Queso de Flor de Guía

Flor de Guía cheese is a Spanish cheese made on the island of Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands. It has Denomination of Origin protection. The cheese is classified as fatty or semi-fatty and made from the milk from Canarian sheep, with milk from Canarian cows and/or goats. The milk from the sheep must constitute at least 60% and cows’ milk content must never exceed 40%. Goat milk must never exceed 10% of the mixture. The cheese is presented in flat cylindrical cheeses which normally measure 4–8 cm (1.5-3 inches) high and 20–30 cm (8-12 inches) across and weighing between 2 and 5 kg (4.5-11 pounds). The cheese gets its name from an area in northern Gran Canaria called Santa María de Guía, where the cheese is made, and ‘flor’ from the fact that juice from the flowerheads of a species of cardoon and globe artichoke are used to curdle the milk. The cheese is made in three varieties: In addition, the cheeses can be classified as semi-cured and cured, according to the length of maturation. The cheese is made only in the neighbouring municipalities of Santa María de Guía, Moya and Gáldar and is seasonal in production only being manufactured between January and July.

Source: Wikipedia