Los Beyos de Vaca
On one of my first visits to Asturias, I bought some cheese in this area from a roadside house that had a hand-written sign outside "hay quesos". While almost certainly not part of the IGP, that particular cheese was such a perfect expression of the type (a salted hard cheese aged liked mountain blues) that it still haunts my dreams.
Where Is It From?
The Los Beyos gorge (Desfiladero de los Beyos) is an impressive cut in the mountains of the extreme east of Asturias. The river Sella cuts a channel that serves as the border with Castilla y León. The production area includes the municipalities of Ponga and Amieva in Asturias and Oseja de Sajambre in León. As of the middle of 2023, there are three cheese dairies registered in the PGI Queso Los Beyos, all three in the Asturian municipality of Amieva.
How Los Beyos de Vaca Is Made
Unlike many cheeses from the Picos de Europa area, the milk used in making Los Beyos is never mixed. Instead the cheese comes in three separate expressions, Cow, Sheep, and Goat.
Notably, this cheese is salted several times during the 36-48 hour moulding process. Every couple of hours the cheese is pressed, turned, and salted - until the desired firmness is achieved.
History
Traditionally produced in various mountain villages in the area, one in which communication was extremely difficult. Travelers were obliged to negotiate the rugged landscape by climbing steep mountain sides and dangerous passes.
The cheese can be made from either raw or pasteurized milk, and is always aged. A minimum of 20 days aging is required for cheese made with pasteurized milk, and a minimum of 60 days for those made with raw milk.
Uses For Los Beyos de Vaca
Common Uses: This is a cheese made for snacking. It is often served paired with salty smoked ham or other strong flavored cold cuts.
How I Use It: There is no need to do anything to this cheese. Just slice it and eat it.
Recipes
No recipes currently use Los Beyos de Vaca
Where To Find Los Beyos de Vaca
Unfortunately, I do not know of an American source of this cheese. Fortunately, it is relatively easy to find within Asturias.
