In the seventh chapter of Lo: cuisine, products and naturechef María Lo received María Sánchez, veterinarian and writer. Besides cooking cheek croquettes and tuna tartare and Payoya goat cheese cake together, the guest shared his knowledge about sustainable livestock farming and local products. Today, RTVE Cocina spoke to the vet to tell us how his vocation was born, How sustainable livestock farming influences gastronomy y How Payoya Goat Breeders Association worksan entity with which it cooperates in the protection of the aforementioned native breed of goat.
QUESTION: How did you discover your veterinary vocation?
ANSWER: I always knew, from a young age, that I wanted to be a veterinarian. Maybe my childhood, in the countryside, and growing up in a family with a herd of goats and making fresh goat cheese was decisive. For me it is a gift to be able to work for the conservation of indigenous breeds like the Payoya Goat, to be able to changing the lives and knowledge of those who work in the fields and that produces healthy and possible foods, preserving and making possible, in turn, the landscapes we love so much.
I always say that the field, and my profession, are my invisible narrative, they give me experiences, I like to call them flashes, which can be words.
QUESTION: How important is livestock farming in gastronomy?
ANSWER: In the Association we are among those who think that we are what we eat, and we feel that gastronomy goes beyond covering our nutritional needs and the act of eating. When we talk about gastronomy we also talk about responsible consumptionof pleasure not only through the senses of sight, smell and taste, but also in a journey where we talk about stories, culture, nature, territory, lives, bonds and feelings, other futures, in the same life as life.
QUESTION: And if livestock farming and responsible consumption are important, so is local produce…
ANSWER: That’s it. We believe that the first destination of what we produce should be our neighbors and everyone who visits us, not only because it marks our unity, but also because the ranchers who dedicate themselves to it that profession, as well as the veterinarians We. accompany them on their way, we feed the satisfaction and recognition of our work from the people we live in our towns. also It is important to remember that when you eat local food, you are maintaining a territory, guarding a landscape, a job, a recipe.knowledge linked, as in this case, to Payoya Goat.
QUESTION: How was the Association born? What is your job?
ANSWER: The Association, a non-profit entity, was born from the enthusiasm of a group of ranchers from maintain a breed, the Payoya Goat, a particular way of managing livestock, a trade, a natural space that feeds livestock, and the gastronomic and cultural heritage associated with this goat. This breed, like many others that are managed by many, is classified as threatened. Our job is to preserve the breed and the trade, working to improve the animals and those elements that are within our reach that have an impact on improving the standard of living of the people dedicated to their care.
Another role is to communicate who we are and what we offer. Technically, we manage the Official Breeding Program of the Payoya Goat Breed, the Stud Book and the Genetic Conservation and Improvement Program of the Breed, the Official Program for the Dissemination of the Improvement of the Payoya Goat Breed and the details of Breed Logo. 100% Payoya native.
QUESTION: Is Payoyo cheese the same as Payoya goat cheese?
ANSWER: No, we need to be different. There is a commercial brand of cheese called “Payoyo”, cheeses that are not made in Payoya goat’s milk. This cheese factory is located in Villaluenga del Rosario, a town in Cádiz where its inhabitants are known as “payoyos”. the Payoya goat, whose place of origin is in the area currently occupied by the Sierra de Grazalema Natural Parkit is known as Payoya or Montejaqueña, the latter name of another nearby town of Malaga, however, the name Payoya is more commonly used, and therefore the breed is named by this nickname.
Payoya Goat cheeses are those made with milk from this breed, which is currently distinguished by the variety 100% Payoya Native Breed (within cheese factories that process payoya goat milk and use this unique mark, no “payoyo” brand). ). We understand the confusion and without this mark we will use this name to refer to Cabra Payoya cheeses.
