It's Friday morning, and at the Serrat Gros cheese shop, in Josa de Cadí, there's a group of hikers tasting the five cheeses made by Mercè Lagrava (Barcelona, 1963) and Raül Alcaraz (Equatorial Guinea, 1962). “We always recommend everyone to taste the cheeses before buying them. Besides, we know that getting here isn't easy, so we also put a jug of rosé wine from La Seu d’Urgell on the table,” says Mercè. She's happy, has an affable character, and says that both she and her partner are very surprised by the welcome the news of the transfer has received, which they made public at the end of July. “In a month we've received 125 emails, and also quite a few messages on our Instagram account. We've replied to everyone, and given them more information so they can look at it carefully before continuing with the interviews,” she comments.

I interview Gemma Urgell and Jordi Bertran at Xerigots' headquarters, in Vilafranca del Penedès, who this year celebrate fifteen years since they started as cheese maturers. There they show me the cellars where the cheeses mature, which are as Catalan as those from other countries around the world. Especially impressive is the quantity of Mahón cheeses they have, all neatly aligned. Xerigots works for the hospitality sector, for four hundred restaurants, to whom they serve cheeses for a thousand and one dishes, savory, sweet. They prepare them just as requested so they can be served. As we walk through the cellars, they tell me that artisan cheese is in crisis. And with this question I begin.

Behind Quesería Linens lies the change of profession and life of three sisters with degrees in dietetics, environmental sciences, and temporary architecture. Elena Orós was the first to decide to change her career. "I wasn't comfortable. I left my job in Barcelona and applied to the School of Shepherds of Catalonia. There, you don't just do an internship, but you also observe many realities, and I clearly saw that I couldn't get ahead alone. I remember that some of my classmates found it difficult to take the step because their parents considered being a shepherd to be a step backward." This wasn't the case for them; their paternal grandmother had been a transhumant from Nou Barris (Barcelona) to La Rioja. Marina and Mercè quickly joined in. Eleven years later, the three sisters can boast of running a cheese factory in Bellmunt del Priorat with a herd of 30 Malaga goats, which will soon number 120. "They're hardy, they give a lot of milk and fat, and they're great for cheese," she concludes. They come from restaurateurs, wineries, and individuals, and through extensive livestock farming, they contribute to building resilience in the agroforestry mosaic they inhabit.

Tou del Mujal is made with sheep's milk, matured for one month, and has become the best in Catalonia today. "Soft cheeses aren't easy to make because you have to turn and wash them every day," said makers Martí Just and Lourdes Casas at the Lactium Fair in Vic, in Jaume Balmes Park, where they collected the award.

Cheeses can also mature, like wines do. To put it simply, they can be young or aged. A matured cheese has recovered time, which can range from months, many months, or even years. Two years ago, Vila Viniteca unveiled and let people taste Parmigiano Reggiano cheese in Barcelona. which was twenty-three years old, and which he had acquired at a charity auction at the World Cheese Awards. During the ripening period, which is also known as the tuningCheesemakers must turn the cheese occasionally because, otherwise, the part touching the shelf wouldn't have the same crust as the others. They can also wash this rind, and this can be done with brine, beer, alcohol, or bacteria, which will give the cheese the desired appearance and aroma. In other words, the more years of aging, the more work for the cheesemaker, who, first, must keep the space reserved and occupied for years, and second, must monitor and supervise it.