Cabrales Cheese vs Queso de Guía

Cabrales Cheese is a unctuous, compact, no eyes cow-milk cheese from Spain, while Queso de Guía is dense, compact, sometimes creamy and made from cow, goat, and sheep milk.

What Is Cabrales Cheese?

Cabrales is a blue cheese made by rural dairy farmers in the Asturias mountains of Spain, from raw cow's milk alone or blended with goat and sheep milk. It is known for its strong, sometimes sharply acidic flavor and for ripening in limestone caves.

What Is Queso de Guía?

Queso de Guía is a Spanish cheese from Gran Canaria, made mostly from sheep's milk with some cow and goat milk added. It carries a protected designation of origin granted in 2006 and is sold either soft and creamy or hard and sharp.

What's the Difference Between Cabrales Cheese and Queso de Guía?

• Milk type: Cabrales Cheese (cow's milk), Queso de Guía (Sheep (Canary Island breed), with up to 40% cow and 10% goat milk)
• Milk treatment: Cabrales Cheese (unpasteurized), Queso de Guía (raw, for the artesano designation)
• Texture: Cabrales Cheese (unctuous, compact, no eyes), Queso de Guía (Dense, compact, sometimes creamy)
• Rind: Cabrales Cheese (Natural), Queso de Guía (Ivory when young, thick and dark brown when mature)
• Aging: Cabrales Cheese (2 to 3 months), Queso de Guía (15+ days (semi-mature), 60+ days (mature))
• Taste: Cabrales Cheese (Intense, piquant), Queso de Guía (Salty and acidic, with occasional bitterness and sharpness)

Side-by-Side Comparison

Taste Comparison: Does Cabrales Cheese Taste Like Queso de Guía?

Cabrales Cheese reads as intense, piquant, while Queso de Guía brings salty and acidic, with occasional bitterness and sharpness character. On the nose, Cabrales Cheese offers strong, contrasted with Queso de Guía's medium intensity, mainly lactic. More specifically, Cabrales Cheese shows hints of hazelnuts, dark cocoa, sharp, metallic finish; intensely acid curd, while Queso de Guía leans toward predominantly lactic, with animal notes. Aging plays into this as well. Cabrales Cheese at 2 to 3 months develops a different profile than Queso de Guía at 15+ days (semi-mature), 60+ days (mature).

Can You Substitute Cabrales Cheese for Queso de Guía?

Cabrales Cheese can stand in for Queso de Guía in many dishes, but the switch will shift the overall character of the recipe. Expect unctuous, compact, no eyes bite and body where the recipe calls for dense, compact, sometimes creamy. Flavor-wise, Cabrales Cheese reads as intense, piquant while Queso de Guía brings salty and acidic, with occasional bitterness and sharpness notes.

Which Is Better, Cabrales Cheese or Queso de Guía?

There's no single winner. It depends on your recipe and the profile you want. If you want a unctuous, compact, no eyes cheese, go with Cabrales Cheese. For a dense, compact, sometimes creamy profile, Queso de Guía is the better fit. Flavor-wise, Cabrales Cheese suits recipes that want intense, piquant notes, while Queso de Guía fits dishes calling for salty and acidic, with occasional bitterness and sharpness.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Cabrales Cheese the same as Queso de Guía?

No, they're distinct cheeses. Cabrales Cheese is made from cow milk; Queso de Guía uses cow, goat, and sheep. Aging also differs: Cabrales Cheese is typically aged 2 to 3 months, Queso de Guía 15+ days (semi-mature), 60+ days (mature).

Is Cabrales Cheese similar to Queso de Guía?

Not closely. They use different milk bases and have distinct profiles.

Can I substitute Cabrales Cheese for Queso de Guía?

You can, but expect a shift in richness and milk character.

Does Cabrales Cheese taste like Queso de Guía?

Cabrales Cheese reads as intense, piquant, while Queso de Guía is salty and acidic, with occasional bitterness and sharpness. Aromas also diverge. Cabrales Cheese leans strong, and Queso de Guía is closer to medium intensity, mainly lactic.

What is Cabrales Cheese made of?

Cabrales Cheese is made from cow milk (unpasteurized), using kid rennet. It's typically aged 2 to 3 months. It originates in Spain.

What is Queso de Guía made of?

Queso de Guía is made from cow, goat, and sheep milk (raw, for the artesano designation), using animal rennet and/or vegetable rennet (cynara cardunculus var. ferocissima, cynara scolymus) and/or starter cultures rennet. It's typically aged 15+ days (semi-mature), 60+ days (mature).

Which should I choose, Cabrales Cheese or Queso de Guía?

It depends on the dish. The texture difference is the biggest practical tell. Cabrales Cheese is unctuous, compact, no eyes, while Queso de Guía is dense, compact, sometimes creamy.