It's been two or three years ago a friend sent me a precious treasure from Asturias consists of a gastronomic fabas a compango and cheese, hitherto unknown to me, called The Pearl.

The Pearl is an Asturian cheese, artisanal processing that occurs in the municipality of Illas, which is located inside the central area of ​​Asturias. The Lopez family made this precious treasure Lion Gourmet since 1923 and shortly after the hand of D. Antonio León Alvarez, in 1926 and 1929 product obtained with an Award of Honor, the Silver Medal Award in Madrid and in the Trade Fair of Gijón.

The story continued in 1986 when he died D. Antonio León Alvarez to 106 years old, leaving his treasure in the hands of his grandson D. Jose Luis Lopez Leon, which for years had taught him everything he knew about the cheese and its trade. Now is D. Jose Luis Lopez in charge of the development of this exceptional cheese and is now him who is training their children to continue the tradition from generation to generation, keeping the craft production and family.

How could it be otherwise the cheese making process of the Pear begins with the collection of cow's milk every day takes place in the councils of Illas, Candamo and Castrillon, to farmers with small and medium farms that guarantees the identity raw material for cheesemaking. When the milk reaches the plant is kept cold until pasteurization is performed. Then passes into Cuba for adding the rennet and allowed the necessary time to act to cut the pasta. After this process, separates the serum of the same will be removed and the serum carefully as the pasta will take the point and textures to be passed by hand into molds of different sizes with which they work. Once the mold is finished to remove the serum and passed to the drying which will rest holds thirty days at 95% humidity and a temperature of approximately 12 degrees.

His court is yellow mottled blue-green, of varying intensity, soft and humid, with intense aromas of ripening, which can reach four months. In the mouth, melting, intense flavors and relatively complex overall impression is pasty.

It is simply stunning and is considered among the "100 best cheeses of Spain" and for me, especially in a high position.

Although their production is small, it is possible you find it in good cheese shops in your town, if so do not fail to try.

Cheese La Peral, SL
The Forcón, 60
33414 La Peral Illas
Aviles - Asturias
Spain
Tel: +34 985 50 60 44
Fax: +34 985 50 61 90