cheese

the secret so that cheese doesn’t taste like fish

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You go to a store to buy a refrigerator and see that, in addition to having very different prices, one of them has a double cold circuit. You choose the cheapest one without taking into account that with the most expensive one your food may taste better. Why is this happening? Today we are going to explain How traditional refrigerators differ from Twin Cooling refrigerators. How a traditional refrigerator works Traditional refrigerators operate through a closed refrigeration cycle. The main objective is to extract heat to the outsideand it does so through two condensation and evaporation coils respectively, which are tubes through which the refrigerant fluid circulates. These two coils are placed between a compressor and an expansion valve. To understand it, in the traditional system the dry and cold air from the freezer is mixed with that from the refrigerator. It is, so to speak, as if it were a single lung for two bodies, which causes odors to mix, there to be no optimal humidity and the engine to turn on regardless of whether we open the freezer or refrigerator compartment. To understand it, the refrigerant fluid travels through the condensation coil to the expansion valve, thus reducing its pressure and temperature. This process causes the liquid to evaporate when it reaches the second evaporation coil, which, as you can already imagine, evaporates the fluid until it reaches the condenser in the form of a gas. In this section, the condenser provides energy to the gas so that it can flow, increasing the pressure to become liquid again so that the heat goes outside through the walls of the condenser tube. As a summarythe cycle through which the refrigerant fluid travels is: condensation coil, expansion valve, evaporation coil and compressor and compressor tubes. This cycle is constant until the refrigerator temperature reaches what we have set on the thermostat. Refrigerators with freezers work in a very similar way. The refrigerant fluid travels first to the freezer areaand once it has reached the desired temperature it travels to the refrigerator area. The compressor ensures that the refrigerator has a different temperature, stopping the fluid before reaching the refrigerator area if the temperature is the same as what we have on the thermostat. How a refrigerator with a double cooling circuit works Refrigerators with a double cold circuit work in a very similar way, but they have a fairly big difference: instead of having one circuit, they have two. To clarify, the fact that it has two circuits does not mean that they consume more electricity, since it is quite the opposite because they are usually more efficient. Because? By having two independent circuits, the engine work is less because it cools only the freezer or the refrigerator, and not both. If, for example, you open the refrigerator in a traditional refrigerator, the cooling fluid has to travel through the entire circuit, while in a refrigerator with a double cooling circuit the fluid travels only through the refrigerator and not through the freezer. And it is not the only advantage. These refrigerators with double cold circuit are especially interesting so that food odors do not mix placed in the refrigerator and freezer. This also means that the moisture collected from the refrigerator does not reach the freezer, thus obtaining a drier area and better preserved food. And, be careful, this is important, since with a double circuit the humidity stays where it should be, making the tomatoes stay fresh for twice as long. Of course, just because a refrigerator is No Frost does not mean it is good. Almost all modern refrigerators are No Frost, but the single circuit one is a ‘Total No Frost’ that dehydrates the food. The double circuit ones are a ‘Smart No Frost’. Furthermore, the fact that a refrigerator has a double circuit means that, in most cases, it can be attractive for when we go on vacation. And this is because you can turn off only the refrigerator part while leaving the freezer part on. And this represents savings. The good and the bad of both options, face to face Refrigerator (traditional) Refrigerator (double cold circuit) THE GOOD 🟢 They are more economical and require less maintenance in the long term. It maintains higher humidity in the refrigerator, does not mix odors and is usually more energy efficient. THE BAD 🔴 Odors can mix, food can dry out, and it is more difficult to maintain constant humidity and temperature. They are more expensive and usually require more maintenance in the long term. Ideal for: Tight budgets and for families of one or two people. Prevent odors from mixing and for families of three or more people. In summary: 👉 Choose a traditional refrigerator if: You are a person who lives alone or in a family of two people or you are looking for a refrigerator that does not increase too much in price. 👉 Choose a refrigerator with a double cold circuit: You are looking for a better flavor in food or you live at home with two or more people. Recommended models Traditional refrigerator: Hisense RB372N4AWE The Hisense RB372N4AWE is a 292-liter refrigerator with a single cold circuit that is interesting because it has a technology that means that if you leave the yogurt at the bottom it will not freeze or if you have the milk on the door it will not stay warm, the temperature is uniform in every corner. Also It comes with micro perforations to inject cold air into each shelf of the refrigeratorpreserving food better, and with technology Total No Frost to prevent frost from forming in the freezer. In addition, this refrigerator includes a fruit and vegetable drawer that allows you to control the humidity to keep food fresh and comes with a vacation mode so that it operates at a constant temperature of 15ºC, which can save energy. As a curiosity, its door is reversible, so you can choose to open it to the left … Read more

