4 Great Cheeses from the Canary Islands

A visit to Spain’s palm tree studded Canary Islands will undoubtedly include enjoying lots of local cheese. The islands’ volcanic origins and temperate microclimates create a friendly environment for the native Cabra Majorera, a species of goat that produces the rich, sweet milk many of these cheeses are made from. Flocks of these goats, plus sheep, populate the islands’ inland highlands, and many of the cheeses are made with rennet extracted from local thistles, which adds a unique, artichoke-y flavor to the buttery curds.

Finding Canary Island Cheeses

Cheese plate at Starfish in the Royal Hideaway Corales Hotel on Tenerife

Although you can find many in mainland Spain, most of these fragile cheeses don’t make it to the United States market. Says Jonathan Richardson of Columbia Cheese, “the region is really raw and undiscovered, partially because it is so remote…[many of the local dairies are] just serving their own community and are not industrialized.” He recommends eating as much local fresh cheese as you can when you visit. “I’ve visited so many cheesemakers, and it’s so rare to stumble across something so mind blowing.” Visit a market, or try restaurants like Starfish in the Royal Hideaway Corales Hotel on Tenerife, who show off singular, hard-to-find specimens on their cheese cart–make a rule to always order the cheese board.

Michele Buster, founder of Forever Cheese, imports several sturdier cheeses from Fuerteventura made with milk from all over the Canaries by Grupo Ganaderos, a family-run dairy whose goal is to protect the strong cheesemaking tradition of the region. For her, that Cabra Majorera goat milk is key to her passion. “It’s that big butterfat that encompasses and envelopes you and caresses your tongue.”

Here are four Canary Islands cheeses to try. Enjoy them with a wine from the Islas Canarias, which are becoming more and more available in the states.

Flor de las Nieves

Finca de Uga on the island of Lanzarote produces dozens of cheeses available locally. This raw cow and sheep torta coagulated with cardoon thistle rennet represents a style, reminiscent of Portugese cheeses that should not be missed. The cheese is eaten directly from its wooden basket. Peel back the top rind and dive into the marshmallow-y, almost liquid center for a true Canarian experience.

PDO Majorero

This buttery cheese holds the first cheese Protected Designation of Origin granted in Spain Read more about designation of origin cheeses). Made from lightly pressed, uncooked Majorera goat milk curd, the cheese is aged for two months and often coated in pimenton, the piquant Spanish paprika. When in Antigua, visit the Museo de Queso Majorero for a deep dive into the local cheese history and culture.

Cabra al Gofio

Coated in gofio, a coarse toasted corn flour that’s staple of the Canary Islands diet, this bouncy, lightly aged pasteurized goat cheese shows the traditional palm leaf pattern on the rind. Another, uncoated version of the cheese is smoked over beechwood or almond shells to preserve and flavor the milky paste.

Alisios

Named for the trade winds that blow across the islands, Alisios combines goat and sheep milks in a tangy wheel dotted with tiny eyes and coated in paprika. Typical of the table cheeses served daily around the whole region, the leftover ends of this and other lightly aged local cheeses are frequently combined with garlic, olive oil, and more spices for the traditional cheese spread known as almogrote. Read about cheese spreads include almogrote.