World Cheese Encyclopedia - Each Sunday learn all about a new cheese.

This week Nevat from Spain.

Country: Spain 🇪🇸

Region: Catalonia

Made from: Goat’s milk

Pasteurised: Yes

Texture: Soft

Taste: Milky, salty, sweet

Certification: No

Ageing: 10 days to 2 months

Nevat is a delicious soft goat’s cheese from the Catalonian region of Spain. The word "Nevat" means"snowy" in Catalan, and reflects the color of the cheese which comes from the white, bloomy mould that is found on the rind.

Nevat is produced from pasteurised milk of Murcia and Grenadine goats. The vegetation in the mountainous region of Vilassar de Dalt near the Mediterranean coast includes rosemary and thyme which grow wild in the area and are a part of the goat’s diet. These flavors can then be found in the goat’s milk and then transfer to the cheese as well.

Nevat cheese can be found in different sizes. Large Nevat cheeses are produced by the curds being knotted in a cheesecloth bag to drain. The curds retain the shape of the cloth. This results in a very distinctive cheese with a flat bottom but sloped irregular sides with a peak in the middle. The smaller versions of Nevat are made in a more typical disc shape.

The bloomy white snowy rind comes from the addition of penicillium mould during production. The moulds ripen the cheese from the outside in, so a mature Nevat will be creamy, and runny just under the rind but firmer toward the center. In more aged cheeses the rind can sometimes develop gray or reddish sticky patches. The paste is ivory white. Nevat has a pleasant aroma, not too intense, with notes of wood, grass, mushroom and goat.

The taste is clean, creamy, rich and buttery with a balance of sweetness and salt, some herbal notes and a bit of a goaty tang. It has a pleasant long-lasting finish.

History

Nevat is produced by Josep Cuixart, who opened Formatges Can Pujol in 1980. He started to produce fresh goat’s cheese with milk from his own small herd of goats. In 1990 he began producing aged cheeses including Nevat. He is now located in Vilassar de Dalt, a town north of Barcelona in Cataluña, Spain and has earned a well-deserved renown for excellent cheeses including Petit Nevat and Ros. Formatges Can Pujol still uses the milk from their own herd of goats, supplemented with milk from farmers in the area.

How to enjoy it

Petit Nevat pairs well with nuts, figs, grapes and even tomatoes. It is delicious served simply with some crusty bread and a glass of chilled sparkling Spanish Cava.

Sources: Culturecheesemag.com, SF Gate, Spanishfinecheese.com, Formatges Can Pujol,

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