Mamá Marisa
Rey Silo is famous in Asturias (and beyond) for their afuega’l pitu cheeses. They are a boutique cheese maker who have won awards for their traditional products, while continuing to push forward and create new offerings. Today I want to talk about one of those offerings, the not-quite-yet on the market Mamá Marisa Blue.
This is a great blue cheese, different from the firm aged blues found elsewhere in Asturias. It is very creamy. More-so even than a Gorgonzola. I was lucky to get my hands on some pre-launch, and absolutely had to share it with you.
Where Is It From?
Pravia is a small, centrally located, concejo in Asturias. In the year 774, the king of Asturias (Rey Silo) established his court here, and it remained the capital of the Kingdom of Asturias until 791. Pravia is famous as an agricultural area, and has a fine reputation for cattle, kiwis, and fabes.
The Story of Mamá Marisa
I had a chance to talk directly with Pascual Cabaño (Marketing and Communication Director of Rey Silo) at the Feria de la Ascensión in Oviedo about this new cheese, and greedily snap some up for myself. This is what he told me about the history of the cheese (and Rey Silo in general):
“We started building the cheese factory in 2007. The design was done by an architect who’s a friend of ours and Ernesto [Madera López], who is the master cheese maker. We had planned a blue cheese production line and, in the bodega (cheese cave), an area for the afinado (finishing) of the blue cheese. However, for financial reasons, we weren’t able to carry out this production line at the beginning. We first put the Rey Silo blanco on the market, then the Rey Silo rojo.
After that the Besos, then the Massimo. Then the Massimo afinado con magaya (leftover apple pulp after making cider). Now the first of the two blues that we have planned to put on the market. This one is called Rey Silo Azul Mamá Marisa. Mamá Marisa is chef José Andrés’s mother. He is our partner and patron. This cheese is a homage from everyone in the cheese factory to Jose Andrés’ mother. She was the one who taught him to taste and appreciate blue cheese.
The Idea Behind Azul Mamá Marisa
“The design of the blue cheese started 5 years ago, thinking what the market did and didn’t offer, and also thinking about where we wanted to be. We started testing in 2018, and in 2019 we started adding the mold, penicilillium roqueforti, in the factory. After that we started designing what the cheese would be like. We thought we had to do a big format cheese, because it can be finished much better. We wanted a cheese that would be slightly bigger than Stilton, but creamier, as a Gorgonzola, and we wanted it not to be as dry as most blue cheeses, to be able to spread it.
Another characteristic we were looking for was that it wouldn’t be so aggressive in the mouth, that it was very feminine, and that restaurateurs could display it on cheese tables without it having an excessive cheese smell that puts many diners off. For example, there are cheeses like Cabrales, that impregnate the environment too much. Cheeses like this one are, to our view, very spicy, very strong, not very elegant, and they have a very strong smell when left to room temperature. We wanted a pleasant taste, that would be potent, full, that tasted like cheese, dairy, butter, grass but, at the same time, we didn’t want an aggressive taste.
Testing & Disaster
“We started testing in 2019. Well, we had already done some testing in 2018 but we didn’t even get to try it because the cheese factory flooded. The bodega is next to the Nalón river, it flooded, and we had to get rid of all the cheeses and start from scratch again. Throughout 2019, we did some testing. Now we’re done testing this blue cheese and we’re going to put on the market in the next few months.
Now we’re standardizing the elaboration process. We have had to adapt the bodega to achieve what we wanted, besides trying different formulas, we’ve had to create a technology of our own. Mamá Marisa is not a Stilton, a Roquefort or a Gorgonzola; it has characteristics mostly of Stilton and Gorgonzola, and, in a lesser extent, of Roquefort. The formula, the curdling temperatures, the cutting – all these previous processes that will determine the paste when you open a cheese – all were tested, and we found the formulas that allowed us to achieve the cheese we wanted.
“Also, besides the testing, we had to modify the bodega and buy special equipment. Overall, it’s been 5 years of testing and an investment of €350,000 to achieve what we wanted. Now, we hope to be successful in the market or we’d be in big trouble. Looking at the sales test we did for La Ascensión, we believe that this cheese is going to have demand both in and out of Asturias.
Uses For Mamá Marisa
How I Use It: While it does not have common uses yet, as it is a brand-new cheese, Pascual talked about designing it for a cheese board. In my opinion, this is primarily where this cheese belongs. With some appropriate bread, it shines. With a few other cheeses to play against, it shines.
Where To Find Mamá Marisa
There is no way at the moment for anyone to get a hold of this cheese in the US quite yet. However, the involvement of José Andrés should mean that there is a better than average chance of this cheese making it to the States. I will keep an eye on the sales developments and update this post as needed.
