Cabrales and Gamonéu are two Asturian cheeses with Protected Designation of Origin, made only in a small, very specific part of the east of the region. Both share a traditional method and a high-mountain character, but they are quite different.
Cabrales: a blue cheese made from raw milk (cow, goat and sheep depending on the season), matured between two and five months in natural caves in the Picos de Europa, above 1,000 m. The conditions inside the cave — high humidity, steady temperature, its own microflora — are what give it its character: strong and salty, shot through with blue veins of penicillium. The caves at Arenas de Cabrales can be visited with a guide.
Gamonéu: made by hand in high-mountain huts, smoked for 10 to 20 days and then semi-cured in a cave. Production is tiny — only a few dozen tonnes a year — which makes it one of the most sought-after cheeses in Spain. The flavour is smoky and dense, with a touch of heat.
Fifteen minutes from Alles to Arenas de Cabrales. It goes well with a visit to the cave-exhibition, lunch at a cider house and a walk along the river Cares.
