
The Churra is an
Iberia
The Iberian Peninsula ( ), also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in south-western Europe. Mostly separated from the rest of the European landmass by the Pyrenees, it includes the territories of peninsular Spain and Continental Portugal, compri ...
n type,
breed
A breed is a specific group of breedable domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist seve ...
or group of breeds of
sheep
Sheep (: sheep) or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are a domesticated, ruminant mammal typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus '' Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to d ...
. The word simply means 'coarse-woolled'. The Churra originates in the
Duero Valley in the
autonomous community of
Castile and León
Castile and León is an Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in northwestern Spain. Castile and León is the largest autonomous community in Spain by area, covering 94,222 km2. It is, however, sparsely populated, with a pop ...
in north-western Spain. In the
province
A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
of
Zamora the milk is used to make
Zamorano cheese.
Churra breeds and types
There are numerous regional variants of the Churra in Spain. Two of these are recognised as separate breeds: the
Churra Lebrijana
The Churra is an Iberian type, list of sheep breeds, breed or group of breeds of sheep. The word simply means 'coarse-woolled'. The Churra originates in the Duero Valley in the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile ...
of
Andalusia
Andalusia ( , ; , ) is the southernmost autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Peninsular Spain, located in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, in southwestern Europe. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomou ...
, also known as the Atlantica or Marismeña, named for
Lebrija on the
Guadalquivir
The Guadalquivir (, also , , ) is the fifth-longest river in the Iberian Peninsula and the second-longest river with its entire length in Spain. The Guadalquivir is the only major navigable river in Spain. Currently it is navigable from Seville ...
and found in the coastal
provinces
A province is an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outside Italy. The term ''provi ...
of
Cadiz and
Huelva
Huelva ( , , ) is a municipality of Spain and the capital of the Huelva (province), province of Huelva, in the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia. Located in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula, it sits betwee ...
in south-western Spain; and the
Churra Tensina, named for the
Valle de Tena in the province of
Huesca
Huesca (; ) is a city in north-eastern Spain, within the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Aragon. It was the capital of the Kingdom of Aragon between 1096 and 1118. It is also the capital of the Spanish Huesca (province), ...
in the central Pyrenees. Others include the small Sayaguesa, associated with the ''
comarca
A ''comarca'' (, , , ) is a traditional region or local administrative division found in Portugal, Spain, and some of their former colonies, like Brazil, Nicaragua, and Panama. The term is derived from the term ''marca'', meaning a "march, mark ...
'' of
Sayago in the south of the province of Zamora and reared mostly for meat; the Churra del Bierzo or Blanca del Bierzo, an endangered
polled type from the ''comarca'' of
El Bierzo
El Bierzo (; or ''El Bierzu''; ) is a '' comarca'' in the province of León, Spain. Its capital is the town of Ponferrada. Other major towns are Bembibre and Villafranca del Bierzo, the historical capital.
The territory of El Bierzo inclu ...
in the province of
León; and the Churra Castellana or Churra Campera of Castile.
Use
The Churra is a traditional triple-purpose breed, reared for
milk
Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of lactating mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfeeding, breastfed human infants) before they are able to digestion, digest solid food. ...
, for
meat
Meat is animal Tissue (biology), tissue, often muscle, that is eaten as food. Humans have hunted and farmed other animals for meat since prehistory. The Neolithic Revolution allowed the domestication of vertebrates, including chickens, sheep, ...
and for its wool, which is of coarse quality suitable for carpet-making. Sheep of this type were taken by the
conquistadores
Conquistadors (, ) or conquistadores (; ; ) were Spanish Empire, Spanish and Portuguese Empire, Portuguese colonizers who explored, traded with and colonized parts of the Americas, Africa, Oceania and Asia during the Age of Discovery. Sailing ...
to the
New World
The term "New World" is used to describe the majority of lands of Earth's Western Hemisphere, particularly the Americas, and sometimes Oceania."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: ...
, where they gave rise to American breeds such as the
Chiapas
Chiapas, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Chiapas, is one of the states that make up the Political divisions of Mexico, 32 federal entities of Mexico. It comprises Municipalities of Chiapas, 124 municipalities and its capital and large ...
and the
Navajo-Churro.
Cross-breeding with the
Merino
The Merino is a list of sheep breeds, breed or group of breeds of domestic sheep, characterised by very fine soft wool. It was established in Spain near the end of the Middle Ages, and was for several centuries kept as a strict Spanish monop ...
has given rise to the or medium-fine group of breeds in Spain, and to the
Churra Algarvia breed in Portugal. Other Portuguese Churra breeds include the
Churra Badana, the
Churra Galega Bragançana Branca, the
Churra Galega Bragançana Preta, the
Churra Galega Mirandesa, the
Churra Mondegueira, the
Churra da Terra Quente, the
Churra do Campo and the
Churra do Minho.
References
{{Sheep-stub
Sheep breeds originating in Spain
Sheep breeds