I would like to make my own cheese and need to buy rennet. Does anyone know of a place in Madrid? thanks for your help. It's a hassle to always bring stuff back from the USA and I'm sure that there must be a place here in Spain! ~Berta

You can get it at a farmacia or herbolario. If they don't have it in stock, they should be able to order it. Try the pharmacy first, because it will be cheaper there. It's called cuajo.

wow, that was fast! thank you so much! We are in a village this month in the Sierra de Gata, and I will ask the farmacia here in town.

I just wanted to tell you that I bought the cuajo (rennet) at the pharmacy last week. Thanks again for your help. It cost 4,50 for a bottle. I bought liquid this time, but may try the powder next time. This was a HUGE help for me, thank you! Berta

I could've and should've asked you but I was thinking about this thread yesterday and asked a Spanish friend what "cuajo" was and so it has been explained to me in detail. If I understood correctly, it's actually the skin that forms at the top of boiling milk. Odd! (to me)

I obviously know nothing about making my own cheese. heheehe... My Spanish friend told me that people used to be able to find them in the many specialty shops ("la lechería") in Spain. But since these shops don't exist anymore due to "modernization" now cuajo can only be found in the pharmacies.

Saludos, MadridMan

Madrid Man,

Yes, it's rennet in English and causes the cheese to set-up (all over not just the skin on the top). It's an "old fashioned" American dessert, rennet pudding.
You can buy it on-line in the states in different forms, vegetable or animal. I bought the animal cuajo here, which is "something" to do with the stomach of a cow. I am learning to make my own mozzarella cheese. 1st I need to make homemade buttermilk, because I can't find that here!

Thanks again for your help.
Berta