OUR
CHEESE
TASTING A PIECE OF ONDARRE CHEESE
TAKES YOU TO CONNECT WITH
OUR ESSENCE, TO OUR CORE.
In fact, Latxa sheep have been part of the beautiful landscape of the Basque Country for thousands of years.
Since ancient times, they have shaped the fields of these mountains and valleys,
giving us high-quality milk in exchange for the fresh grass they eat.
And this is essentially the origin of our treasure,
the fruit of the transformation of that raw milk: Ondarre cheese.
Types of cheese
DEPENDING ON THE TIME THEY SPEND IN THE CURING CHAMBER,
WE MAKE TWO TYPES OF CHEESE: ONDARRE AND RESERVA.
ONDARRE
SMOKED
Cured between 3 and 5 months
It has a distinctive golden color and a buttery texture. It has an intense sheep’s milk flavor and a clean aroma. It has the spicy touches and mild toasted notes provided by the natural rennet. A real sin for your palate!
ONDARRE
UNSMOKED
Aged between 3 and 5 months
It has a buttery texture. It has an intense sheep’s milk flavor and a clean aroma. It has the spicy touches and mild toasted notes provided by the natural rennet. Once you start eating, you won’t be able to stop!
RESERVA
SMOKED OR UNSMOKED
Cured between 6 and 8 months
From our limited production, my father and I select 300 pieces, and we take special care of them. From these cheeses, we choose the ones we enter into the Ordizia cheese competition, among others.
OUR CHEESES HAVE THE “IDIAZABAL” DESIGNATION OF ORIGIN AND
ARE DESIGNATED AS EUROPEAN GASTRONOMIC HERITAGE.
THANKS TO THIS, THE CONSUMER IS GUARANTEED THE ORIGIN OF THE CHEESE,
THE CHARACTERISTICS IT MUST MEET, ITS QUALITY, AND
ITS AUTHENTICITY.
How cheese is made
THE PROCESS FOR MAKING ONDARRE CHEESE IS BASED ON THE STEPS
EXPLAINED BELOW
1
We slowly heat the milk
given by the sheep until it reaches 30 ºC.
2
The rennet collected from our lambs
is added, along with a little salt.
3
We cut the gel that forms when the milk
coagulates by stirring it with the lyre.
4
The cheese curd remains at the bottom
and we expel the water by pressing it.
5
After removing all the water, the cheese
curd is cut into pieces.
6
These pieces of curd are put into molds
and the registry mark is placed on them.
7
After pressing, we put the cheeses in brine
(a salt and water bath).
8
They will stay in the curing chamber for 4/8 months,
at a temperature of 10ºC and 90% humidity.
9
We smoke some of these cheeses using
hawthorn wood.
Visits
IF YOU WANT TO EXPERIENCE AN AUTHENTIC TIME
WITH FAMILY OR FRIENDS, COME TO ONDARRE!
DO YOU WANT TO BECOME A SHEPHERD FOR A MOMENT?
