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awards island wins gold cheese

Island cheese wins "Super Gold" in World Cheese Awards
#1
Majorero PDO, a semicured goat's cheese flavoured with paprika, has won a coveted "Super Gold" award in the 2018 World Cheese Awards.  The cheese is produced in Fuerteventura by Grupo Ganaderos de Fuerteventura.

The World Cheese Awards has been bringing together cheesemakers, retailers, buyers, consumers and food commentators worldwide for over three decades.  This year, the contest was held in Bergen, Norway, where around 3500 cheeses from all over the world competed for the prestigious awards.  The "Super Gold" category is the highest, and the Majorero PDO was one of only 16 "Super Gold" cheeses which qualified for the final. 

We'll be looking out for it on our next visit!

There's an interesting video of the World Cheese Awards judging process at 
https://video.silverstream.tv/view/K8LhrrL1

[Image: majorero-pdo-maxorata.jpg]
7 users say Thank You to bedouin for this post
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#2
Certainly on our next shopping list  Smile
John T - Dreaming of A Hole In One  Smile
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#3
We'll gonna have to try it too, thanks for the info Bedouin. Thumbs Up
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#4
Although the cheese is good I'm not the biggest fan of goat cheese. But I came across this article at Diario de Fuerteventura where they mentioned that the cheese is exported to five continents. Not bad for such a tiny island.

Translated:


