Drive from San Sebastian out to the idyllic Basque countryside beyond city limits, and suddenly you’ll find yourself in another world. As the landscape gets even more lush and green and the sounds of Spanish are slowly but surely overtaken by those of Basque<\/a>, keep an eye out for the fluffy white latxa<\/em> sheep that call this region home. Once you see them, you can be sure you’re in Idiazabal country.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

While manchego may get all the credit when it comes to Spanish queso<\/em>, Idiazabal cheese is giving its better-known Castilian counterpart a run for its money. From its humble roots in rolling green pastures, to the bustling pintxos bars of San Sebastian<\/a> and Bilbao, to a place of honor among the handpicked ingredients at some of the Basque Country’s most highly revered restaurants, it’s making waves in its home region and beyond.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Need a primer? Here’s everything you need to know about your new favorite cheese.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

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