Did you know that the cheese has his own day and that his lovers are called turóphiles? And what arose more than 8000 years ago in Mesopotamia? Of curiosities like these, of our passion for it and of the artisan cheese factory that has conquered us, we want to talk to you today in a love letter to a dairy product that fascinates us. Go choosing a good wine with which to pair, you're going to end up hungry ...

The origin of a food that raises passions
Betting on artisan cheeses
Cheeses that we would exhibit in museums

The origin of a food that raises passions

Time, patience and emotion are probably the main values of any good cheese factory worth its salt. Despite the many theories that exist about its origin, the first graphic document in history about its production takes us to the temple of the goddess of life, Ninchursag, in Mesopotamia. A frieze called 'The cheese factory' confirms this. According to the first writings on its consumption, it is said that it arose accidentally when the milk that was stored in skins and guts in the areas of Sumeria and Babylon coagulated in the sun.

Highly valued in ancient times, its consumption was seen in Ancient Egypt as a pleasure of which we have evidence of more than 3200 years ago, while in Ancient Rome it was part of the diet of military camps as it was an easy food to eat. transport. Such was its importance at that time that the Romans had their own room next to the kitchen - called careale - to prepare and smoke it. Until the first cheese factory in Switzerland was opened in 1853, people made it at home with surplus milk.

Currently more than 2000 are listed varieties of cheese, with more than 200 types made in Spain and several dozen distinguished with the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO). Although according to some data a Greek can consume more than 37 kilos of feta cheese a year, Spain can boast of the 349 million kilos of cheese that its population consumes annually, with the Canary Islands being the most cheese-making community followed by Murcia, the Balearic Islands and Asturias .

Betting on artisan cheeses

Did you know that lovers of cheese are called turóphiles? Surely many of them know that more than 20 million tons a year are produced in the world and that in our country its production began with sheep's and goat's milk and later focused on cow's milk. Spain has small cheese factories and large brands that work with this product rich in minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, sodium, magnesium and zinc, but also in proteins, fat-soluble vitamins and vitamin B. A separate case is that of vegan cheeses. , about which we will talk to you in depth another day and which are also present in our store.

The shepherds, tuners, shopkeepers and room managers work hard so that we can all enjoy a product that is much more than just food, accompanying us on special occasions that we will keep forever in our memory. The type of livestock, the climate and the orography influence the flavor of a precious commodity that is increasingly being produced by artisans, which has an impact on improving the environmental impact and biodiversity.

To trust artisan cheeses is to bet on cheeses that taste much better, a leap in quality that one perceives from the moment you smell them. Its elaboration, respecting the crop cycles with which the cattle are fed, is carried out with animals raised in their natural habitat and without pesticides in the fields where they are fed. We are talking about food that is respectful with the environment, which is worked in well-kept facilities with a staff with significant technical knowledge.

Cheeses that we would exhibit in museums

With a passion for craftsmanship and for the countryside they know well in CheeseOncala, the cheese factory located between holly oaks and high mountain pastures in the Tierras Altas de Soria region, next to the town of Oncala (at an altitude of 1400 meters). Very well received in the market, its cheeses of extraordinary quality and daily manufacture are made following the most traditional methods, based on raw sheep and goat milk, with more than two months of maturation in their chambers. The result is worth exhibiting in a museum, its excellent local raw material being key.

En Made in Spain.store You can find from brand products as classic as artisanal goat cheese or cured sheep cheese to lactose-free cheese or delicacies such as sheep with black garlic, boletus or black truffle, three varieties that will make your mouth water and make you understand for yourself the reasons why they feature prominently in our catalog. Of course, always remember to keep them in a cool and dry place so they do not spoil!

Do not lose sight of the different cheese creams from CheeseOncala With which you can give a touch of distinction to any appetizer or breakfast, being able to be used in endless sweet and savory recipes ... Write them down on your list! And above all remember that every time you put a bite of cheese in your mouth you will be enjoying the result of thousands and thousands of years of tradition ... Enjoy it!