Gran Canaria presents the third edition of the International Cheese Forum in Madrid Fusión

 

The Cabildo of Gran Canaria presented at its stand at the fair Madrid Fusion, the third edition of the International Cheese Forum. On April 8 and 9, 2024, Gran Canaria will once again be the “world capital of cheese”, based at the Gran Canaria Fair – Infecar. The insular Minister of Tourism, Carlos Álamo and Alejandro Báez, Insular Director of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, accompanied by the gastronomic journalist and content director of the forum, Julia Pérez Lozano, explained some details of this third edition that once again has as The objective is to convert the wide variety of cheeses produced on the island into another tourist attraction and to make visible the quality and craftsmanship of those who produce them.

 

 

 

 

“The Cheese Forum is a proposal that links gastronomy, tourism and the primary sector. They are three legs of great relevance in the economy of Gran Canaria and that we try to promote with this proposal, so that together they can offer good results. Furthermore, it is interesting to bring both chefs and other types of speakers to the island to serve as inspiration to the professionals of Gran Canaria,” declared Julia Pérez, head of the congress program. 

 

Alejandro Báez explained, after excusing the absence of Councilor Miguel Hidalgo for agenda reasons, “it is an enormous achievement to be presenting today the third edition of the International Cheese Forum, with which we try to import experiences, national and international, that serve our ranchers. and cheesemakers as guidance on where they need to go to be able to sell more and better their products. Also for our restaurateurs and chefs. In this way, we achieve that a star product, with great national and international awards, becomes more attractive to visit the island of Gran Canaria as a gastronomic tourist destination and thus consolidate the activity of the primary sector by revaluing its most excellent products." 

 

For his part, the Minister of Tourism, Carlos Álamo stated that “we feel that we have taken an important step in recent years, in which the growth of the gastronomic offer of our island is valued, the work of our primary sector is appreciated and the spectacular work that our chefs are doing and the enormous contribution of the tourism sector. This has served, without a doubt, to take a major step in the quality of the destination, in the sustainability and defense strategy of the territory, and of course, in the increase in annual income. The truth is that every day more customers come willing to discover our cuisine and pay for a quality product. And, of course, our cheeses are exponents of the highest quality of our gastronomy. All in all, I think it is the most important moment for Gran Canaria gastronomy and we have to take advantage of it.”

 

National and international haute cuisine chefs will meet in Gran Canaria to share their experiences with cheese as an ingredient. Paco Morales, from the Noor restaurant with three Michelin stars; Ignacio Echapresto, from the Venta Montalvillo restaurant with two Michelin stars; Paco Méndez and Carito Lourenzo-Germán Carrizo from the restaurants Come and Fierro respectively, both with a Michelin star, have confirmed their attendance. At the moment the agenda is being closed with more Spanish professionals and other international figures such as Niki Pervellini and Lucía Fleitas. 

 

This Forum is aimed at Chefs, Restaurateurs, the Tourism Sector, Cheese Producers, Gastronomic Critics, Restaurant Trainers, Cooking Students, Gastronomy Sector Professionals, Tourism Sector Professionals and is open to anyone interested. Again, using different formats -demonstrations, debates, round tables- they will talk about tradition and innovation, marketing, contemporary cuisine or cheeses to differentiate a restaurant. An extensive program that for two days will bring the most innovative options for their businesses to the restaurant, hospitality and gastronomy professionals of the Canary Islands. Island cheese producers will also have specific technical sessions, with the advice and participation of QueRed - Spanish Network of Countryside and Artisan Cheese Dairies, to learn about other ways to implement and/or improve their products. 

 

Complementary program for chef and gastronomic press

 

For the chefs and specialized gastronomic press who will travel to the island for the Forum, an agenda of complementary activities will be prepared with visits to cheese factories. The Forum is also an unbeatable opportunity to give value and make visible the work carried out for decades by ranchers; cheese makers and cheese makers who, with their effort, dedication and passion, have managed to boost the primary sector, improve the economy of rural areas and protect the natural environment.

 

The Cabildo of Gran Canaria supports, promotes and promotes events like these, which combine the valorization of such an emblematic product of Gran Canaria as cheese and the tourist promotion of the island as a gastronomic destination, in order to dignify the work of women and men. who have livestock and cheese production as a way of life. Gran Canaria, one of the island territories in the world that produces the largest number of different cheeses, has to take advantage of this powerful and differentiating asset in a world in which tourist destinations are increasingly standardized.

 

2nd International Cheese Sandwich Competition

 

The second edition of this international competition, which is part of the Forum program, introduces a novelty in its bases: at least one of the cheeses in each recipe in the competition must be from Gran Canaria. This activity aims to promote the use of cheese among hospitality professionals (whether they have a business or not), so it is not open to amateur chefs. The jury will be made up of kitchen professionals and food journalists. 

 

 

 

 

 

Gran Canaria and cheese

 

The Canary Islands are not only the territory with the highest cheese consumption per inhabitant per year (11,16 kg/person), but some of the best cheeses in Europe are made on the islands. Furthermore, Gran Canaria is probably the territory with the most mini cheese shops per existing square kilometer, there being more than 80 throughout the island, and which offers us a great variety of cheeses that are shown in the different types of milk and the mixtures with which they are made, in the wide types of formats and in the various modes of production.

 

The geography, the different microclimates and the biodiversity of Gran Canaria give the island's cheeses unique olfactory-gustatory sensations. Observation and the senses combine to sharpen sight, smell, touch and taste and thus it is discovered that Gran Canaria cheeses obtain a particular and characteristic aroma, where the raw material and the maturation time determine the intensity of its flavors and textures, in the more than 3.000 tons/year that are produced on the island.

 

Gran Canaria, in addition to being the island with the largest livestock herd in the Canary Islands (12.000 head of cattle), has about 80 artisan cheese factories, in which their cheeses are made with raw milk produced on the farm itself, producing a total of about 1.500 tons. per year, being approximately: 

- 9% Flor cheese

- 11% soft cheese

- 34% cured cheese

- 46% semi-cured cheese

In the production of these cheeses, goat's milk predominates (77%), followed by cow's milk (16,5%) and finally sheep's milk (3,5%).

 

The island has a Protected Designation of Origin: PDO Queso Flor de Guía, Queso Media Flor de Guía and Queso de Guía.