Cheeses of Extremadura

Extremadura has three cheeses with officially protected names: Torta del Casar, La Serena, and Ibores. Torta del Casar is a sheep’s milk cheese which uses wild thistle stamens as rennet. The result is a creamy paste to spread on bread, and an absolute treat. It is produced in municipalities in the districts of Llanos de Cáceres, Sierra de las Fuentes and Montánchez.   Queso de la Serena is also made with thistle rennet, using only milk from Merino sheep. A curious anecdote is that you need milk from 15 sheep to make a single kilo of cheese. This is another spreadable cheese, and originated in the district of La Serena.The third jewel in the crown, Queso Ibores, is made with goat’s milk. It is made in the area of Los Ibores, Las Villuercas, La Jara and Trujillo, where the huge variety of wild herbs in the pastures contribute to the exquisite milk produced by the herds. You can find it with a natural rind, oil-rubbed, or paprika-rubbed.    

If you would like to see just how the cheeses of Extremadura are made, you can opt for tastings and guided tours of cheesemakers and farms. Or you could attend the National Cheese Fair in Trujillo (in late April or early May). As well as the cheeses of Extremadura, the fair gives you the chance to taste over 300 varieties from all over Spain, and the specialities of each year’s guest country. It also includes tasting competitions, workshops and demonstrations on artisanal methods.