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An artisan cheese with its own stamp. The peculiar climatic characteristics of the island of Fuerteventura have allowed the development of an autochthonous goat breed; the Majorera goat With this milk the farmers of the area have been elaborating this cheese in a traditional way.
One of the historical cheese factories in this area is ARTESANOS LA VISTA. It is born from the hand of a couple of majoreros, Domingo Rodríguez and Agustina Martín.
They started with a handful of goats almost 30 years ago, making the right cheeses a week to live.
Over time they manage to increase their cattle to close to 1000 majoreras goats. But they have never abandoned tradition and craftsmanship, because each of their cheeses is still made by hand.
An artisan cheese with its own stamp
Location and preparation at the Cheese Factory
The cheese factory is located in the Tesejerague-Tuineje area, on the island of FUERTEVENTURA (Canary Islands).
The cattle are milked every morning. They are raw milk cheeses from the majorera goat.
In the beginning they made the most “typical” with gofio and paprika cover.
Over time they were tasting new flavors. Currently they make cheeses with a great variety of flavors:
-chimichurri
-garlic and oregano
-Fine herbs
-curry
-with spicy
-to the mojo picón
-and many more
The quality and taste of Cheese
Their cattle feed on their own crops and natural feed; what gives your milk a high protein value.
This greatly influences to give the cheeses a unique taste and quality.
In this family cheese factory, they are very committed to the environment and the ecosystem.
In this sense, their farm and factory feeds 100% of renewable energies (solar and wind). This has been highly valued not only by the Canarian regional administration, but also by the consumer and the local and regional media.
They also make homemade mojos (sauces), green mojo, mojo picón and almogrote (cured cheese sauce, paprika, olive oil …).
The sale market
Currently their products are sold in the Canary Islands and hope to make the leap to the peninsula shortly, putting on the market these cheeses made with great care and care, as it could not be otherwise coming from where they come, which reflects the character of this majororera land.
A very advisable advice for those who consume this goat cheese is that it is advisable to open the vacuum containers ten or fifteen minutes in advance before consuming them and leaving them to be tempered at room temperature so that they acquire their ideal texture.
Varieties and derived products
The cheese shop ARTESANOS LA VISTA, has a wide variety of goat cheeses, among them the FINAS HERBS, a creamy flavored cheese, with a white texture with soft herbs crust and flavor.
Another cheese very typical of this area and that elaborates with great mastery this cheese is the SEMICURADO DE GOFIO this cheese as the rest are made with the best fresh goat’s milk of own livestock, is characterized by exhibiting a good and firm texture that removes shine the pleasant taste of goat’s milk.
With a point of salt perfectly balanced with acidity, while also offering a creamy touch and a long aftertaste. To these qualities a slight gofio taste is added that invites to repeat.
Semicured
SEMICURED AL PIMENTÓN has the same characteristics as the previous one, observing that the main difference lies in the striking red bark and a slight taste of paprika.
But without any doubt, the flagship of this cheese factory, ARTESANOS LA VISTA, is the cured mojo picón.
It is a cheese with a mild flavor, somewhat spicy. Creamy texture and with the subtle aroma of the marjoram that serves as a pasture for the goats.
Its shape is cylindrical, with the characteristic drawing of braided palm leaves with which the mold was traditionally made.
The color of the bark is usually white, although the cheeses that are going to be kept longer are coated with oil, paprika or gofio and acquire a more brownish tone.
Derivatives
As for the cream of cheese should be noted that it is much more than a cheese spread with bread. Because it is a good companion of red meats, with which it marries perfectly.
This cream should be taken also a little before the refrigerator and after opening it, wait a few minutes to take the cream temperature.
The Trust of a Denomination of Origin
The Majorero Cheese, is protected by the Protected Designation of Origin since February 1999. It is elaborated following the traditional methods with raw or pasteurized goat’s milk.
With eventual addition, when it is destined to ripen, up to a maximum of 15% of Canarian sheep milk.
The production area is the island of Fuerteventura, where the majorera goat is perfectly adapted to the arid island environment.
It was the first cheese from the Canary Islands with Denomination of Origin and the first goat’s milk from Spain.
Although it is a goat cheese, up to 15% canary sheep milk can be added when it is going to be cured.
As physical properties, it has a cylindrical shape, with a diameter between 15 and 35 cm, a minimum height of 6 cm. and a maximum of 9 cm. The pieces have a weight that ranges between 1 and 6 kg.
Characteristics and awards of the cheeses
As for the organoleptic characteristics of this cheese: its bark has the palm leaf footprint used to mold it on the side and the cheese cheese on the faces of the bases.
The surface can be rubbed with paprika, oil or gofio. The pasta is compact to the cut, with a creamy to semi-hard texture.
It is yellowish-white in color, with a slight brown tone in the cured cheeses and has small eyes.
The flavor is soft when it is fresh, and strong and somewhat spicy if it is cured.
The terms established by the Designation of Origin:
-for the qualification of the cheeses is for tender between 8 and 20 days;
• Semi-cured between 20 and 60 days and
* Cured more than 60 days.
Awards
The quality of the cheeses of ARTESANOS LA VISTA has been recognized with the obtaining in 1996, of the Denomination of Origin Queso Majorero. It was the first Canarian cheese and also the first Spanish goat cheese to obtain this distinction.
Article written by Ángel Marqués Ávila.