Payoyo Cheese
Payoyo cheeses: flavor and variety
Payoyo Cheese makes goat cheese, sheep cheese and cheese mixes of both milks ranging from fresh cheeses to semi-cured and cured. In addition, cured cheeses can be found wrapped in butter, rosemary, wheat bran and paprika. Respecting the traditional methods of processing, adapted to current regulations, milk goes through different phases until it undergoes its final transformation.
The milk of Payoyo cheeses
Payoyo cheese is made with milk from the goats and sheep that inhabit the Sierra de Grazalema, in the mountains that surround Villaluenga del Rosario. The cheese gets its name from the breed of goat from which the milk is obtained, the so-called payoya goat, native to the mountains. Sheep cheeses are made from the milk of merino sheep. From its facilities in the Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park, Queso Payoyo has the objective of disseminating and promoting the culture of cheese as a fundamental element of our Mediterranean diet.
Semi-cured cheeses mature for about 35 days, while cured cheeses mature for over a hundred days. All Payoyo cheeses are made from pasteurized milk. Pasteurization (heating for a short period of time at medium temperatures) eliminates possible microbes and pathogens present in food without modifying the properties of the product, which allows it to be preserved for longer. Certain patients and pregnant women are advised to consume cheese only made from pasteurized milk.
The flavor of payoya goat cheese is, although intense, surprisingly creamy. The properties of the milk from these goats mean that they can mature for a long time without the flavor ending up being too aggressive, but it is very present, with a lot of "body", leaving a very interesting aftertaste that, according to some tasting notes, leaves a memory to dried fruit
Tradition and awards
Throughout its twenty years, Quesos Payoyo has received 175 national and international awards, including the Cincho de Castilla y León Awards (where they won some first prizes) and the World Cheese Awards, where they won two silver medals.
In the World Cheese Awards 18/19 held in Bergen, Norway, he has received 17 awards, becoming the most awarded national brand in this edition. This same year, he has also obtained the maximum three-star mention of semi-cured goat cheese at the Great Taste Awards held in London.
Buy Payoyo Cheese online
At El Palacio Del Jamón we are the main distributors of Payoyo cheese in the province of Cádiz, and we extend it to the rest of the Spanish territory. We have the widest variety and the most abundant stock of these cheeses, and we are sure that our selection of cheeses will be to your liking. If you are thinking of buying the best Payoyo cheese at the best price, take a look at our catalogue. You can see that we classify them as goat, sheep or blend cheeses; and also for curing.
Payoyo cheese is marketed in formats of whole cheeses of about two kilograms, in the format of wedges of approximately a quarter of cheese (about 500 grams), and even in the form of cream cheese in small glass jars, to spread on rolls and toast.