Idiazabal is an unpasteurized, smoked sheep milk cheese from Spain. Sourcing its milk only from the Lacha breed of sheep, this cheese is aged for approximately five months and smoked for a distinct flavor. The smoking process of this cheese was discovered by accident by the Basque shepherds who stored the cheeses in their huts. During the cold months, the smoke from the fireplaces permeated the cheese, giving it a flavor that the shepherds preferred. Currently, the cheese is naturally smoked with white beam, cherry wood, or oak, resulting in a rich and smoky flavor.