Garrotxa
Country of origin	Spain
Region, town	Garrotxa, Catalonia
Source of milk	Goats
Pasteurized	Yes
Texture	Semifirm
Aging time	1 to 2 months
Certification	None
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Garrotxa is a traditional Catalan goat cheese.^[1] Almost extinct by the early 1980s, it has been revived by a young cheesemakers and goat farmers' cooperative in the Garrotxa area of Catalonia.^[1][2] The revival began in 1981,^[3] and the cheese has since become widespread in artisanal production.^[4]

Garrotxa is traditionally made from the milk of Murciana goats and aged in caves to enhance mold development and the resulting flavor.^[1] Garrotxa is described as having a powdery gray or grayish-blue rind, a firm texture, an ivory-colored interior, and an earthy flavor.^[1][4] The cheese is semi-soft.^[4] Cheese wheels of Garrotxa are small (typically around three pounds) and mature relatively quickly in the humid Pyrenees.^[2] Maturing time varies, but is typically between four and eight weeks.^[2][3] The cheese is pasteurized.^[2][4][5]

Garrotxa pairs well with crusty country bread,^[1] pears,^[1] and nuts, such as toasted hazelnuts,^[1] or almonds or walnuts.^[3] It may be served as tapas or at the end of a meal.^[3] Garrotxa is sometimes described as a dessert cheese.^[6] The cheese is mildly acidic.^[7]

Wine pairing include white wines such as a Catalan Priorat,^[3] or Pinot Gris, Verdejo, or Chardonnay with "texture to complement the cheese's buttery sweetness," or fino or dry amontillado sherry, to bring out the cheese's nuttiness.^[2]

As of 2010^[update], some Catalans were seeking designation of origin status for Garrotxa.^[4]

In popular culture

Garrotxa was used to create a hole in a sail by firing it from a cannon, by Mythbusters (ep. 128), to declare "plausible" the apocryphal tale of Captain Coe and the Battle of the Cheese.

See also

• List of goat milk cheeses

References