Italy has convinced Olympic nutritionists to put cheese in every risotto

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Brazilian snowboarder Pat Burgener has summed up better than anyone the paradigm shift that separates the Winter Olympic Games in Beijing 2022 and those in Milano Cortina 2026. In a video that has gone viral, it contrasts two scenes: in one, the Swiss Nicolas Huber stoically endures the endless nasal tests in the Chinese health bubble; In the other, Burgener appears enthusiastically tasting Italian food in the Olympic village. He’s not the only one. Austrians Stefan Rettenegger, Johannes Lamparter and Thomas Rettenegger have documented on social networks how they unapologetically enjoy local cuisine and even Italian-style naps. The contrast is total. The restrictive and purely clinical environment of four years ago has given way to an authentic Mediterranean feast. And at the epicenter of this culinary revolution in the Olympic villages, there is an undisputed protagonist that crowns each pasta or risotto dish: mountains of grated cheese. Far from being a simple gastronomic whim, the decision to replace the classic synthetic energy bars with portions of cheese wrapped in Olympic logos, or to snack muffins rich in proteins baked with this dairy, responds to a calculated nutritional and commercial strategy, As detailed in a report in The New York Times. If Italian food had an athlete competing in these Winter Games, it would undoubtedly be cheese Grana Padano. This cured dairy, often considered Parmigiano-Reggiano’s less expensive sibling, has literally colonized the event. The strategy goes far beyond putting cheese wedges on Olympic buffets. The intention of Mirella Parmeggiani, marketing manager of the consortium that manages its production, is to position this food, which Benedictine monks began to make in the 12th century, as a true “ally in the healthy diet of sports enthusiasts.” To achieve this, the Organizing Committee of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games has signed an official collaboration agreement with the Grana Padano Consortium. The organization considers this entity a firm “ambassador of Italian taste throughout the world” and highlights that they share fundamental principles of sport such as commitment, passion and generosity. But the agreement also has a geopolitical dimension. Italy will reach a record of 70 billion dollars in 2025 in agri-food exports. And the DOP (Protected Designation of Origin) system of the European Union protects more than 850 Italian products under strict standards of origin and elaboration. In the case of Grana Padano, the milk must come from specific regions in northern Italy and the cheese must mature for at least nine months. In fact, only in 2024 were exported 2,685,541 Grana Padano wheels to international markets The message is clear: cheese is protein, but it is also national identity and gastronomic diplomacy. Marketing genius or real nutrition? Seeing this display of gastronomic diplomacy, it is inevitable to ask: are we facing simple marketing genius or is there a real scientific basis that justifies the constant presence of cheese in high-performance Olympic menus? From a nutritional point of view, Grana Padano provides approximately 33 grams of protein per 100 grams of product, without carbohydrates or sugars and with a high concentration of calcium and vitamin B12. Sports nutritionist Saúl Sánchez points out that parmesan and Grana Padano They are placed among the cheeses with greater protein density – 32 grams per 100 grams in the case of Grana Padano – and maintains that its saturated fats should not be demonized in the context of a varied diet. From the sports fieldswimmer Gemma Mengual has described cheese as a “superfood” for elite athletes, while karate fighter Damián Quintero highlights its usefulness both before and after training. The technical explanation usually focuses on casein, a slowly digestible protein that progressively releases amino acids, contributing to prolonged muscle recovery. In the Nutrimi Forumone of the main scientific meetings on nutrition in Italy, Dr. Maria Letizia Petroni defended the approach Food Firstwhich prioritizes natural foods over the systematic use of isolated supplements. In that context, he mentioned cured cheese as a rich source of leucine and proteins of high biological value useful in post-workout recovery strategies. The milky labyrinth and the “protective matrix” The success of cheese in sports clashes, paradoxically, with the controversial scientific debate on the consumption of liquid milk in adulthood, what many experts already call the “dairy labyrinth.” While some studies associate a high consumption of full-fat dairy products with certain metabolic problems, cheese is saved from this screening thanks to the so-called “dairy matrix”. Modern science has discovered that the saturated fat in cheese does not behave in the body the same as that of an ultra-processed product. The bacteria, vitamins and polar lipids produced during maturation alter the way the body absorbs these fats, mitigating inflammation. In addition, it solves the big problem with milk: lactose. While in countries like Spain lactose intolerance affects around 30% of the population, the long fermentation process of Grana Padano (often more than 24 months) makes it a natural product lactose free and highly digestible for athletes around the world. The evidence, under the papers One of the studies most cited in this conversation was published in 2024 in the Journal of Exercise Science & Fitness. He tested 35 untrained young men during four weeks of strength training combined with cheese supplementation. Participants who consumed a dose equivalent to 13.4 grams of protein from cheese three times a week showed improvements in body composition and reductions in total and LDL cholesterol compared to the lower dose group. However, it is worth clarifying: the study was not carried out on elite athletes, the sample was small and no significant additional improvements in strength were observed compared to training alone. The authors themselves pointed out the need for broader research. In the field of aging, a systematic review published in Nutrition Research observed that dairy protein may help increase lean body mass in older adults. It also found small benefits associated with vitamin D in functional tests. However, the results were not consistent in all the trials analyzed. In other words, there are interesting … Read more

