheese in their menu are less likely to suffer from osteoarthritis and gout.

Cabrales has a good effect on hair growth, making it thicker and healthier. Nail plates become thicker and do not delaminate.

Along with all these pleasant benefits for the body regular consumption of Cabrales cheese improves digestion, which is extremely useful for people who suffer from regular constipation. The creamy, greasy consistency of the cheese makes something like a film of the mucous membrane, thus protecting it from the aggressive effects of hydrochloric acid, which is synthesized by the stomach.

Cheese improves memory function and blood formation. It also increases the production of red blood cells and prolongs their life cycle. Like any other sour food, this cheese stimulates the release of serotonin. In doing so, it helps to improve mood, cope with stress and restore emotional state.

Contraindications to the consumption of Cabrales

If today at Cabrales cheese production all sanitary norms are observed, then only 30-40 years ago its tasting could have ended with an eating disorder due to the violation of hygiene requirements. For example, according to old recipes, cheesecakes were hung on apple trees. The material they were covered with did not protect them from various insects.

However, farmers, who still adhere to the tradition, cover the surface of the pies only with wet leaves so that flies do not land on them. However, this does not help to completely protect against flies, for example, and thus violates hygiene standards.

With all this in mind, it is important to mention that cheese tasting can even be dangerous for young children, pregnant women or those with digestive problems. Therefore, you should never buy Cabrales from farmers, but only from official manufacturers, where you will be sure that all hygiene requirements are met.

The product is not recommended for people who are intolerant to milk protein or lactose. Given the large amount of salt in the composition of Cabrales cheese, it should not be included in the menu of people who have kidney disease, a tendency to edema, hypertension and gout.

Recipes with Cabrales cheese

The product is considered a delicacy and is usually served with jam or honey. Its taste goes perfectly with ciders and white wines, revealing the notes of cheese. Often in large restaurants it is used to prepare various sauces, hot dishes or even desserts.

1. Sauce with Cabrales cheese

Heat 200 milliliters of cream, then add 1 tablespoon of butter and 50 grams of cheese. Reduce the heat and leave it to thicken, obtaining a thick consistency of sauce. Season with salt and pepper or add rosemary if desired.

2. Croquettes with Cabrales cheese

Peel an apple and cut it into cubes. Add a broccoli, then fry them with 1 tablespoon of sugar and butter until golden brown. Then fry an onion in the same pan. When it becomes transparent, add 80 g of flour and pour 500 ml of preheated milk. Remove the pan from the heat, mixing the porridge with 200 grams of Cabrales cheese until a dough is formed. If it is very liquid, then you can add more flour. Beat 2 eggs and heat the fryer. Take a little dough and roll it first in the egg, then in the breadcrumbs and fry until golden in the deep fryer.

3. Shrimp rice with Cabrales cheese

Cut one onion and two cloves of garlic, then fry them in a pan with a little oil. When they become slightly golden, add 500 grams of rice to lightly fry it as well. Pour water in a ratio of 1: 2 with rice and boil for 15 minutes. Add 2 finely chopped apples and 200 grams of Cabrales cheese. Shrimp are cooked separately on the grill, seasoning them with pepper and parsley, and then added to the already prepared rice.

4. Salty sweets with Cabrales

Add to 300 grams of cheese 75 grams of butter and a glass of cream. Put the mixture in the refrigerator until it becomes thicker, then form balls and roll them in ground nuts, sesame seeds and poppy seeds. Leave the salty cookies for a few hours in the refrigerator.

Interesting facts about Cabrales

There are several legends about the origin of the variety. One of them tells of a shepherd who was madly in love with a girl and even forgot about his duties. He threw his cattle and went to her. All the animals were safely collected by his companions. After he returned to his home a few months later, his family did not accept him, as he was able to leave the whole village without food. The upset boy decided to go to a nearby cave to spend the night. He was surprised to see that the milk he had thrown away with the patchouli bread had hardened. This is how the first piece of Cabrales cheese with a sharp smell and pleasant taste appeared. The villagers even forgave him in exchange for the recipe for this delicacy.

The second legend is more plausible. According to her, when making cheese, the poor villagers poured the milk into a bowl and then made their own cheese. In 1-2 days, enough raw material has been collected, which has soured and become the perfect leaven. At that time, the villagers did not even think about the hygienic and sanitary norms, and that this way they could get an eating disorder. Black mold, which even then was known to be harmful to health, was destroyed with the help of common salt.

Cabrales can be called a gastronomic symbol of the province in northern Spain, Asturias. To get acquainted with this exquisite taste, you will have to visit the village of the same name - only there they make an original fermented dairy product. An interesting fact is that today this variety is most often counterfeited.