Ibores Cheese, the Designation of Origin from Extremadura
Spain has a long tradition of cattle, goat and sheep farming. This important sector gave rise to the ‘cañadas reales’, routes used for transhumant grazing. The existence of the large dairy herd and the need to conserve milk throughout the year has led to the production of a multitude of varieties of cheese throughout Spain. One of the most emblematic products of the Extremadura region is Ibores cheese.
The Ibores Cheese Designation of Origin is made with raw goat’s milk from the Serrana, Verata and Retinta breeds in extensive or semi-extensive systems. These breeds are characterised by their hardiness and ability to adapt to the extreme conditions of the climate and terrain of the production area.
The origin of Ibores cheese in the production area is very old, the first reference dates back to 1465, when it was traded in the town of Trujillo every Thursday, a town which was granted the privilege of holding a free market by Henry IV of Castile. The town of Trujillo still conserves a street in honour of livestock farmers and cattle, “calle de los cabreros” (street of the goatherds), where they used to go to the market.
There is a wide variety of landscapes in the production area, from the high peaks to the Trujillo plains, and a whole range of ecosystems from cultivated fields to holm oak and cork oak forests typical of the Mediterranean flora. The shallow, low-fertility soils allow the development of good quality annual and perennial pastures of low abundance. The acudao climate has cold winters and very hot summers.
