Photo Essay: The Cheeses of Asturias, Northern Spain

Exploring Spanish cheeses, with Editors-at-Large, Peggy & Gary Diedrichs.
Rounds of Cabrales blue (Asturias, Northern Spain) are aged 2-5 months in limestone caves.
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Cabrales, one of the world's most prized blues, is still made by artisan farmers in rural Asturias, Northern Spain

Cabrales blues are mostly raw cow's milk, but up to 5% is traditionally goat or sheep to give a spicier flavor

The rounds of cheese are placed on wooden shelves called talameres to age in 90% humidity and temperatures of about 50 degrees F. Ideal for penicillin mold that gives the "blue" flavor.

Rounds of Cabrales blue are aged 2-5 months in limestone caves.

A round of Cabrales and other Asturian cheeses at Michelin restaurant Narbasu, Palacio de Rabiones, Ceraceda. Asturias produces more than 40 kinds of cheese, which is impressive for such a small area.

Photos: Peggy Diedrichs; Descriptions: Gary Diedrichs

Gary and Peggy Diedrichs, Publishers. As Green Traveler Guides' editorial director, Gary’s background includes authoring guidebooks for Hawaii and Jamaica for Fodor’s and Bantam Books, as a widely published writer (including his recent cover article in the British Airways magazine, HighLife), magazine editor and a novelist. Peggy has loads of experience in advertising and marketing for travel publications and green companies. She grew up on a family farm in Michigan. Her dad used biodynamic growing methods. Gary’s fondest childhood memories are of waking up to the morning chores of his grandparents’ 100-acre farm in Ohio. Gary even had his five seconds of fame in an excellent documentary about farming called Hidden Bounty of Marin.

Since founding GTG, they’ve literally journeyed around the globe for months at a time in search of the world’s best green travel, including long stints in Hawaii, Mexico, Spain and Asia.

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