Queso San Simón da Costa cheese

Queso San Simón da Costa cheese. Image Copyright: Miguel Vila .

About San Simón da Costa

San Simón da Costa is a cheese made from either pasteurised or unpasteurised cows' milk. It is produced in Galicia, specifically in the Terra Chá district of the province of Lugo.

The origins of the cheese are attributed to the Celtic peoples who populated the mountains of the Sierras de Carba and Gistral. During the Middle Ages, the cheese was used as payment for tithes.

It is made from the milk of the Galician Rubia breed, brown Alpine Friesian and a cross of both. Animal rennet or other authorized coagulants are used. After curdling, the curds are cut into pieces 5-12 mm in diameter. The cheese is then moulded and pressed for a minimum of 3 hours and is salted with brine. It then matures for a minimum of 45 days for the larger cheeses and 30 days for the small or "dunce’s cap" cheeses and during that time they are turned over and cleaned. The cheese is then smoked with birch wood.

The shape of the cheese is that of a pear, topped with a nipple at its apex. The rind is smooth, hard, waxy-looking, shiny and brown, is between 1 and 3 millimetres thick. The interior is slightly firm and the texture is creamy. It has small irregular holes. The colour varies according to their degree of maturation from white to yellow. The flavour is mild, with hints of spice, very little fat or salt, and has an aroma of birch.

It is sold in two formats:

The large, with a minimum maturity of 45 days, and height between 13 cm and 18 cm and weighing between 800 g and 1.5 kg

The small or "dunce’s cap", with a minimum maturity of 30 days, height between 10 cm and 13 cm and weighing between 400 g and 800g.

The cheese can now be ordered online from The Tapas Lunch Company.

Más información sobre el Queso San Simón da Costa en: Queseros y Quesos de España (en castellano)

More information about Queso San Simón da Costa at Queseros y Quesos de España (in Spanish)