Spanish Women Preserve World's Most Expensive Cheese Tradition

The Art of Cabrales Cheese Making

• 🧀 Cabrales, a pungent blue cheese protected by an EU designation of origin, is traditionally crafted by hand in northern Spain.
• ⛰️ The cheese matures for months in damp, natural limestone caves, absorbing a unique microflora that gives it a sharp, tangy flavor.

A Generational Craft Facing Decline

• 👩‍🦳 For generations, women like Encarnación Bada have been central to this tradition, carrying the cheese from barn to cave.
• 📉 The craft faces an uncertain future, with fewer than 20 certified cheese makers remaining and many younger individuals leaving for other work.
• 😥 Bada expresses doubt that anyone will take over the tradition when she retires, highlighting the challenge of succession.

Preserving Culture and Tradition

• 🤝 Encarnación Bada's daughter-in-law, Eva Gutierrez, continues the arduous climb to tend the cheese, viewing it as a way of preserving culture.
• 🙏 Gutierrez hopes her son will also continue the tradition, emphasizing the importance of passing down knowledge from grandparents and parents.

Record-Breaking Value

• 🏆 Last year, one wheel of Bada's Cabrales cheese fetched €30,000 at auction, earning a Guinness World Record for the most expensive cheese ever sold.
• ⚖️ While winning the prize feels good, Bada acknowledges the pressure to ensure there is enough cheese to meet demand.