🧀 Queso de Flor de Guía
Also known as: Queso de Media Flor de Guía, Queso de Guía, Flor de Guía cheese
Queso de Flor de Guía is a Spanish PDO cheese from north-west Gran Canaria, made mainly from Canary Island sheep's milk; one of its three types is curdled only with cardoon flower rennet.
Queso de Flor de Guía is a Spanish cheese with a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) from the north-west of Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands, made mainly from Canary Island sheep's milk. The protected name covers three full-fat or half-fat cheeses: Queso de Flor de Guía, Queso de Media Flor de Guía and Queso de Guía.
Milk. Canary Island sheep's milk must make up at least 60% of the total; milk from Canary Island cattle and crossbreeds may be at most 40% and milk from Canary Islands goat breeds at most 10%.
Coagulation. Flor de Guía is curdled only with vegetable rennet from dried cardoon flower heads (Cynara cardunculus var. ferocissima and Cynara scolymus). Media Flor de Guía uses at least 50% vegetable rennet. Queso de Guía is curdled with animal and/or vegetable rennet and/or other authorised starter cultures.
Ripening. The specification classes the cheeses as semi-mature (15 to 60 days) or mature (more than 60 days).
Appearance. Cylindrical, 15–30 cm in diameter and 0.5–5 kg; height 4–6 cm for Flor de Guía and 4–8 cm for the other two. Young Flor de Guía has a thin, soft, ivory-white rind and a very soft, creamy paste with an acidic, bitter flavour; mature cheese has a hard dark-brown rind and a hard yellow-brown paste. Minimum fat in dry matter is 29.5% for Flor de Guía and 27.5% for the other two.
Production. The protected cheese is made from January to July, when the sheep graze inside the protected area; in the dry period the flocks move by transhumance to other pasture. Cheese made from raw milk of the producer's own animals may be labelled "artesano".
Area. Milk production, making and ripening all take place in the municipalities of Gáldar, Moya and Santa María de Guía on Gran Canaria.
Facts
| Raw material | Canarian sheep's milk (≥ 60%), cow's (≤ 40%), goat's (≤ 10%) 2 |
|---|---|
| Country | Spain |
| Region | Gran Canaria: Gáldar, Moya, Santa María de Guía |
| Duration | Semi-mature 15–60 days, mature over 60 days 2 |
| Legal basis | EU PDO, PDO-ES-0605; Reg. (EU) 783/2010 3 |
How it connects to Cheese
🧀 Queso de Flor de Guía → kind of → 🧀 Semi-hard cheeses → kind of → 🧀 Cheese
Links
- Made from which milk
- 🥛 Sheep's milk, 🥛 Cow's milk, 🥛 Goat's milk
- Part of
- 🧀 Semi-hard cheeses, 🏷️ Protected cheese names, 🇪🇸 Spanish cheeses
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Flor, Media Flor and Guía?
The coagulant: Flor uses only cardoon flower rennet, Media Flor at least 50% vegetable rennet, Guía animal or vegetable rennet.
How long is Queso de Flor de Guía ripened?
Semi-mature cheese 15–60 days, mature cheese more than 60 days.
Is it true that «flor» means a cheese with a bloomy mould rind?
No. «Flor» refers to cardoon flowers, the source of the vegetable rennet used to curdle the milk.
What to read next
- 🥛 Cow's milk — The most widespread milk in the world: versatile, inexpensive and the basis of almost all dairy products.
- 🥛 Goat's milk — Close to cow's milk in its main values; smaller fat globules and a characteristic “goaty” taste.
Similar
🧀 Queso Los Beyos · 🧀 Quesucos de Liébana · 🧀 Mahón-Menorca · 🧀 Queso Ibores · 🧀 Queso de l'Alt Urgell y la Cerdanya · 🧀 Queso de Acehúche
ℹ️ Dairy products contain lactose and milk proteins: if you are lactose intolerant or allergic to milk protein, ask a doctor.
Sources
- eAmbrosia — Queso de Flor de Guía / Queso de Media Flor de Guía / Queso de Guía (PDO-ES-0605)
- Single document — OJ C 315/18, 23.12.2009 (Queso de Flor de Guía / Media Flor de Guía / Guía)
- Commission Regulation (EU) No 783/2010 — Queso de Flor de Guía / Queso de Media Flor de Guía / Queso de Guía (PDO)