Quote:Fuerteventura has one of the most important cheese industries in Spain: the Sociedad Ganaderos de Fuerteventura, known as Maxorata, which has become a flagship company in the Canary Islands in the development of the island's flagship product, the Majorero cheese.
Recognized as the first goat cheese of all the Spanish geography to obtain the Denomination of Origin, the majorero cheese is since pre-Hispanic times one of the most valued foods of the Canarian gastronomy. Its prestige is endorsed by the quality of the raw material used, the native goat's milk of Fuerteventura, and the care in its preparation, respectful of the craft tradition.
This island industry produces about 1,800 tons of cheese per year with some 50 farmers who provide their raw material, and exports their dairy to five continents. An outstanding product that has recently achieved its greatest international recognition, by becoming the best goat cheese in the world in the latest edition of the World Champions Cheese.
The Grupo Ganaderos de Fuerteventura also boasts that its flagship product has obtained the Gold Medal in the Official Quesos Agrocanarias Contest 2018 and the Gold Medal in the Gourmet Salon 2018. An impressive trajectory that began to be forged in 2012, when Maxorata won the prize for best goat cheese at the same event that now praises its nutritional qualities.
The Ganaderos Group of Fuerteventura has been working for 33 years with the same master cheese maker, Marcos Martín, who remembers his beginnings in 1985, "when the cheese was still made by hand" and with the rag. "The change in production has been spectacular, especially with the introduction of a lot of machinery. Everything has been modernized and a lot of quality has been achieved ", explains the master cheese maker.
Born in La Caldereta (La Oliva), Marcos grew up among goats in Lajares, as he belongs to a family of farmers and ranchers. He recalls his beginnings in the factory, when the moulds were filled by hand, but now he has been technified "and he works more comfortably". It has incorporated a large amount of technology and precision throughout the process of making the cheese, which has forced him to learn and learn new things every day, he says.
From the beginning of the group speaks its founder, Alfredo Alberto Hernández, upon receiving the recognition as Best Family Company of the Canary Islands in 2017. The Denomination of Origin constitutes the certification at European level for the recognition of a product of a superior quality for its raw material or its unique elaboration. "At first we only had two farmers, now we are over 50, and a handshake was enough to seal a word agreement," recalls businessman Alfredo Alberto, who expresses his pride in being the captain of "an excellent team" .
[Image: 230119-maxorata660.jpg?itok=e3Y9nY2A]
A leading laboratory
The company has its own laboratory and state-of-the-art technology for the analysis and transformation of milk, as well as highly qualified personnel and technical supervisors. The director of the laboratory, Ana Madero, highlights the investment in R + D + i to adapt to the needs of the market.
"The milk controls are very important for us, and every day we carry out the analysis and monitoring of the milk of each breeder; a machine for raw milk shows the amount of fat and protein, something essential to have more kilos of cheese per litre and is paid to the owner, "explains the technician.
Then the milk is loaded into the tanks and new tests are taken. "We have one of the best equipped and most modern laboratories in the country, with high quality microbiological and physical-chemical equipment".
The technician explains that "this year the laboratory has incorporated a machine, of which there are only two in Spain, which gives the immediate bacteriological result". "Before you had to wait a day, to immediately control the freshness of the milk, if the milking has been hygienic, if you keep the machines and tanks in good condition, if the cattle have any infection in their udders, or any point of contamination to remove that raw material from the process ", explains Madero.
In the brain of the industry, all the properties of raw milk and possible bacteria such as salmonella or diphtheria are evaluated. They also analyse each batch of fresh cheese they make, and surface and environmental controls are made to verify that it is made hygienically. "The milk goes through a sanitizer to continue with the controls, it cools down and then it goes to the silos," insists the laboratory director.
"We have a new line to take advantage of all the serum we generate, 80 percent skim it, extract the fat for other dairy products and then concentrate the whey protein to obtain animal feed and the rest is used to irrigate," he says.
[Image: 230119-maxorata660-6.jpg?itok=v_GPtMzS]
Elaboration process
Madero summarizes the natural process of making dairy products, since once in the vats, the pasteurized milk is added calcium chloride, rennet, and tender ferments, except in the fresh ones, which do not carry ferment. It is left to act and the curd gel is obtained, "we cut, beat and mould the cheeses automatically".
In the machinery the curd goes to the mould and the lids are added. "We no longer use cloths but micro-perforated moulds to favour the elimination of serum". The moulds are removed and the cheese paste passes on the mechanical tapes to the brine, water and sea salt pans; the moulds go to the washing machine and the cheeses are exposed to a thermal shock to form the cheese's crust, "all under the supervision of the workers, mostly women, who then manually remove the cheeses from the water, and deposit them in boxes for drying, "says the technician.
"One important thing is that we do not normalize the milk, which varies in fat and protein throughout the year, and we adapt to the natural composition of the milk at the time of elaboration, and it is the master cheesemaker who gives it that touch in the vats for its texture, flavour and characteristics of our cheeses ", highlights the laboratory director.
"During his oreo, the cheeses remain at four degrees a day in chambers until obtaining the analytical results, and the next day it is packaged and goes out to distribute," he concludes. The factory houses a space for vacuum packaging and bagging to increase the shelf life of the cheese, and a room for traditional smoking with wood chips has also been designed, through an oven process and with an ecological material without resins , "And the cheeses are introduced in the oven for that natural smoked," he says.
Maxorata has created a room of cottage cheese, a food that is worked and obtained manually, and the industry has diversified its production production with cream cheese. The industry has two offices in the municipalities of Tuineje and Puerto del Rosario. Currently they have the brands Maxorata, El Tofio, El Pastor Isleño, Selectum and Prolasa yogurts.
From the export department, Nadia Martín informs that their products are exported to the five continents. The main markets abroad are in the United States and Europe, fundamentally. Lebanon, Japan, Jordan or Australia are some of the most exotic destinations in which this cheese is marketed.
"By 2019 we are going to launch ourselves to the market of Dubai and the countries of its area of influence", announces Martín. He also adds that the most sold references are those of Maxorata, and have "exclusive brands" for their American client.
1,500 units of a limited edition per year
[Image: 230119-maxorata660-4.jpg?itok=zpFPrHuR]
Maxorata has a limited edition production, around 1,500 units, which are produced once a year. It is made with the native milk from Majorera, goat's milk of very high quality, and in spring, a stage of the year in which the levels of fat and protein are high. "A selection of the best cheeses is made, which will remain maturing in our chambers, for a minimum of six months, under special care," they explain.
Throughout their maturation they are applied a coating based on extra virgin olive oil of the picual variety and sweet paprika. "The fruity oil and the paprika of the highest quality give it a special bouquet, which together with the sensory qualities of the goat milk from Majorera give rise to a product called special reserve, which is one of our best valued cheeses. ", They detail.
As for the exclusive cheeses for the foreign market, they make the brands: 'Goat al Gofio', a semi-cured goat cheese spread with gofio, 'Smoking Goat', smoked soft goat cheese, and 'Alisios', semi-cured cheese spread with paprika
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#5
I highly recommend the Maxorata.I am a real cheeseaholic!!!
4 users say Thank You to Emmi Smith for this post
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#6
There is a guy on Stamford (Lincolnshire) farmers' market who imports and sells Spanish produce.  He has Majorero reularly. 