We have been avoiding aged cheese for years for health reasons. Massive study suggests we were wrong

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For decades, nutritional guides and specific diets focused on ensuring brain health, such as the famous MIND diethave had a common enemy: saturated fats of dairy origin. However, science has now given a turn of the wheel to show us that we were completely wrong. New evidence. A new and comprehensive study published in the magazine Neurology You just turned this belief upside down. After following almost 28,000 people for a quarter of a century, researchers at Lund University have found a surprising association: regular consumption of high-fat cheese and cream not only does not increase the risk of dementia, but seems to reduce it significantly. The Swedish diet. The researchers conducted a median follow-up of 25 years until 2020, cross-referencing dietary data with the Swedish National Patient Registry. The result was that during this type 3,208 were identified cases of dementiaand from here we began to see what these people ate. In this case, those who consumed 50 grams or more of high-fat cheese per day showed a reduced risk of dementia of between 13% and 19% compared to those who did not consume it. Furthermore, consumption of high-fat cream was associated with a 16% reduction in the risk of having full-blown dementia. But there is more. The most curious thing about the finding was the specificity, since similar benefits were not found in low-fat dairy products, nor in regular milk or butter. In this way, you can see that there is something specific in the nutritional matrix of cheese and fermented cream that plays in favor of our brain. Why this cheese. Emily Sonestedt, co-author of the study, She was surprised by the resultsalthough he points out that they have biological logic. While traditional diets limit cheese due to its calorie and saturated fat content, this food is rich in medium chain fatty acids, vitamin K2calcium and high quality proteins. In addition to all this, the fact that it is a fermented food can positively influence the intestinal microbiota, and we know more and more about the direct connection between the intestine and the brain. In this way, maintaining a good microbiota again indicates that it guarantees us having better brain health. You have to be cautious. Before running to the supermarket to buy all the types of cheese on the shelves, it is necessary to put on the usual handbrake in science, since we are talking about an observational study. This means that science points out that two things happen at the same time, but it does not prove 100% that one causes the other. And in this case, lifestyle may be interfering, such as the fact that people who eat cheese in Sweden have other lifestyle habits such as greater physical activity that protect them, although the researchers tried to adjust the variables. The verdict. The idea that “all saturated fat is bad for the brain” is losing steam in the face of evidence that certain complex foods, such as aged cheese or cream, have properties that go beyond their basic nutritional label. As is often the case in nutrition, the key does not seem to be eliminating food groups, but rather understanding the quality and source of what we eat. Images | Aliona Gumeniuk Robina Weermeijer In Xataka | Forgetting things is not a bug, it is a feature of your brain: how not remembering things makes us think better

