Open a piece of Cabrales and you immediately know you are dealing with a serious blue cheese. Its ivory paste is crossed with striking blue-green veins, while its aroma is earthy, sharp, and unmistakably bold. Made in Asturias, in the mountains of the Picos de Europa, Cabrales has a character as rugged as the landscape around it.
What makes Cabrales especially fascinating is where it spends its final months. Instead of aging in an ordinary cheese cellar, it matures inside natural mountain caves, where cool temperatures, high humidity, and moving air create the conditions that shape its famous flavour.
A Cheese From the Picos de Europa
Cabrales comes from a small production area in Asturias, closely tied to the Cabrales region and nearby villages in Peñamellera Alta. The cheese has carried Protected Designation of Origin status since 1981, which protects both its name and its traditional production methods.
The milk can come from cows, sheep, goats, or a mixture of these. Cow’s milk is common, while sheep’s and goat’s milk can bring an even stronger, spicier character. The milk must come from herds within the designated production area, keeping the cheese closely connected to the mountain landscape where it is made.
Why Cabrales Needs a Cave
The most unusual part of making Cabrales happens after the cheese has been formed and salted. The young cheeses are taken into natural limestone caves in the mountains, where they mature for roughly two to five months. Inside, temperatures remain cool and humidity stays very high, creating an ideal environment for the natural development of Penicillium mould.
These caves do much more than provide a place to store the cheese. Their natural airflow and moisture help create the blue-green veins running through the paste. Cheesemakers periodically turn and clean the cheeses as they mature, allowing the cave environment and careful handling to work together. As a result, no two wheels develop in exactly the same way.
Bold, Creamy and Slightly Spicy
Cabrales has a soft, creamy texture that contrasts beautifully with its powerful flavour. The first taste brings saltiness and a deep savoury quality, followed by earthy and tangy notes. Depending on the milk used and the degree of maturation, the cheese can become noticeably sharper and more peppery.
Despite its strength, good Cabrales is not simply about being intense. It has layers of flavour that linger on the palate, which is why a small piece can go a long way. Serve it at room temperature and its texture becomes softer and more expressive, making the cheese easier to appreciate.
How to Enjoy Cabrales
A little Cabrales can transform simple food. Spread it over crusty bread, crumble it onto roasted vegetables, or serve it alongside apples, pears, walnuts, and a drizzle of honey. The sweetness of fruit or honey provides a useful contrast to the cheese’s salty, spicy character.
Cabrales also works beautifully in warm dishes. It can melt into a sauce for steak, burgers, potatoes, or pasta, creating a rich topping with plenty of personality. In Asturias, cider is a natural partner for the cheese, while other strong drinks can also stand up to its flavour.
Cabrales Cheese Sauce
This simple sauce is an easy way to bring Cabrales into everyday cooking. The cheese melts into cream to create a rich, savoury sauce that works especially well with steak, roasted potatoes, vegetables, or pasta.
Ingredients
- 100 g Cabrales cheese, crumbled
- 150 ml heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 small garlic clove, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Method
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
- Pour in the cream and warm gently. Do not let it boil.
- Add the crumbled Cabrales and stir slowly until the cheese melts into the cream.
- Continue cooking for 2 to 3 minutes until the sauce becomes smooth and slightly thick.
- Season with black pepper and stir in the parsley.
- Spoon the sauce over grilled steak, roasted potatoes, pasta, or vegetables and serve immediately.
