Idiazabal

Idiazabal is a traditional cheese made solely from raw sheep’s milk from the Latxa and Carranzana breeds, manufactured in the Basque Country and Navarre, Spain. It is a semi-hard cheese with a light brown rind and smooth texture.

While aging for a minimum of two months, Idiazabal develops a complex flavor with buttery and nutty aromas. This cheese had been traditionally stored near the fireplace, which produced a subtle smokey and sweet aroma without the cheese being directly smoked.

Nowadays, this cheese is sometimes lightly smoked to develop a flavor emulating that of cheese made the old-fashioned way. Idiazabal is usually eaten alongside quince jam and is best paired with red wine and cider.