
FEDAC, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
About Queso de Flor de Guía
Queso de Flor de Guía is a full-fat or half-fat cheese from Spain, specifically produced in Gáldar, Moya, and Santa María de Guía in Gran Canaria. It is made primarily from Canary Island sheep’s milk, with up to 40% Canary Island cattle milk and up to 10% Canary Island goat milk. The milk is curdled exclusively using vegetable rennet derived from the dried flower heads of Cynara cardunculus var. ferocissima and Cynara scolymus. The cheese has a cylindrical shape and varies in size from 0.5 to 5 kg. Its texture is dense, compact, and pasty, with a very soft and creamy interior when semi-mature and a harder body when fully matured. The flavor is highly aromatic, acidic, and bitter, with mild burning and astringent sensations. It matures for at least 15 days for semi-mature cheese and over 60 days for mature cheese.
Key Facts
Country of Origin | Spain |
Specific Origin | Gáldar, Moya, and Santa María de Guía, Gran Canaria |
Protection | PDO (2007) |
Milk Type | Sheep (Canary Island breed), with up to 40% cow and 10% goat milk |
Fat Content | 29.50% (in dry matter) |
Rind | Soft and elastic when young, dark brown and harder when mature |
Texture | Dense, compact, pasty |
Flavor | Aromatic, acidic, and bitter |
Aroma | Medium intensity, with lactic and vegetal notes |
Colors | Ivory-white (young) to yellow-brown (mature) |
Forms | Cylindrical wheels (0.5 to 5 kg) |
Age | 15+ days (semi-mature), 60+ days (mature) |
Rennet Type | Vegetable (Cynara cardunculus var. ferocissima, Cynara scolymus) |