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Raw goat's milk with ash coverage and A white brush, prepared by ara farm (Tenerife). Name the miner. It is the Best Cheese of the Canary Islands
The Miner of raw goat's milk covered with ash and A white brush, prepared by ara farm (Tenerife), has been selected as Best Cheese from the Canary Islands 2025 within the framework of Official Agrocanarias Competition that organizes the Government of the Canary Islands through the Canarian Institute of Agri-Food Quality (ICCA), in collaboration with the Cabildo of Lanzarote and the Art and Culture Centers (CACT) in this edition, to promote the best agri-food productions of the archipelago.
From 2012 Melquiades Ancor Expósito Hernández elaborate, in this company located in Santa Úrsula, cheeses and other derivatives of goat milk from organic production using artisanal techniques. The award-winning cheese is characterized by its double coverage, an interior of food ash, and another exterior, formed from the fungus A white brush, which is usually used in curly or cheese type camembert to form a white protective film around the bark.
During the reading of the contest jury's decision, celebrated on Thursday, 7 of August, at the headquarters of the Presidency of the Government of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the Minister of Agriculture, Cattle raising, Fishing and Food Sovereignty of the Canary Islands Executive, Narvay Quintero, accompanied by the director of the ICCA, Luis Arraez Guadalupe, explained that a total of 61 awards, between them 56 medals (27 big gold, 22 golds, y 7 wide) and five special distinctions.
in the contest, celebrated last days 9 y 10 July in Los Jameos del Agua (Lanzarote) participated 226 cheeses 73 archipelago cheese factories, consolidating an increase in the participation of more than 35% in the last two editions of the competition, which constitutes support for recognized productions by improving their positioning in the market and guiding consumer purchasing decisions, that value the recognitions granted within the framework of the contest.
In this regard, The head of the department stressed that “This contest is a well-deserved recognition for our cheesemakers for combining the excellence of the livestock herd and artisanal production with their know-how.”. “With their daily work they have turned the Canary Islands into a world reference for cheese while boosting the local economy, the maintenance of our agricultural landscapes and the continuity of the primary sector, fundamental in our land”, added Quintero.
Popular cheeses for children and adults
The distinction of Best Limited Production Cheese 2025 fell on Los Castañeros spread with gofio, prepared by Juan José Arencibia Quintana in Gran Canaria, which also received a large gold medal in the raw cured cow's milk category. As for the Best Popular Cheese of the Canary Islands 2025, chosen by members of the Association of Friends of Wine and Cheese of Lanzarote, The award went to La Gloria spread with paprika, made by José Miguel Ortega Suárez in Gran Canaria, for a production that was also distinguished with a large gold medal in the raw cured goat milk section.
Besides, the distinction to Best Cheese of the Children's Jury, corresponding to the goat milk production most rated by a tasting panel made up of schoolchildren from various municipalities of Lanzarote, It was for the Flor Valsequillo spread with paprika, which also won silver among semi-cured pasteurized milk cheeses. Besides, the award for Best Image and Presentation 2025 It was for Anabel's Los Quesitos moldy crust, by Anabel Caderín Castro, all of them produced in Gran Canaria.
The list of Canarian cheeses 2025
Las big gold medals were awarded to San Mateo smoked goat, in the tender pasteurized category (San Mateo Cheeses, Gran Canaria); goat guatisea (White Mountain Cheese Factory, Lanzarote) in the semi-cured pasteurized mode; Mixed orange cheese spread with gofio (Ganaranjo, Gran Canaria), in the pasteurized cured category; sheep cellar (Uga Finca, Lanzarote), among the old pasteurized; and Finca Fuente Morales mixture spread with gofio (Juan Suárez and Sons, Gran Canaria), in the aged pasteurized form.
Besides, received this same recognition, in the raw semi-cured goat milk section, Granja Las Cuevas spread with paprika (Felix Alberto Gil Rodriguez, The Palm), Tetir cheese spread with paprika (DOP Majorero Cheese, from the Quesos de Tetir company, Fuerteventura) and Filo The Knife (Filo El Cuchillo Cheese Factory, Lanzarote).
The big gold medals also went to Smoked Rubicon (Rubicon Holdings, Lanzarote) raw tender goat's milk; Rosa de la Madera spread with paprika (Rosa de la Madera Cheese Factory, Fuerteventura), in raw cured goat milk category; Rubicon (Rubicon Cheese Factory, Lanzarote) in the old raw goat's milk section; and El Caidero (Yolanda Arencibia Díaz, Gran Canaria), who won three of these medals, in the raw aged goat milk sections, cow and sheep.
