The National Cheese Fair yesterday welcomed thousands of people again, after experiencing a packed house on Sunday. One more day, visitors coming from different points enjoyed some of the more than 500 cheese brands that are in the contest. Proof of this great attendance is that many cheesemakers, already looking tired, did not stop preparing tastings for the attendees. This large influx was noticeable, especially at midday.
The highlight of the day arrived on time. At 5:00 p.m., according to the scheduled time, the always-awaited prizes of the tasting competition were awarded, held in the morning at the Merced church. Around 70 pieces were presented, divided into different categories. In the end, the awards went to four companies from Extremadura and one from Cádiz. Some of them are common in this type of awards.
In the soft sheep category, the winning cheese was ‘Virgen del Prado’, from Quesería doña Francisca, from Casar de Cáceres. “This means that the cheese maintains a very high level, with nuances and high demands,” recalls one of its managers, Diego Lindo. In hard-paste sheep, the award went to ‘Oveja Emborrado’, from Quesos El Bosqueño, from Cádiz. “Coming from Cádiz and taking first prizes is an honor,” according to one of its workers, David Benítez.
In the hard-paste goat category, the award went to ‘Morán Piris Cured Goat’, from the Morán Piris entity, from Badajoz. Its manager, Elena Morán, highlights that this award is “a recognition of the quality we give to our product, made in an artisanal way.”
In the soft goat pasta category it went to Queso ‘Sudao’ El Fenómeno, from ‘Ibéricos y Lácteos Salpico (Iberlacsa), from Plasencia. “It is the satisfaction of effort and perseverance,” remarked one of its managers Puri Salpico.
Furthermore, in this edition an innovation award was given again, aimed at those cheeses that are not traditional, but that are increasingly more accepted. Other products are usually incorporated. In this case, that award went to ‘Francisco Goat Cheese Cream with Black Garlic’, by Francisco Morán and Sons, from Carbajo.
The Trujillo fair ends this afternoon at 4:00 p.m.