This is the best cheese in Spain (and the sixth in the world)
The ReTorta of Finca Pascualete has become the best cheese in Spain in the World Cheese Awards . And we almost expected it, at a time when Extremaduran cakes they are at their most lush as a gourmet product.
But with the Finca Pascualete Cake it goes a step further than the famous tortas de la Serena or del Casar, standards of Extremadura gastronomy. This particular cheese appears as a result of the craftsmanship of a family business almost 800 years old (since 1232 exactly), located in one of the best preserved ecosystems in the world: the Dehesa Extremadura.
800 years of 'expertise'
A FAMILY FARM
Finca Pascualete is above all a family business, where the traditional values prevail in the savoir faire that they have been demonstrating throughout their years of existence. your personal Master of Minstrelsy has allowed to pass the secret of a work of artisans from generation to generation, reaching our days become exemplary. In addition, the lands of the Dehesa are vital in the feeding his sheep , a fact that allows them to produce an exquisite milk for the elaboration of their cheeses.
We wanted to learn more about the work at Finca Pascualete and John Figueroa, grandson of the Countess of Romanones and together with the family of the owner of the farm, he has told us in first person how the work works there.
“ Our raw material is the key to achieving the final result. Much of our effort is welfare of our sheep and the grass they eat . Thanks to the Pascualete ecosystem, our flora is fundamentally made up of herbaceous plants of great nutritional value. We also dedicate an enormous effort to the work of our lands, where we grow a large part of the diet of our sheep. The sheep are our princesses and that is how they live in Pascualete ”, sentences Figueroa. This is a clear example of work with care and dedication. There's no doubt.
Happy sheep at Finca Pascualete
THE ELABORATION OF A CENTENARY CHEESE
The creation of this wonderful delicacy it is almost a Swiss watchmaker's task. Juan Figueroa explains that the process is 100% handmade and traditional He, using his own raw sheep's milk This one curdles with the wild thistle Cynara Cardunculus between 29ºC and 32ºC for almost an hour , and thanks to this they manage to keep an almost liquid cream inside.
And you will wonder, What is it like to savor the best cheese in Spain?
The flavor of this cheese is characterized by being nothing salty, no acid undertones , concerts touches of milk partially fermented, sometimes with a taste of wool and floral or vegetable dyes, its slightly bitter flavor stands out.
Its aroma is strong but pleasant with vegetable and floral nuances depending on the time of year. Its small size is very striking; the ReTorta is only 4 centimeters in diameter and weighs 140 grams. It perfectly complies with the dictates that good things always come in small packages.
A smooth flavor, not at all acidic, small and perfect to give away
THE SUCCESS
This is the second time that the Finca Pascualete retort has been recognized as the best cheese in Spain in the World Cheese Awards, climbing to number 6 on the list of the 3001 best cheeses in the world.
In fact, for the Finca Pascualete team it has been almost a dream to repeat in this embassy, based on a definitive commitment to craftsmanship and food excellence. “It is a dream for the whole team. It's been many years with a work philosophy and respect for the raw material. We have an enormous responsibility thanks to these recognitions to comply with the quality and safety of our products. Our feeling is to improve every day and innovate with new products, in such a way that they can surprise”, says an emotional Juan.
And it is not surprising that the conquest of the world does not attend to borders. Countries like Kazakhstan, South Korea, Australia and Peru are already part of "Pascual universe".
Figueroa reveals part of the secret: “I think part of the great interest is thanks to the vegetable coagulant that we use to make our ReTortas . The wild thistle (Cynara cardunculus) allows us to make this unique cheese. Our international projection is focused above all on Europe and the United States, where we are growing month after month. We are convinced that our expansion does not depend on opening many new countries, but on better consolidating the markets where we are having the most demand”. And they have succeeded, by far.
Mini Easter Cake
ALINE GRIFFITH: A HISTORY LESSON
If there is a person responsible for the tradition of Pascualete Estate has reached our homes that has been Aline Griffith, Countess of Romanones, passed away a few days ago. She stumbled upon the farm during the hard years of the I World War I her, when she worked for the United States in the Office of Strategic Services, the predecessor agency of the CIA.
Aline Griffith she could be considered one of the most influential characters of the 20th century in our country. She graduated in Literature, History and Journalism, she adopted in the 40's the Nickname "Tiger" when she worked gathering information from the Nazis in World War II. She married the Count of Quintanilla and, on the death of his grandfather, they received the title of Count and Countess of Romanones. She was well known and respected in high society, having Grace Kelly or Jacqueline Kennedy among her friends.
She became a model for Balenciaga himself, she endowed with an elegance that she would retain throughout her life. She ran rivers of ink in the newsrooms every time she celebrated an event or published a book, counting on a good handful of best sellers in her collection.
But the Countess of Romanones, courageous woman where she had them, that woman they wanted to make famous for her jewelry, she really was a visceral enamored of the field. She dedicated most of her life to preserving the tradition of the Extremadura farm, in order to pass the baton of history through the front door. And boy did she get it.
She took on an expert team and turned tradition into a benchmark, something very complicated in times where the culture of the ephemeral becomes art. That the ReTorta from her farm has become the best cheese in Spain and sixth in the world is not a tribute to her person. She has paid tribute to us, with a good history lesson. Thanks.