Idiazabal Cheese

Idiazabal is made from the raw milk of Latxa and Carranzana sheep, two Basque breeds, coagulated with lamb rennet, pressed and matured for at least two months, producing a firm cheese with a compact paste and a nutty, slightly piquant flavour. Its protected designation covers the Basque Country and Navarra excluding the Roncal valley, which has its own. Some is smoked, traditionally because cheeses stored in shepherds' huts absorbed smoke from the fire, and beech or hawthorn is used; smoked and unsmoked are both authentic and the choice is a matter of preference rather than quality. Production follows the sheep's lactation, so cheese is made from winter through summer and the youngest wheels appear in spring.

Highlights

• The Latxa sheep - a Basque breed whose milk is the only permitted source.
• The smoked and unsmoked - two traditional versions, both authentic.
• The raw milk paste - a firm compact cheese matured at least two months.
• The shepherd tradition - hut smoking that gave rise to the smoked style.

When to go

Year-round for buying; spring and early summer for the freshest wheels as production follows lactation. The Ordizia market on Wednesdays and the Idiazabal championship in September are the places to see the range.

Good to know

Being raw milk, it carries the usual caveats for vulnerable eaters. Industrially made versions using non-designated milk are sold under similar names. The smoked style is strong and not to every taste.

Nearby

Ordizia's Wednesday market is the traditional trading point; Idiazabal village has a cheese centre.