Quesu Asturianu*

Villanueva, Asturias with Horreos

For years travel writers and tourists have mostly ignored the verdant northern Spanish province of Asturias, and since I would like for it to remain my own private paradise, I don’t mind. What do you think about when you think of Spain? Dry, rustic hills dotted with white villas? Sunny beaches full of people? Well, yes, but that’s southern Spain. Northern Spain is another story. Mountains, craggy coasts, green meadows, cows, sheep and lots of fog and rain. It’s gorgeous. And it’s mine.

How could I not love a region where every village has a roxu? And no, roxu does not mean idiot. haha. Roxu is a redhead. I think because of the Celtic invaders it is not strange to find redheads, like it is elsewhere in Spain.

Meadow in mountain village of Pedroveya, Asturias

When we were in Puerto Banus and Fuengirola last August, I spotted guiris around every corner, a guiri being Spain’s version of the gringo. Southern Spain is full of guiris. In Asturias, however, I am the guiri. And I like it that way. (I might be exaggerating a wee bit. A few years ago I think I might have spotted another guiri, living it up as though he were the only one, but I can’t be sure. The guiris in the north tend to blend, blend, blend.)

Even though I want Asturias to remain unspoilt, it has in fact been discovered by tourists long ago. And it really is a jewel. I’ve posted about it before, here, here, here and here. I’m posting about it today because I am feeling a little homesick after reading a travel article in the NYTimes about Asturias’ cheese. It is not the best article I have ever read on the subject, the author gave very little time to the wonderful world of cheese that is Asturias. She seemed dismissive of it, in fact, jaunting over to the Basque Country to inspect their sheep cheese without a second thought. Traitor.

Pedroveya, Asturias – home to Casa Generosa and fabulous Asturian food!

Many European countries produce good cheese. Europe is a cheese lover’s delight. And I am indeed a cheese lover. I sometimes wonder if that is why I have difficulties relating to the Chinese. They are newcomers to the world of cheese, and I don’t think they are really fans. For me, however, Asturias cheese beats the high falutin’ French and Italian varieties hands down. There is a real earthiness to Asturias cheese that I love. There is no pretension, like most things about life in Asturias. My favorite varieties are Cabrales, La Peral, and Afuega’l Pitu (the red variety, with paprika). My mouth is watering.

*Asturias has it’s own local dialect. I can’t really speak it, but I find that if you end everything in “u” instead of “o” you can produce a reasonable likeness.

**Because I love the subject of Spain so much, I am still planning on posting about my August trip there. In December. We’ll just time warp or something.