Love Cheese? Learn to Make Your Own Cheese in Basque Country, Spain!

Become a shepherd for a day! Milk sheep, make cheese and learn about traditional life in the foothills of the Pyrenees Mountains.

The Basque Country in northeast Spain is a special place.  As the oldest surviving ethnic group in Europe, the Basque people are fiercely proud of their culture.  Their traditions come alive with their food, whether indulging in fine cuisine at one of their many Michelin-starred restaurants or enjoying pintxos at the local bar.

The Basque region is renowned for its Idiazábal cheese made from rich, unpasteurized sheep's milk.  It is similar to the popular Manchego but is typically made from the milk of alpine Latxa sheep, whose milk is rich and buttery.  It also tends to be lightly smoked, in a nod to its history of drying in the farmers’ chimneys.  Idiazábal is so special that it protected by the Spanish Denominación de Origen (DOP) and European Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) regulations, stipulating how it should be produced. 

The Basque cheesemaking tradition is possibly the most ancient, with some evidence of cheesemaking dating back thousands of years.  Get a glimpse into this tradition by visiting a sheep farm, sharing the daily chores of a shepherd and learning to make your own cheese.

Begin your adventure by strolling through the lush pasture set at the foothills of the Western Pyrenees mountains. The Border Collie sheepdog will escort you, no doubt proud of the important role he plays on the farm.  Head to the country house, where you will get a chance to milk the sheep and, if it is the right time of year,  you can help shear them.  If you happen to visit in November, you can even feed a new born lamb with a bottle.

Step back in time as the farmer describes life on the farm and the traditions that have been upheld for generations.  Then find a spot at a table and roll up your sleeves - it’s time to make cheese!  This is not merely a demonstration - the cheesemaker will lead you through all the steps of the process, starting with heating fresh sheep's milk.  You will add the rennet obtained from the stomach of a baby lamb to solidify the milk. (You will also get to see an actual lamb’s stomach).  It is an interesting process to take part of, made all the more extraordinary in this setting.

After pouring your cheese mixture in a mold, take a walk to the sheep's pen where you can get up close and personal. Pet them and hand-feed them treats - they will love you forever! The sheep are super friendly, albeit a bit smelly :). You will notice that they are marked with paint so the shepherd can keep track of his flock when they wander about in the hills above the farm.

The bustling crowd of sheep make their way to their feeding area where, one by one, they march up a ramp and head into a stall for feeding.  These are well-trained sheep!  You may even find one of the resident goats making an appearance.

Now it's time for the ultimate farm-to-table experience: sampling your fresh, soft cheese.  Cap off your experience with a tasting of house-made Idiazábal paired with the slightly effervescent local white wine, Txakolina. 

Walking in the shoes of a shepherd for a day is an unforgettable experience.  Visiting with the family, making cheese first-hand and hanging out with the sheep truly brings the tradition of the Basque Country alive. 

If you are interested in immersive cultural experiences like this one, give us a call! We plan custom travel and culinary cruises around the globe for people who love food and wine. Send us a note today. Cheers!