The cheese dairies of Onís have set out to bring us a little closer to their star product. And they do so in the best way possible, explaining to us on-site the excellence of the milk and raw materials used, emphasizing traditional processes and all the factors that influence its production and aging.
These may be some of the secrets of a genuine cheese like this: the use of natural rennet, the fact that it is drained and salted by hand, that it is smoked with wood from native forests, that it is matured in ancient caves… For a while, we felt like cheesemakers , shepherds at the same time, as the explanations revealed to us how hard (and rewarding) the daily work was in the mountain pastures and sheepfolds. A way of life that the cheese carries within it and that is impossible not to appreciate in its intense flavor.
Once the visit is over, we'll be able to distinguish its main gastronomic virtues, discern its varied nuances, understand the reasons behind its different textures and colors, discern its aromas, and describe the taste and aftertaste of this dairy product, which, not by chance, has become one of the most essential cheeses in Spain. Taking home a good cheese or a wedge will be the perfect ending to our brief foray into the cheese dairies of Onís.
· Vega de Ario Cheese Factory ·
The tour of this family-run business includes its current cheese-making facilities as well as a replica of a traditional mountain hut . A well-documented guided tour will show you the entire production process, from receiving the raw milk to the cheese being labeled and ready for sale.
In the cabin we are told in detail and photographic documentation, how the cheese was originally made in the flocks of the Picos de Europa, the techniques, the utensils and everything that has to do with the history of this product.
To finish off this rewarding activity, there is a small, well-explained and oriented tasting of Gamonéu.
Telephone: 985 844 218 – 677 377 309
Vega de Ario Cheese Factory
San Roque neighborhood s/n. Benia de Onís · 677 37 73 09
queseriavegadeario@hotmail.com
Rates: Adults: €5 / Children from 6 to 12 years old: €3 / Children under 6 years old: free.
The activity includes: 1-hour visit to the current cheese factory and the replica of a traditional cabin.
Guided tasting and optional purchase of cheese.
Hours: Mornings from 11.00:12 a.m. to 13.00:14.00 p.m. and from 17.00:18.00 p.m. to 19.00:20.00 p.m. / Afternoons from XNUMX:XNUMX p.m. to XNUMX:XNUMX p.m. and from XNUMX:XNUMX p.m. to XNUMX:XNUMX p.m.
July to September and Easter: every day
Visit especially recommended for families with children.
· Demués Cheese ·
From farm to table. The visit to these facilities begins with the milking itself and ends with the sale of the cheese in the shop. In the livestock barn adjacent to the cheese factory, you can have a unique experience, especially for children, who can see firsthand the raising of animals and the handling of the local livestock . This livestock lives in semi-freedom in a protected natural area and receives meticulous care.
In about 40 minutes that the visit lasts, we will get to know the entire work environment, the ins and outs of making it, and we will end with a tasting of the highly appreciated Demués cheeses.
Subida Demués, Onís · 637 31 40 49 (Maribel Padilla) · 600 41 99 53 (Alberto Álvarez) · 985 97 50 97 (Cheese Factory)
Official website of La Quesería de Demués
Contact La Quesería de Demués by email
Rates: Adults €5 / Children up to 6 years: free / Pensioners with a discount
Schedule: June to September
Mornings from 9am to 14pm / Afternoons from 16pm to 20pm
Holy Week: 8 a.m. to 13:30 p.m. / 16 p.m. to 19 p.m.
Visit especially recommended for families with children.
Text: © Ramón Molleda for asturias.com
