A restaurant in Oviedo, Spain, Llagar de Colloto, has set a record by purchasing a piece of Cabrales cheese for an unprecedented 30,000 euros ($32,800), making it the world’s priciest cheese. The purchase occurred at the annual cheese auction in Las Arenas de Cabrales during the last week of August.
Produced by the Los Puertos cheese factory, this distinguished 2.2-kilogram cheese, a blend of cow and goat milk, matured for ten months in the Picos de Europa mountains at a height of 1,500 meters. It stood out among entries from fifteen other cheese producers in a contest where it was deemed the finest by an expert jury, thereby becoming the highlight of the auction. The cheese maker, Guillermo Pendás Bada, expressed humble surprise at winning, acknowledging the competition’s high difficulty level.
Llagar de Colloto is no stranger to securing the title, having won in previous years with significant bids. The Cabrales cheese, known for its artisanal production process and distinctive blue-green mould patterns, has increased demand in Spain and globally, with notable sales recorded in the European Union last year. This latest acquisition not only sets a new benchmark for the value of Cabrales cheese but also showcases the sustained appeal of handcrafted, exceptional food items.