Located in an exceptional natural environment, between the mountains of Aralar and Aizkorri-Aratz, surrounded by peaks that exceed 1,000 meters of altitude and where you can discover the beautiful Basque farmhouses where livestock activity continues to be an important source of economic, natural and cultural wealth.
Basque Country
Idiazabal
Idiazabal is located in an exceptional natural environment, between the mountains of Aralar and Aizkorri-Aratz, surrounded by peaks that exceed 1,000 meters of altitude and where you can discover the beautiful Basque farmhouses where livestock activity continues to be an important source of economic, natural and cultural wealth.
It is an ideal area to explore and taste, thanks to the daily work of its baserritarras who draw unique stunning landscapes.
Idiazabal is gastronomically known for the cheese, which follows the traditional recipe used for centuries by the Basque shepherds. To get to know it, we recommend a visit to the Idiazabal Cheese Interpretation and Tasting Centre, where the history of the cheese and its production processes handed down generation after generation are explained to the visitors in a fun and entertaining way, as well as the visits to the cheese dairies of the municipality.
The PDO Idiazabal Cheese is made with raw milk from Latxa or Carranzana sheep, whole and unpasteurized. To mature the cheese, it must take between two and six months and it can be smoked and not smoked, although traditionally the Idiazabal Cheeses have been referred to smoked cheeses. Its production area is the Basque Country and Navarre, except the Roncal Valley.
It is a cheese that is distinguished by its hard-pale yellow crust for the non-smoked and deep brown for the smoked. The paste is compact and variable in colour, from white to yellowish ivory. It is a cheese that transmits the flavour of the Basque and Navarrese pastures, and that, above all, maintains in its essence the livestock tradition of the mountains where it was born.
The Basque Cheese Fair (Euskal Gaztaren Azoka) is held every first weekend of May. The last Saturday of October is the Artzai Gazta of Euskal Herria Championship.
Every year, the last weekend of August takes place in Arenas de Cabrales (Cabrales, Asturias) the celebration of the Cabrales Cheese Contest, with exhibition and demonstrations of the elaboration [...]
