Taramundi Madurado Mezcla
In the extreme west of Asturias, hidden in the hills bordering Galicia, lies the small conceyo of Taramundi. There life moves more at the speed of the seasons, and agriculture still reigns supreme. There are no big cities. Indeed, there are not even small cities. There is only one town of notable size, and it shares its name with the conceyo. The town of Taramundi has a population of roughly 650 people. This is out of a total of about 775 people in the whole conceyo. This is one of the areas where you will hear Eonaviego (or Galician-Asturian) spoken. It is here that you will find one of the great hard cheeses of Asturias, Taramundi madurado mezcla.
Where Is It From?
As you might have guessed, this cheese comes from the Taramundi conceyo. Taramundi lies in the extreme west of Asturias, bordering Galicia. It is a rural area, off of the main (international) tourism route in Asturias. However, it has been slowly building a reputation as a model of low intensity rural tourism within Spain. Much of that tourism is concerned with traditional rural crafts and modes of production. Artisan knife makers, working forges using ancient methods, water turned grain mills, and small scale food producers all make up the attractions in the area.
Eo Leche is an artisan cheese maker in Taramundi that has been making cheeses in the area since 1987. Originally envisioned as a dairy farmer’s cooperative bargaining unit for raw milk sales, it has grown, and is now it is a producer of dairy products. Most notable is their line of Taramundi branded cheeses. There are five cheeses in their line: The one we are discussing here, a goat’s cheese, a semi-cured cheese with walnuts and hazelnuts, a blue cheese with cow’s milk and a natural requesón (like cottage cheese).
How Taramundi Madurado Mezcla Is Made
The ingredients used are raw cow’s milk (80%) and goat’s milk (20%), lactic cultures, rennet, and sodium chloride. Utilizing small cut curds to create a compact cheese, Eo Leche works in a traditional way. Once cut, the curd is then cooked in order to expel moisture from the whey. This forms tight paste of the cheese. Afterwards, mechanical pressing further firms up the cheese. Eo Leche then ages the cheese for up to two months before shipping.
Uses For Taramundi Madurado Mezcla
Common Uses: This cheese is mostly seen as part of a cheese board, or presented by itself. It is extremely good this way, and i am always happy to see Taramundi Madurado offered as a tapa.
How I Use It: Pair this with my walnut rye bread for cheeses, or serve it with vermut for a perfect aperitif. Additionally, you can put it on a simple platter with a few table grapes, some toasted nuts, and serve it with the local wine from Cangas del Narcea.
Where To Find Taramundi Madurado Mezcla
While this cheese is something of a rarity in the average grocery store, it can be found in the cheese counters in Al Campo and Hipercor supermarkets. It is also readily available at most cheese shops.
Unfortunately, I do not know of an American importer of this cheese. USDA rules on importing raw milk cheeses are byzantine at the very least.
