Iris Schot, a Dutch Fromager Passionate about Spanish Cheeses

To begin with, which cheeses won the “Best Fromager 2019,” award and why did you select them?

First of all thank you for this interview. When I decided to take part in the competition, I wanted to do something different. Most people in the Netherlands know many of the famous French cheeses, as well as some cheeses that are made here in the Netherlands. And I don’t mean Gouda. But the Dutch don’t really know much about Spanish cheeses. So my idea was to combine my two passions: cheese and Spain.

And why Spain? First of all, because the language is beautiful. I am trying to learn Spanish. But mostly because I have worked in restaurants here with one or even three Michelin stars. However, when I went to Disfrutar (two stars) and ABaC (three stars) restaurants in Barcelona, the level of gastronomy was much higher than here in the Netherlands. So yes, I hope, when my Spanish is good enough, that I will one day be able to do an internship in a one or two Michelin star restaurant in Spain.

The cheeses that won the competition were:

Monte Enebro: A goat’s cheese with an ash layer and Roquefort fungus. It’s a cheese with power and the fungus makes it spicy, so your mouth wakes up immediately. That’s why I started with the Monte Enebro.

Zwaluwgekwetter: It’s a cow’s milk cheese from the Netherlands that’s only six to eight weeks old. I removed the crust by myself and let the cheese rest in Liquor 43. Zwaluwgekwetter is a cheese with some bitterness in its flavor. But the Spanish Liquor 43 made the crust a little bit sweet, and the combination with the bitterness was a really good match.

Romero: A cheese that was first made in Spain and now also here in the Netherlands, but from cow’s milk. It has been aged for eight to ten months. Romero also has a crust of dried rosemary.

Torta del Casar: A cheese made from sheep’s milk. I was very impressed by this cheese. I think it’s one the best cheeses from Spain. Unfortunately, most people here in the Netherlands have never heard of Torta del Casar.

Queso Azul: A cheese made from cow’s, goat’s and sheep’s milk — depending on which animals produced more milk. Cabrales is a good cheese, but very spicy. And you can still taste the cheese an hour later. Queso Azul is a bit friendlier, and a great cheese to end with.

All the cheeses have spicy, sweet, bitter, and salty flavors.

The cheese plate had to be served in combination with an alcoholic drink, so, I made my own cocktail. I served 2 spoonfuls of Licor 43 with a garnish of rosemary and orange in a wine glass. And I finished with Parelwijn, a Dutch sparkling wine. The idea of the cocktail was to give the jury a refreshing drink that would allow the cheeses to take center stage. And the sparkling wine ensures a clean, rinsed feeling in the mouth.

What is your absolute favorite Spanish cheese, and why?
 
You can always wake me up for Queso Manchego. And then as second, I would choose Torta del Casar, because I was so impressed by the many different flavors of this cheese. But there are so many Spanish cheeses I still want to taste! So, I will not be surprised if my favorite Spanish cheese someday changes.

What do you think about the Spanish cheese scene and what do you value most about it? Have you had the chance to travel throughout Spain and get to know the origins of any cheeses?
 
The thing I value most about the Spanish cheese scene is that they (cheese makers) have more guts than in the cheese scene here in the Netherlands. All the cheeses that are made here in the Netherlands are made from one kind of milk. But in Spain you see cheeses that are made from goat’s, cow’s and ewe’s milk. That gives cheeses different kinds of flavors. And some Spanish cheeses have more flavor, and much more temperament.