A cheese giant is slowly taking shape in Spain thanks to a key ally: Mercadona

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The long list of Spanish companies that grow in the heat of Mercadona adds a new name: Entrepinaresa company dedicated to the production of cheeses and dairy products that started 40 years ago in Valladolid and today manages centers spread throughout Galicia, Castilla and Madrid, in addition to generating employment for something more than 1,500 people. Although the signature presume to be “the largest cheese manufacturer”since more than 20 years has a key alliance with Mercadona. And that is helping it expand. Why is it news? Because their 2024 accounts have just been released, a year during which Entrepinares managed to skyrocket both its turnover and its profits. The first section rose to the 665 million euros8% more than in 2023. As for the second, EBIDTA (earnings before taxes) reached 64 million, which represents an increase of 16%. Both indicators are partly explained by an increase in production: in 2024, 100 million kilos of cheese came out of the Entrepinares factories (8.3% more than in 2023) and around 35 million kilos of dairy products. In addition to being the main supplier of Mercadona cheeses, the company saw how it was reinforced its foreign activity, with exports to more than 50 countries. Is there more data? Yes. We know that the company dedicated 41 million to investments in search of greater efficiency, which raises the mobilization of resources for that purpose above the 140 million in the last four years. Thanks to this commitment, it has managed to gain a prominent place in the sector at a national level. In fact it leads the sectoral ranking of cheese manufacturers (at least based on turnover volume) prepared by elEconomista. Regarding staff and internal resources, the firm has more than 1,500 workers, collaborates stably with more than 700 farms and a large score of cooperatives and manages four production centers spread across Valladolid, Fuenlabrada, Villalba and Los Yébenes. Added to these are a logistics and packaging center in Valladolid and two other plants specialized in whey treatment located in Castrogonzalo (Zamora) and Vilalba (Lugo). Why is it important? Because of the data itself and its context. Entrepinares is not the only Mercadona supplier that has grown in recent years coinciding with the expansion of the Valencian chain, which has managed to strengthen its position in the market with a business share that It is already on its way to 30%. One of the clearest examples is that of the group Martinez Familywhich integrates several business lines and operates as a strategic supplier to Mercadona. It was recently revealed that the company will invest around 150 million euros between this and the next year to reinforce its Traditional Dishes facilities and keep up with Mercadona. Months before it had emerged that last year its billing increased by about 8% and its net profit 16%. Are there more cases? Yes. Another Mercadona supplier that has managed to grow is Ozturk Quebapa firm based in Toleado specialized in the production of kebabs and meat products that has been supplying the Juan Roig chain for years. Last year it invoiced around 63.8 million euros and this year it hopes to exceed 75. For now, in the first semester it reached 37.8 million. Its expansion is prior to the agreement with Juan Roig’s company and the firm exports to other nations, but Ozturk recognizes that “with Mercadona everything changes.” Mercadona’s leverage is also serving Sefood Group. Its subsidiary Leroy Processing Spain hoped in the spring to close this year with a turnover of 160 million euros30% more than last year. The company has been dedicated to the production of Japanese food for a few years and has managed to make Mercadona one of its main clients. The Roig chain also has among its suppliers: Profand and Panamar, Tarradellas House and Summer. Images | Entrepinares e iStock In Xataka | Mercadona has found a vein to grow beyond its white label and prepared food: tourism