In the raw semi-cured sheep's milk category, the big gold medals went to Queso Amurga (Antonio Alejandro Suárez Perdomo, Gran Canaria) and Las Cuevas spread with paprika (Felix Alberto Gil Rodriguez, The Palm). Among the productions of raw cured sheep's milk, gold medals were awarded to Cortijo de Pavón (PDO Flor de Guía Cheese, Half Flower Cheese and Guide Cheese, prepared by José de la Cruz Mendoza, Gran Canaria), La Pastorcita spread with gofio (La Pared Livestock, Fuerteventura) and El Cortijo de Caideros (PDO Flor de Guía Cheese, Half Flower Cheese and Guide Cheese, prepared by Cristóbal Antonio Moreno Díaz, Gran Canaria).
In addition, In the category of mixed cured raw milk, a grand gold was awarded to 5Senti2-Añoranza (José Salvador Betancort Pérez, Tenerife) while Granja Las Cuevas (Felix Alberto Gil Rodriguez, The Palm) won three of these awards in the category of semi-cured raw milk mixed with its smoked cheese; in the old raw milk mix, with its variety spread with paprika; and in the raw milk section aged mixture, with its cheese spread with gofio.
To complete the record of great gold medals, in the category of vegetable rennet blend cheese and others, El Cortijo de Caideros received this award (PDO Flor de Guía Cheese, Half Flower Cheese and Guide Cheese, prepared by Cristóbal Antonio Moreno Díaz, Gran Canaria); y, in the vegetable rennet cheese section, The Farmhouse of Las Hoyas (Francisco Diaz Gonzalez, Gran Canaria).
As for the gold medals, were awarded in the tender pasteurized category, Maxorata (DOP Majorero Cheese, prepared by the Fuerteventura Livestock Farmers Group) and El Farito smoked goat cheese (El Faro Cheese Factory, Lanzarote). In addition, Goat Valsequillo flower spread with paprika (Flor de Valsequillo Cheese, Gran Canaria) received a gold among the semi-cured pasteurized, while in the cured pasteurized section El Tofio of goat spread with paprika was recognized (Fuerteventura Livestock Group) and Montesdeoca mixture spread with gofio (Montesdeoca Dairy, Tenerife), which also won another gold for its goat cheese spread with gofio in the aged pasteurized category.
Among the tender raw milk goat cheeses they got a Caprarius gold (DOP Majorero Cheese, prepared by Rayco Ramos Rodríguez, Fuerteventura) and Tetir Cheese (DOP Majorero Cheese, Tetir Cheeses, Fuerteventura). As for the preparations of semi-cured raw goat milk, Victorino was distinguished with a gold (DOP Palmero Cheese, prepared by Doris Rocío Paredes Ollero, The Palm), Valsequillo flower spread with paprika (Flor de Valsequillo Cheeses, Gran Canaria), La Cazuela spread with gofio (Antonio Alejandro Suárez Perdomo, Gran Canaria), Hour Moon (DOP Palmero Cheese) and Smoked Moon of Awara (DOP Palmero Cheese), both produced in La Palma by Lácteos Inlaka.
They also received this recognition, in raw cured goat milk mode, The Ampuyenta (DOP Majorero Cheese, prepared by Héctor Luis Cabrera González, Fuerteventura) and Flor de Valsequillo (Flor de Valsequillo Cheeses, Gran Canaria). In the raw semi-cured cow's milk section it won gold, Rosario Agaete Artisanal Cheese Factory (Macarena Rosario Expósito, Gran Canaria); in raw tender sheep's milk, Smoky Caves (Felix Alberto Gil Rodriguez, The Palm); in tender raw milk mixture, Amurga Cheeses (Antonio Alejandro Suárez Perdomo, Gran Canaria); in raw milk cured mixture, La Pastora spread with paprika (La Pared Livestock, Fuerteventura) and Cardona spread with gofio (Cardona cheeses, Gran Canaria), brand that also obtained a gold for its Cardona production in the blended semi-cured raw milk modality. Besides, In the category of cheese with the presence of mold inside, La Pluie won gold (Uga Finca, Lanzarote).
Finally, las silver medals They fell on El Farito of goat spread with gofio (El Faro Cheese Factory, Lanzarote); Mix selectum spread with paprika (Fuerteventura Livestock Group); and San Mateo spread with paprika (San Mateo Cheeses, Gran Canaria), all of them pasteurized semi-cured.
Besides, in the semi-cured raw goat milk section, they received money, Caprarius spread with paprika (DOP Majorero Cheese, prepared by Rayco Ramos Rodríguez, Fuerteventura); and The Casserole (Antonio Alejandro Suárez Perdomo, Gran Canaria). Regarding the type of raw tender goat milk, the silver went to El Cantil (Alicia Martínez Peña, Fuerteventura).
The competition was governed by a blind tasting system where the tasting panel, made up on this occasion of twenty-three tasters and tasters, specialists in the analysis of agri-food products, evaluated the samples without knowing the brands of the products analyzed. With their evaluations they have determined the award-winning productions, which will be able to use the official badge of the award obtained for one year and will participate in the different development and promotion events that the ICCA organizes throughout the year.. In addition, to the cheese factories that have been admitted to this competition, Registration and logistics costs will be paid for the Gourmets Cheese Championship held annually in Madrid..
