If you’ve never fallen in love with a cheese, well, I’m not sure we can be friends. Seriously, I recently attended the Sabor a Malaga (Taste of Malaga) fair in Vélez-Málaga with the intention of picking up a few local delicacies and left with a new obsession: Zambra. A mature lactic goats’ cheese made by Flor Bermeja in Casabermeja, it knocks Brie into a cocked hat.
Let me be honest, I wasn’t expecting to find a cheese that reminded me of something between a French Brie and an Italian Robiola, but there it was, on a humble table among rolls and rounds, looking quietly elegant in its squareness and dark grey rind. It is the ash, a food-grade layer, that gives this cheese its striking appearance. Beneath the ash, a gentle white bloom of Penicillium Candidum softens the edges. It looked like it belonged in a Parisian fromagerie, but it came from the milk of Malaga’s very own goats.
And that milk — wow. The Malagueña goat is known for producing rich, flavourful milk, and the cheesemakers here, most of them family-run, have truly elevated it into something special. In Malaga, we’re used to queso fresco, semi-curado, and curado, but a cheese like Zambra, which is soft, mature, and mould-ripened is still a bit of a rarity. Yet here it was, a local triumph that could rival any European counterpart.
One, or possibly two, tastings later, Zambra was coming home with me.
A taste of heaven
When I cut into it at home, the inside was creamy and smooth, bone-coloured, and completely blind (which, I’ve learned, means there are no bubbles or holes in the paste). The texture was a little uneven, which is a natural result of the lactic fermentation process, but all the better for it. It was buttery and earthy at the same time, with a mild tang that lingered on the tongue.
Flor Bermeja, run by master cheesemaker Melania Pico, has been making Zambra for years. In addition to this standout, the dairy also offers mini goat cheese rolls and a selection of more traditional styles. But it’s Zambra that really feels like the bridge between tradition and innovation.
I’ve always known Malaga for its wide array of foods from seafood to olive oil, but this experience reminded me that its dairy world is worthy of celebration. If you ever come across Zambra, don’t hesitate. Bring it home, pour yourself a glass of something local, and let this little square of Casabermeja change the way you think about cheese.
Because some of the best surprises come wrapped in ash and bloom.
At TOMA & COE we can create bespoke tours if you have a particular preference for a food experience. Contact us for a curated tour or to enjoy one of our foodie tours.
