Idiazabal Etxegarai is a smoked raw sheep's milk cheese aged 6 months. The name Etxegarai refers to the old farmhouses located high up in the mountains of the Basque country. Shepherds used to store cheese near their nighttime fires, giving the wheels their characteristic smoky flavor.
The name Larrun Gazta on th e wheel refers to a mountain in the Pyrenees on the border of Spain and France (Larrun), and gazta means cheese in the Basque language. This Idiazabal Etxegarai is smoked over hawthorne and cherry woods, but without added preservatives or flavors.
It is very similar in style to Idiazabal but is not regulated by the D.O.P. Often the milk is a mix of that of the Latxa and Assaf sheep. It is lightly sharp and fruity with a pronounced sheepy flavor and mild aromas of smoke. This versatile cheese can be used on pastas, salads, sandwiches and other preparations.
Ingredients:unpasteurized sheep's milk, rennet, salt, enzymes.