Parmersan cheese is extremely serious business in Italy. To the point of having his own agent in Hollywood

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The most famous cheese in the world (with permission from Cabrales) has just hired representation in Hollywood. The Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium (which is what the Italians call what we simply call Parmesan) has signed United Talent Agency (UTA), one of the leading agencies in the film industry, to boost the presence of the Italian product in films, television series and platforms streaming on an international scale. The agreement. The strategy seeks to position this cheese with a Protected Designation of Origin in global productions in a more or less natural way, taking advantage of the fact that it is known throughout the world. According to statements by Carmine Forbuso, marketing manager of the Italian organization, the cheese represents “simplicity, quality and depth” thanks to only three ingredients, all natural, and centuries of tradition in its artisanal production. Exports of the product reached 53.2% in the first eight months of 2025. How’s the thing going? product placement. The global advertising placement market reached $33 billion in 2024 with a growth of 12.3% annually, which far exceeds the increase in traditional advertising investment. This marketing strategy has been experiencing four consecutive years of double-digit expansion, and as a marketing strategy it has doubled in size compared to 2018, so no, we are not just talking about the jar of soluble cocoa in ‘Family Doctor’. Specialized agencies as UTA ​​Entertainment Marketingwhich will represent parmesan, have doubled revenue in two years. And it seems to work: the success of this tactic lies in its naturalness, since more than 52% of US consumers They prefer these appearances over conventional advertisements. Some precedents in Hollywood. The history of product placement modern food has its founding moment in 1982when candy brand Reese’s Pieces focused all the attention on a crucial scene from Spielberg’s ‘ET.’ Mars refused to allow M&M’s to be used and it was quite a mistake, as Hershey, makers of Reese’s Pieces, tripled sales in two weeks. Currently it is a popular resource: in 2024, for exampleCoca-Cola appeared in 561 films and series. When it goes wrong. However, the forced placement It often generates rejection, and it is something that brands have to take into account. The oldest people in the place remember with a shudder the movie ‘My Friend Mac’ (curiously, a plagiarism of ‘ET’), full of covert advertising for Pepsi and MacDonald’s, and in whose restaurants even a musical number took place. When the brand interrupts the logical narrative of the film The viewer perceives it as invasive advertising, and that is what happened in this classic of eighties alien dandruff. Header | Brands&People in Unsplash In Xataka | Italy’s forbidden dish: a cheese so extreme in its preparation that the European Union had to put limits on it

Cheese and oil have skyrocketed so much in Türkiye that travel agencies have a star destination: a Lidl in Greece

