Queso de L’Alt Urgell y La Cerdanya PDO

Pressed cheese made from pasteurized, whole milk from Friesian cows, with a minimum ripening period of 45 days.

Tasting notes

A mild, pleasant, sweet flavor with a fruity, penetrating, slightly nutty aroma. Soft, creamy texture.


Other notes

Cylindrical in shape, with a diameter of 195-200 mm (7½ - 7¾”)and an approximate weight of 2½ kgs (5.5 lb). The rind is natural, washed and light brown, and smells of the specific culture sprayed on the surface. The paste is cream or ivory-colored, with many small, evenly-distributed, irregular-shaped eyes. Minimum dry matter is 54% and fat content is 50% of dry matter.


Production / Processing method

The process begins with the homogenization and pasteurization of the milk which is then soured at a temperature of 30-33ºC (86-91ºF) for 30 minutes.
The curds are then cut and the whey drained off. After molding and pressing, the curds are submerged in brine at a controlled temperature of 10-15ºC (50-59ºF) to obtain the right degree of saltiness. They are then drained and aired.
Finally, the product is ripened in caves at a temperature of 11-14ºC (51-57ºF) and with relative humidity of 90-96%, for a minimum of 45 days. During the first few days, the rind is sprayed with a specific aromatic culture.

 

Geography / Relief and climate

l’Alt Urgell and La Cerdanya are located on the south side of the center-eastern Catalonian Pyrenees, in north-east Spain. They are protected by the Sierra del Cadí and the Pyrenees and linked by the Segre river basin.
This is an area of river banks and small valleys with high and medium-mountains, and torrents and streams all along the basins of the Segre and its tributaries. The largest of these, the Valira, links the two districts via its basin with the Andorran valleys. The predominant climate is mountainous sub-Mediterranean, with clear skies, no frost and good levels of sunshine. It is dry and cold in winter, rainy in spring, hot and dry in summer and fairly wet in autumn. These natural conditions are ideal for growing pastures for cattle to graze on.


Regulatory Council

Consejo Regulador de la DOP Queso Alt Urgell y la Cerdanya
C/ Sant Ermengol, 37
25700 La Seu D'Urgell (Lleida)
Tel: (+34) 973 350 266
Fax: (+34) 973 352 705
cadi@cadi.es
http://www.cadi.es


Sources:
 
Spanish Ministry of Agriculture

PDO Alt Urgell Cheese