Picos de Europa, also known as Valdeon, is a Spanish blue cheese produced in Valdeon Valley of Castile-Leon region of northwestern Spain. Made all year round with cow and goat’s milk the cheese has very dense blue veining and comes wrapped in maple or chestnut leaves.

The pate of Valdeon has a soft, granular texture and pale yellow colour and is full of small cavities filled with blue moulds. Covered by a coarse, inconsistent rind in dark grey shades with little red marks, Valdeon is very strong and spicy in taste similar to Roquefort. A powerful smelling cheese, Valendon greasy, buttery paste is perfect for preparing any kind of blue cheese sauce. The rich smell of the cheese makes a good company with fresh fruit and strong red wine or sherry.