BUT he charges over £30 a kilo.  Which about the same price as the rip-off shops at the airport in Fuerte

I get the semi-curado from the Queseria in Tindaya (thanks to Tamara) to bring home. About 10 Euros a kilo.  I cut a kilo into 8 pieces, vacuum pack and freeze.  It lasts until my next trip and tastes just as good frozen as fresh.

I can cause some raised eyebrows with security at the airport if it's wrapped in foil. Smile.
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#7
I love the local paprika cheese, I always bring home a few wedges for friends who then look for me to bring home more.
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#8
The Cortijo de Caideros cheese made in Gran Canaria under the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) Flor de Guía Cheese, Half Flor de Guía Cheese and Guía Cheese and El Tofio cheese "Goat cheese, smeared with paprika" from Fuerteventura have been raised with the distinction of Best Cheese of the Canary Islands 2020 ex aequo in the Official Cheese Competition of Agrocanarias when obtaining the same score by the tasting panel.

The Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Alicia Vanoostende, was together with Juan Manuel Plata, director of the Canary Institute of Agri-Food Quality (ICCA), responsible for announcing the jury's decision at the press conference held today, Wednesday 29 July, at the Headquarters of the Presidency of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

The distinction for Best Image and Presentation went to Quesería Rubicón in Lanzarote. The recognition of the boys and girls, the distinction of Children's Jury, has been for Quesos San Mateo SL "Mix cheese, smearing with paprika" in Gran Canaria. Queso era del Cardón "smeared with gofio" was made with the distinction of Best Popular Cheese of the Canary Islands, while the Quesería el Cortijo de las Hoyas was recognized as Best Cheese of Limited Production, both from Gran Canaria.

The PDO Palmero Cheese has obtained in this edition 6 medals, 4 gold and 2 silver. For its part, the DOP Majorero Cheese stands with 5 medals, 3 gold and 2 silver, while the DOP Flor de Guía Cheese, Half Flor de Guía Cheese and Guía Cheese takes 2 gold medals and one of the distinctions Best Cheese of the Canary Islands.

The regional head of Agriculture, Alicia Vanoostende, pointed out the importance of the Agrocanarias contest, which “values the cheeses of the islands”. On the other hand, he highlighted the "effort made by producers during the health crisis, with which the Ministry has worked in different lines of action" that will be reinforced with the "launch of new aid through the PDR to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 and by simplifying the procedures for requesting Posei 2020 aid for milk producers, among others ”.

For his part, the director of the ICCA Juan Manuel Plata thanked "the commitment of the workers in his department to take the contest forward." Plata explained "the importance of this sector in the Canary Islands, one of the communities where the most cheese per inhabitant is consumed, as well as the need to promote the rich and varied offer of this product on the islands."

This edition of the Official Contest of Agrocanarian Cheeses, organized by the Canary Institute of Agri-Food Quality attached to the Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, broke the participation record with almost 200 cheese samples presented from all the islands. A total of 58 cheese factories in the archipelago have participated in this nineteenth edition.

AWARDED CHEESES FROM FUERTEVENTURA

El Tofio Cheeses (Goat cheese, spread with paprika) Best Cheese of the Canary Islands 2020
Cheese "Maxorata" (Goat cheese, spread with paprika) Gold Medal 2020
Cheeses “La Pared” (Goat cheese, spread with paprika) Gold Medal and Grand Gold Medal 2020
Cheeses "La Pastorcita" (Raw sheep's milk cheese smeared with gofio) Gold Medal 2020
Cheeses "La Pastorcita" (Mix semi-cured raw milk cheese) Gold Medal 2020
Cheeses “La Ampuyenta, Silver Medal 2020
Cheeses "La Villa" (Goat cheese smeared with paprika) Silver Medal 2020
“Tetir” cheeses (goat cheese smeared with paprika) Silver Medal 2020

https://www.ondafuerteventura.es/el-tofi...-canarias/


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#9
That’s great news, you can’t beat them paprika coated cheeses. Always bring some home for me and my friends.
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#10
Forget the cheese, I am down to my last few grams of Fuerte salt.  Perfect for pork crackling. Was going to stock up in September, however not to be
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