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The cost of living has skyrocketed. Except the cocaine marketa multitude of basic products have risen in price when salaries have not grown at the same level. In Spain we have a year-on-year inflation of around 3%. In Türkiye, on the same date, it is 33%, and that is leading thousands of Turks to travel to Greece every week, and not for pleasure. But to Lidl for make the purchase. Supermarket migration. In the mid-2010s, the Greek economy was a drama. The purchasing power is collapsed and the country’s debt crisis forced many households to squeeze every euro. Neighboring countries that also used the euro were no consolation, so they looked east: to Türkiye. Within the economic context, the lira was cheap and the euro strong, so many Greeks, especially from the islands, went to Turkish bazaars and supermarkets to buy clothes, utensils and food. The ferries they were bursting. It is estimated that the cost per visit was about 120 euros and, since filling the shopping cart in Turkey was considerably cheaper, the Greeks bought large shipments of cheese, oil, meat and sausages. One of the “supermarket corridors” was Lesbos-Ayvalik, and in the middle of the decade spoke up to 100,000 visits annually. Now, the tables have turned. The tragedy of the lyre. More than two decades of controversial policiesamong other factors, have led to the collapse of the lira. The cost of imports has multiplied and the inflation rate does not reach 80% of a few years agobut it has stagnated at that more than 30% that is suffocating the population. It is something that is disproportionately affecting food, including basic necessities. Now it is the Turks who have enormous problems when buying fresh productsmeats, cheese and oil. The situation does not seem to be changing in the short term due to massive debt, default rates (with the penalty that entails) and that price increase in subsistence products. It is the “typical”: products that increase a lot and stagnant salaries, the perfect combination to ruin the purchasing power of families. To Lidl in the neighboring country. What is happening? That this dynamic of cross-border purchases has been completely reversed. If a decade ago it was the Greeks who crossed the border, now it is the Turks who, with a euro that is not so buoyant, but enough to make it worth it compared to the prices in their local markets, flock to Greece to make that weekly purchase. In a report by Bloomberg There are concrete figures that compare a Lidl in Alexandroupolis (about 40 kilometers from the Turkish border) and a Turkish Carrefour. For example, minced meat costs 9.36 euros per kilo in Greece, compared to 12.10 in Türkiye. Greek sausages cost half as much as Turkish ones, Gouda cheese costs a third and oil makes one of the biggest differences: 10 euros per liter in Greece compared to 20 in Turkey. Social networks. Social networks are a loudspeaker – let them tell it to the influencers from Australian mines-, and those who visit Greek cities to make purchases share their experience through networks such as TikTok. The word spreads and more citizens are encouraged to take the leap. For Alejandrópolis, it represents an injection of money for both food businesses and restaurants. Bloomberg details how, after a day of shopping, Turks have a drink in Greek restaurants while sharing the experience. and it esteem that there are 3,000 Turks who are making this weekly trip. travel agencies. Because if we have to define this it is as a need, yes, but also with that word: experience. Because although it may be something private for a family to do, travel agencies are organizing tours to Greek cities, with groups of supermarket tourists who do not want to visit the city, but rather the Lidl on duty. For about 50 euros, buses loads of Turkish shoppers leave on Friday afternoons and arrive in Greek cities on Saturday morning and spend three and a half hours in the supermarkets. Then they spend some free time around the citythey can go to eat and, in the afternoon, on the way home with a full cart. The biggest annoyance? Apart from having to go to another country to buy because in yours the cost of living is very expensive, of course, it is the line at border control. How long will this last? Türkiye trust to halve inflation by 2026, but it will still remain extremely high. We will see how long this situation lasts, which, from January to September of this year, has carried to the fact that 6% of the Turks who visited Greece did so only with the aim of filling the car. Images | Zoshua Colah, Aldin Nasrun In Xataka | Private labels are having an unexpected effect on the food industry: the biggest price drop since 2014

In Asturias someone paid 37,000 euros for the most expensive cheese on the planet. Then he fell to the ground

