Palmero cheese facts for kids

Palmero cheese (pronounced pal-MEH-roh) is a special kind of cheese. It comes from the beautiful island of La Palma in the Canary Islands, Spain. This cheese is made from fresh, unpasteurised milk from goats. These goats roam freely, eating wild plants all year long. Palmero cheese can be plain or lightly smoked. It has a special protection called a Denomination of Origin. This means it must be made in a certain way and place to be called Palmero cheese. You'll find it shaped like a cylinder, and some can weigh up to 15 kilograms (about 33 pounds)!

How Palmero Cheese is Made

Making Palmero cheese is a careful process.

From Milk to Curd

First, fresh goat's milk is collected right after milking. It's kept warm, between 27 to 33 degrees Celsius (80-91°F). Natural rennet, which comes from young goat kids, is added to the milk. This makes the milk thicken, a process called coagulation. This usually takes about 45 minutes.

Once the milk has thickened, it forms a soft mass called curd. The cheesemakers then cut this curd into very small pieces. This helps the liquid part, called whey, drain away easily.

Shaping and Salting

Next, the curd is placed into special molds. It's then pressed to remove even more whey. After pressing, the cheeses are left to drain further. Finally, the outside of each cheese is rubbed with dry sea salt. This salt is collected right there on La Palma island.

Smoking and Aging

Some Palmero cheese is sold fresh, but much of it is smoked. The smoking uses local materials like almond shells, dried cactus, or Canarian pine wood. This gives the cheese a unique smoky flavor.

After smoking, the cheeses are left to mature. They might age in cool, natural caves or in special air-conditioned rooms. The cheeses sit on plastic mesh, which leaves a cool pattern on their rind (the outer skin). Cheesemakers regularly turn the cheeses. They also rub the rinds with olive oil or gofio (a type of flour) to protect them.

What Palmero Cheese Tastes Like

Palmero cheese has a clean and fresh taste. You can really taste the goat's milk. It has a little bit of tanginess and a slight saltiness. If the cheese is smoked, it will have a very gentle smoky flavor too.

How Palmero Cheese Feels

The texture of Palmero cheese changes with age.

Fresh Cheese Texture

When the cheese is fresh, it feels soft and looks shiny white. It's very smooth.

Mature Cheese Texture

As the cheese gets older, it becomes firmer. But it still feels a bit springy or elastic. Its color changes from ivory-white to a pale cream. When you cut it, the slice is clean and smooth. You might see tiny holes spread evenly throughout the cheese.

The Rind of Palmero Cheese

The rind is the outer skin of the cheese.

Fresh Rind

On fresh Palmero cheese, the rind is very thin.

Mature Rind

On older, mature cheese, the rind is medium thick. You'll often see a cool grid pattern of small squares on the flat sides of the cheese. The color of the rind can vary. It might be a pale beige-cream, or even a light to medium brown. This depends on how old the cheese is and if it was smoked.

How to Enjoy Palmero Cheese

Palmero cheese is delicious in simple ways. You can eat it thinly sliced, just as it is. Or, you can grill it! Grilled Palmero cheese is often served with a local sauce called mojo.

See also

In Spanish: Queso palmero para niños