Valdeón is a cheese with a blue veined paste, made all year round with cow's or goat's milk or a mixture of both. It has a rough, irregular rind in dark grey shades with little red and bluish marks. The paste has a soft texture and pale yellow color and is full of small cavities where a white and greenish blue mould is concentrated. Its flavor is salty, pronounced, piquant and long lasting. Valdeón is greasy and buttery on the palate and very aromatic.
The origin of Valdeón cheese is very ancient. The area for making Valdeón cheese is concentrated in the Valdeón valley, in the mountains of the Picos de Europa.
Valdeón is often confused with Cabrales; these are two different cheeses, although having strong similarities. You can distinguish them by their wrapping - Valdeón is wrapped in chestnut or sycamore maple leaves while Cabrales in foil. Valdeón is less intense and has fewer blue veins than Cabrales because the Valdeón caves are a little drier.