San Simón da Costa cheese is a cow's milk cheese smoked with birch wood, with a distinctive pear shape. It is made in the Terra Chá region, specifically in Vilalba, and is said to be the oldest cow's milk cheese in Spain and probably in Europe; legend has it that it was invented by the Celts, who settled in the mountains of Serra da Carba and Xistral. During Roman times, these cheeses were sent to Rome for their special flavor and longevity. Later, in the Middle Ages, San Simón was used to pay rents and tithes to feudal lords and the church....
But I fell in love with it a few years ago, even though there was always one in the fridge at home. Our relationship began in a fleeting moment when I tried these delicious pouches and noticed their smoky touch, their ability to melt, and their capacity to enhance adjacent flavors.