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There are expensive cheeses, very expensive cheeses and then there are the cheeses that are sold by the whopping 14,800 euros per kiloas they just checked in Asturias. There, in the town of Arenas, they just proclaimed the most expensive cheese on the planet, a piece of 2.5 kilos with Denomination of Protected Origin of Cabrales that, after the Plant of the judges, has reached neither more nor less than 37,000 euros On a bid. Shortly after the auction was on the ground. Don’t say cheese, di cabrales. Asturias is known for many things. By Your cider, Your houndsits beaches, its mountainous places and also (and rightly) for its cheese. The Cabrales is one of the gastronomic icons of the Principality and to claim it Arenas de Cabrales has celebrated every summer, for decades, A contest which usually arouses interest both inside and outside the region. The appointment is not famous just by giving visibility to Dop Cabrales. The contest arrives accompanied by a bid for the best cheeses in which amounts of infarction are reached, assumable only by privileged pockets. Offer are so high in fact that they have managed to make a place several times in the pages of the Guinness book. It has happened Other editions. And it has happened again in this. A figure: 37,000 euros. The Arenas de Cabrales appointment is divided into several parts. First the jury decides which of the title aspiring cheeses is the best, it has a more attractive aspect and offers better flavor and aroma. Then that same piece goes to auction and businesses interested in taking her to her pantries pujo for her at the crossroads worthy of the Sotheby’s house. In this edition (the 53rd already) the starting price was € 3,000 and participated near a dozen hoteliers from different parts of Asturias (Gijón, Oviedo and Castrillón) and Madrid. The winner was Iván Suárez, owner of El Llagar de Colloto, in Oviedo. It didn’t have it easy. Last year Suarez had already taken home winning cheese by 36,000 eurosa figure that this year exceeded slaughtering. A Madrid cider house matched the figure, another Gijonesa rose the bid to 36,500 and the owner of El Llagar de Colloto ended up setting up the dispute when lifting his palette to offer the whopping of 37,000 for a piece of about 2.5 kg. Himself I calculated which came out at € 14,800/kg. Records at full speed. The truth is that Cabrales accumulates records at more speed than the Guinness organization is capable of digesting them. New Spain remember that this will be the fourth consecutive world plusmarca of Asturian cheese and if you consult The web From the Guinness World Records you will find the curious chance that just two months ago those responsible echoed that the most expensive cheese on the planet is a cabrales auctioned in Asturias for 36,000 euros. It is not a mistake. It is simply the brand that the DOP reached in 2024. It has already been outdated. Does Cabrales cheese have a roof? That is The question That some media have been made in recent days, especially if you take into account the speed with which the offers have grown by the winner of the Arenas contest. The Europa Press agency remember That the winner of this edition already disbursed 14,300 euros in 2018, 20,500 in 2019, 30,000 in 2023 and 36,000 last year, a figure that has been pulverized by the 37,000 of 2025. In the price, however it goes more than the value of the product. The bid is also a huge advertising showcase, both for the Dop Cabrales and for the winning hotelier. Of headlines and anecdotes. “The head of having the most expensive cheese in the world is what leads to this. In the end if the cheese had cost 20,000 euros instead of 37,000 because yes, it would have been the winning cheese of the contest, but we would not have worldwide news, we would not open the news, nor would we have international recognition, which is what we all look for, Suárez confesses to The voice of Asturias. Interestingly this year he has monopolized holders by Another reasonmore anecdotal … and juicy. After winning the bid the Ovetense hotelier rose to collect the piece proud and when he lifted his arms to show the tray the cheese drained and finished falling to the ground. An anecdote that the businessman was taken with humor. The cheese, he explained, will divide it into three parts: For his father, for him and his family and for his clients. In cave already 1,500 meters. Record prices and anecdotes apart, the main protagonist of the contest was the cheese that elaborated the winning piece: Ángel Díaz Herrero, by Tielve. Its representative, Encarna Bada, remembers that the cheese is made with cow’s milk and mature for several months at 1,500 meters of altitude in the Los Mazos cave. “It is the coldest cave, it has little cheese and matures more slowly. It is the caves that give the flavor to the cabrales, because factors such as moisture, temperature and height influence it,” Explain. The task is not simple. Bada acknowledges that going up and down with cheese pieces is arduous work because to the area “They don’t even get cars” To transport them in fact they have to resort to horses. What there is no doubt is that your technique and know how to do work: last year The same cheese managed to win the coveted first position of the contest and, incidentally, settle his name in the Guinness. Images | Wikipedia and Javier Lastras (Flickr) In Xataka | Russia is becoming a teacher in the elaboration of European cheeses. And it is due to the sanctions of the West

