Cremositos del Zújar: the best cheese in Spain!
It is well known that any food accompanied with cheese tastes better (and not only the quarrelsome wines) . How sad it is to separate the buns from the hamburger and not find the corresponding slice, **what a pleasure to sprinkle the Parmesan on the pasta ** and what a joy to dip the bread in the fondue.
And, of course, how wonderful when they serve you **a tapa of good cheese**. But which is the best of our geography?
A cheese takes bread and dips
The Spanish Food Awards , granted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food , have recognized the excellence of ** Cremositos del Zújar **, presented by Arteserena S.L. and produced in Bell tower (Badajoz).
He who has been crowned as the Best Cheese 2019 , has received the highest organoleptic score in the blind tasting carried out by the Panel of Tasters, made up of 24 members. The choice was not easy for the experts, since in this tenth edition a total of 223 cheeses have participated.
THE WINNING CHEESE
The Zújar creamy it's a cake raw merino sheep milk, 100% natural and handmade. as revealed to us Antonio González, production manager of Cremositos del Zújar, only three ingredients are used: milk, vegetable rennet (Cynara Cardunculus) and salt. And of course you don't add no type of additive or preservative.
“The production process is handmade, very careful . We control and pamper every single detail, from feeding the cattle to the final finish, to obtain a homogeneous product of excellent quality throughout the year”, points out Antonio González.
coagulation takes place between 28 and 32°C . The curd is cut with a lyre until the desired grain is obtained and then it is introduced into moulds. After a light draining, the salting is done by hand ”, he explains to Traveler.es.
maturation of Cremositos del Zújar is slowly, at very low temperature and high humidity. In addition, they reveal to us that it is essential to support the cheese on its periphery with cotton bandage , to give it shape and prevent it from getting too flattened.
“ They are turned over daily to prevent them from drying out more on one side than the other. , as well as for the flora to be implanted in the bark equally and, therefore, acquire the desired characteristics”, reveals González.
This meticulous elaboration process results in an award-winning cheese: a thin natural golden rind an ivory white heart very creamy (you will not be able to avoid the temptation to dip the bread) and a soft scent And pleasant.
“The key to the success of Cremositos del Zújar is that it is capable of transmitting the essence and nuances of nature and tradition Estremadura : the crafts, the fresh and clean air of the dehesa, the spring flowers, the fields of fruit trees and cereals... It is a real explosion for the senses , a unique cheese”, comments Antonio González.
Apart from the award recently given to Cremositos del Zújar, another of the most important ones it has received was awarded at the World Cheese Awards 2016-17 , Made in Saint Sebastian , where he was decorated as 2nd Best Cheese in the World and Best Cheese in Spain.
“We started submitting to international competitions in 2013, when we considered that the product was well polished. Since then, the awards have been constant, receiving a total of 30 national and international awards in the different references that we elaborate, of which 11 have been for our star product: Cremositos del Zúja r”, Antonio González tells us.
THE CREATORS
“ Arteserena S.L. was founded in 1994 by 13 members, the vast majority of whom are farmers , motivated by the drought that was suffering Estremadura in those years, when had to resort to milking in order to compensate for the high prices of feed," he explains. Anthony Gonzalez , production manager of Cremositos del Zújar.
In this way, Arteserena ensured a fair price for its farmers' milk and began its career to introduce their cheeses on the market.
Along with these initial partners are added FOVEXSAT and Casat, two cooperatives from Extremadura s who have opted for the development of quality craft products.
“Currently we have 30,000 merino sheep , which graze freely in more than 15,000 hectares of land, in extensive regime, key to obtaining the best quality milk”, explains Antonio González, production manager at Cremositos del Zújar.
WHERE TO FIND IT
In Spain it can be found in large areas such as Carrefour, Makro or El Corte Inglés , as well as in gourmet shops (also from other European countries). On the other hand, regionally, it is on sale in all the stores of Mercadona of Extremadura.
Elaboration of Cremosito with smoked paprika on the branch
In turn, the factory itself has a direct sales service. You can order online and you will receive it within between 24 and 48 hours anywhere in Spain.
“Their price varies according to the format, around €10 for a 700-gram piece and €7 for a 380-gram piece ”, tells us the production director of Cremositos del Zújar.
AWARDS FOR MODALITIES
The Spanish Food Awards have as an end spread the excellence of our food products and publicize its quality and variety inside and outside our borders.
Cremositos del Zújar , in addition to being the king of cheeses in Spain, has also obtained the award for Best Matured Sheep Cheese. By categories, these are the rest of the winners:
- Best Matured Cow Cheese: Dairy products Anzuxao S.L., from Lalín (Pontevedra) for the cheese Pazo de Anzuxao , Tetilla Protected Designation of Origin.
What will be your next prize?
- Best Matured Goat Cheese: Esperanza del Castillo S.L., from Pulgar (Toledo) for the cheese Goat's Retamar.
- Best Blended Matured Cheese: Lopicomo S.L., from Villamartin ( Cadiz ), for the cheese pajarete.
- Best Ripened Cheese with Mold or Blue Cheese: Hacienda Zorita-Farm Foods S.L.U, from San Pelayo de Guareña (Salamanca) for the cheese Dehesa flower.