The cheeses of Catalonia

The golden age

When Pla wrote "El que hem menjat" at the beginning of the seventies, he lamented the scarce cheese industry, without foreseeing that in less than forty years the panorama would evolve to the point of being able to speak of the golden age of Catalan cheeses. Historically, it was the shepherds who transformed the milk, but it responded to a need for profit and almost everything was destined for self-consumption. The first turning point for dairy farms occurred at the end of the 19th century, due to family economic growth and the increase in nutritional knowledge about milk, promoted by educational and health institutions. Even so, it is not until the end of the seventies and, above all, the decade of the eighties, when we find the pivotal moment: the birth of the profession of cheesemaker, which coincided with a new scenario resulting from the first European milk quotas and the end of the direct sale of raw milk.

Many of these new cheesemakers were urbanites in search of a life away from the city, but also new generations of local farming families. Gradually, the production grew in typology and quality, the sheep and the goat were used again and local techniques were recovered, such as the use of a cloth for pressing and shaping. Very soon the Catalan Association of Cattle Farmers Elaboradors de Formatge Artesà (ACREFA) was founded, to provide tools, support professionalization and move forward together. Today, the association is satisfied with more than 70% of small producers in Catalonia.

With regard to ecological labels, in 1996 there was only one farm dedicated to the production of cheese with the certification of the Catalan Council for Ecological Agricultural Production (CCPAE), while today there are 22 throughout the territory. This step further guarantees a cheese from a herd with access to pastures, to a high-quality natural diet, with ideal housing conditions regarding ventilation, density and space.

Main varieties

This year around 250 varieties of cheese are on sale, made by artisans who dare to experiment and offer their own range, while respecting the territory's own tradition. With European registration of Denomination of Origin (D.O) we have two agri-food products from L'Alt Urgell and Cerdanya: cheese and butter; and work is being done to obtain community recognition of the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) of garrotxa, mató and serrat cheese.

Among the historical Catalan cheeses we enjoy brossat or brullo (with xerigot), annealed, cloth annealed, Montserrat curd and the indispensable curd, which already appeared in the Llibre de Sent Soví (1324), a medieval recipe with a lot of influence in Europe. Beyond the "fresh, sweet and unsalted cheeses", the (i)conic tronxon, the rooted serrated cheese, the garrotxa and, of course, the powerful and unique tupi cheese.

Among the most modern varieties, one of the most famous is the Montsec cheese, today protected by ACREFA. Also the matured ones of cow, among which we find those with white flowered skin or washed rind; and those with hard dough, with all kinds of shapes, textures, crusts and aromas. The matured goats are found all over the territory, from the Pyrenees to El Maresme, from the Empordà to Terres de l'Ebre; they are containers of fresh flavors with sour notes, offer unctuous textures and are a canvas for the most creative cheesemakers who choose to add or rub ingredients into the dough or rind. The aged sheep, despite being the smallest group, give long intensities and a concentrated taste; they are few; but valuable, as is also the case with the recent blue variety, which opens the door to a new stage. The string of signature varieties continues and grows.

A craft open to the world

The times of making cheese to preserve milk and of consumption that did not go beyond the walls of the farmers themselves are history. Now cheeses are created to conquer palates all over the world and to consolidate the craft and the sector. In addition, its gastronomic uses and the possibilities of being paired have broken the triumvirate that exercised with red wine and the slice of bread. The sommeliers choose the pieces like art curators and the chefs play with the textures and appreciate the work behind each cut.

More and more markets and events feature local producers and fairs grow to become crucial events, such as Lactium, the Sant Ermengol Fair or the Seu d'Urgell Fair. Exports are increasing and Catalan cheeses are reaching France, the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, Cuba, Portugal, the Netherlands or Italy thanks to internationalization organizations that facilitate their presence at congresses, fairs and stores all over the globe. They are even crowned as the best cheeses in the world in their specialty, and this would certainly make the Empordà chronicler smile.