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Last week, one of my friends from Spain brought back an interesting selection of cheeses from Guía, a city on the Canary Islands just southwest of the Moroccan coastline. I was struck by one of the cheeses in particular: Queso de Flor. The one I ate was dry yet had an intriguing pungent meaty sheep's milk flavor reminiscent of Torta del Casar. The cheese is handmade with sheep and cows' milk mixed with the juice of the thistle-like flowers that grow on the isalnds. Knowing about the flavor of cheeses, like Torta del Casar, I am tempted to say that the majority of the cheese's potent taste derives from these thistle flowers.
Like most artisanal cheeses, it's unusual to have absolute consistency. Production depends on multiple variables, namely the milking of the cows and sheep and the soil (the availability of thistle). The reason why the Queso de Flor that I tasted was dry is because of the season. The best time to try this cheese is during the spring when the cheese is luscious and creamy. In fact, every May, there is a cheese festival, the Fiesta del Queso, to celebrate the art of making this cheese.
Although this cheese is not available yet in the U.S., there are a variety of cheeses that are similar that come from Portugal and Spain. They have a creamy paste and a strong thistle-like taste. I highly recommend the Portuguese Azeitao or the Spanish Queso de la Serena. You can find them at Murray's in NY: $21.99 per pound for the Spanish one and $18.99 for a wheel of the Portuguese.
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