a cheese so extreme in its preparation that the European Union had to put limits

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Few more fascinating things for the human being than that indicated as “forbidden” and “dangerous.” If we also talk about a gastronomic product that comes with the Italian seal and that after it there are hundreds of myths and legends, we have the breeding ground to raise the product to the object of worship for the most exquisite and adventurous palates. There are many good cheese storiesbut none like that of most dangerous cheese in the world and its maturation process. Casu Marzu. The truth is that cheese is, in essence, fermented and aging milk. It happens that the process goes through controls to achieve adequate balance between bacterial activity and the quality and taste of cheese. The variety in this process and the different traditional approaches to elaborate it is what makes us have so many types. Yet, None approaches the Casu Marzu processwhose translation already gives us a track, “rotten cheese.” This Italian cheese from Sardinia has a peculiarity. It is created with the help of very special worms or larvae, creatures that remain alive during the maturation and fermentation process and, most importantly, when we open it to taste it. So, it is time to close your eyes and expect the portion not to reach the mouth with a living larva. The fly and cheese. It We count a long time ago And it serves to give context to the story of Casu Marzu. Humans have been eating dairy products like cheese almost 6,000 years and, in essence, we owe everything to a fly. And it is that the fermentation process, key in the delicacy, occurred first thanks to the role played by the fruit fly. Apparently, the casual encounter between the insect and a cube of fresh milk flowed into a new type of yeast thanks to which raw milk became a different organic compound. The mixture of two different substances and yeasts worked the miracle. However, already a difference from most fermentation processes of cheeses, Casu Marzu has a more “narrow” relationship with the fruit fly. Very active larvae. The larvae come from the Piophila Casei cheese fly. Always in motion, they are able to jump up to 15 centimeters in the air. In fact, it is considered harmful in food industries. The contradiction is given because as an detritivorous, it can be very useful in forensic investigations and, for cheese addicts, they are fundamental for the creation of Casu Marzu. Fermentation process. The cheesers begin the process of the famous delicacy by cutting a small hole in a sheep milk cheese wheel and leaving it outside, maturing. Flies (the Piophila Casei) make their appearance and enter the opening to put their eggs. Once the larvae hatch inside, their excretions decompose the fats and proteins of the cheese, creating a gentle and creamy texture. At this point, when a sticky liquid known as tears is filtered through the peel, the cheese is “at its point” ready to eat. The resulting delicacy is spicy and penetrating flavorsimilar to maturo gorgonzola, with an acid touch that leaves the trail of the larvae. Finally and not least, to know if we are facing the true Casu Marzu we must make a clean cut, if we find a mass of worms that twist, everything is going well. Cream of Casu Marzu Danger: myiasis. If we ignore the larvae, the creamy piece of cheese may seem tempting. In fact, it is for many adventurers. However, we must, approach the piece with some caution. As The Science of Cheese points out“The worms that jump cheese are able to do it a few centimeters, so consumers are recommended to protect the eyes” when the wheel opens. More risks. If by chance we end up engulfing any of these living larvae, there is another danger. According to the University of FloridaThey are often cited as one of the most likely causes of intestinal myiasis. This condition, certainly disgusting, occurs basically when the worms are installed in our digestive system. There, in our intestine, they make “mischief.” “Intestinal myiasis occurs when eggs or fly larvae previously deposited in food are ingested and survived in the gastrointestinal tract,” They explain the centers for disease control and prevention. “Some infested patients have been asymptomatic; others have had abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhea.” The most dangerous. For all this, the appellation is not trivial. The marzu casu that contains larva It is enjoyed for thousands of years in Sardinia. Cheese, prohibited in many parts of Europe, can reach really high prices. In Sardinia the kilo can be found for more than 50 euros. The trick to ingest it. By the way, there is a formula in the event that you want to taste a piece of cheese with the greatest assurances. Yes, many people take risks and eat live worms, but alternately, They can be crushed to kill them and then spread the cheese About bread. We can also seal a piece in a plastic bag with closure. When the sound of worms stops, it is time for tasting. And if it doesn’t even convince you, you can always go to the super or to the market and ask for the cheese that you like so much and that does not bring surprises. Image | Sarah Gregg, Shardan In Xataka | France has made its cheeses Brie and Camembert two national symbols. Now face your disappearance In Xataka | The origin of Manchego cheese is partly a mystery. An XI sheep will help us clear unknowns *An earlier version of this article was published in July 2024

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