Serrat Cheese

Serrat is one of the oldest cheeses in Spain, traditionally produced since the 10th century in the Pyrenees, in the Catalan comarca Valle de Aràn. It has always played a secondary role in the shepherd subsistence economy; the shepherds made the cheese mainly to keep milk and so it was intended for family consumption or sold in local markets.

It was usually made in spring in small quantities, from unpasteurised, very fatty milk from the Aranese sheep or the Xisqueta di Lleida.
It is a very fatty cheese, shaped into small cylindrical moulds around 1-2 kg, with floral and geometric patterns; its rind is brownish in colour. The paste is dense and white, its flavour is intense and buttery. It is aged for a minimum of two months and a maximum of two years.

Its name comes from the fact that its mass is “serrada” (“cerrada” in Castilian), meaning closed, compact, consistent and without eyes.
It pairs well with dried fruit and is eaten in salads. It can be sliced thinly to make vegetable and red meat gratins. Best is eaten alone, cut into small squares and eaten with aged red wine.