In a surprising turn of events at a local cheese festival, a Spanish Cabrales blue cheese has achieved a groundbreaking milestone by commanding an astonishing price of over $32,000. Weighing in at 4.85 pounds, this dairy delight has secured a new Guinness World Record for the highest price ever paid for cheese. Guillermo Pendás, the creator of this remarkable cheese from the family factory in Los Puertos, expressed his astonishment, stating, "We knew we had a good cheese but also that it is very difficult to win." The proud owner of the record-breaking cheese is Iván Suárez, who also acquired the previous Guinness World Record-setting Cabrales cheese in 2019 for $22,210. Suárez runs the El Llagar de Colloto restaurant near Oviedo. The journey of crafting this exceptional cheese begins with carefully selected raw cow's milk, sometimes blended with milk from sheep and goats. After 4 months of meticulous aging within the mountainous enclaves of the Cabrales region, the cheese finds its maturation chamber in a cave located 4,593 feet above sea level, maintained at a steady 44.6º F, for a minimum of 8 months. Once the aging process is complete, the culinary masterpiece embarks on a descent from the mountain's peak to the nearby road, a journey that takes approximately an hour by foot. Its incredible journey culminates in a price range of $30-$35 for a little over 2 pounds, which is equivalent to the cost of a premium steak on the wholesale market.
