“Over the years, the number of shepherds has been gradually decreasing; it is enough to see how in recent decades the number of sparrows scattered in our mountains has decreased,” says chef Xabier Zabaleta, president of the association Ja(ki)tea, in one of the preambles of the book. “We can see that many areas that were once used for grazing have disappeared. That is why it is the mission of all of us who make up the Basque gastronomy ecosystem to support and support this profession.” The book has been presented at the D’Elikduz interpretation site in Ordizia, where Zabaleta addresses what has been written. The two authors of the book, Jakoba Errekondo, who has written the main prologue, and Azahara Dominguez, Deputy of Tourism and Territorial Organization of the Provincial Council of Gipuzkoa, have returned to the table. Among the listeners, some pastors and cooks, as well as members of the Confraternity of Cheese, among others. And, in an iskin, half a dozen Idiazabal cheeses, close for attendees to eat after the presentation.

At the end of the “official” presentation, we have captured the Lazkao pastor Iker Sukia in this corner and we have taken the opportunity to ask a couple of questions. His father, Isidro, is one of the protagonists of the book, the godfather of the Ixidro cheese that we have in front of our extremes. We looked at the book. Beautiful are the black and white photos that Urretavizcaya has taken of his father and son on his border, very powerful. The situation of the shepherds is also like this, it has lights and shadows. “It is difficult for young pastors to move forward; I have followed my father’s path and well. We are doing this because we like it, otherwise...”, says Iker Sukia, who usually raises the flock to the pastures of Aralar.

The magic of turning grass into cheese

Fernando Hualde, author of the book, was born in Pamplona. He has his roots in Ronkarin, a family of ranchers, and explains that the book is “written from the heart.” “There’s a lot of subliminal messages in it,” he says, adding that we need to be “militant” about products on the ground. “Proximity, 0 km... These are useless if there is no quality product behind them.” He believes that the shepherds spoil the quality of the cheese, work immensely, but that this effort is often invisible. “People often take a cheese and think: “It’s kind of expensive.” They don’t know what’s behind it.”

Prior to him, the Rev. Jakoba spoke. “The book is a work of art, just as cheese is a work of art,” he begins. And then the hands of the pastor and the hands of the cook. The fifth part refers to what is contained in the preamble: “The pastor turns the grass into cheese. The pastor does magic, and his main tools for magic are his hands. He has in his hands the knowledge he has had in the domestic treatment of cattle for thousands of years. Knowledge of pastors. His hands will be laborious, the shepherd himself is a craftsman.”

The cooks, on the other hand, are “friends fascinated by the art of shepherds,” he says, “like fishermen, farmers, etc.” “And the artist-chef who makes spectacular dishes by selecting raw materials, cooking them, mixing them, superimposing them, etc., will not question it, he will bring the cheese to the table in its own simplicity, which is a work of art.”

Among the friends gathered around the table, the only one who didn’t say anything was Joseba Urretavizcaya. The images we received here speak for him.