Manchego cheese is the most popular cheese for Spanish. It can only be made in certain provinces around the country’s high central plateau.
Manchego cheese is made from Sheep’s milk, at first its texture is semi-soft, by aging the texture will become firmer and harder.
More information about Manchego cheese will be given in the post, if you are willing to learn about this, keep reading.
What is Manchego Cheese?
Manchego is a semi-soft cheese that is light yellow in color, firm and supple to the touch, and has a flavor that is fruity, nutty, tangy, and sweet. It also has a pleasant grassy aroma. Its high fat content, which can reach 57 percent, is a factor in its flavorful richness.
Manchego is produced in the Spanish provinces of Albacete, Ciudad Real, Cuenca, and Toledo. It comes in both aged and fresh varieties, though the former is rarely seen outside of Spain. Sheep’s milk can be used to make manchego either raw or pasteurized. The artesano, or raw, form of the product, retains more of the tangy, earthy, and grassy flavor of the sheep’s milk.
Types of Manchego
Manchego cheese is separated into groups based on how long it has been aged. Fresco, the youngest, is aged for no more than two weeks, and is seldom seen outside of Spain, with a mild, milky, and grassy flavor. Semi-curado is aged for anywhere from three weeks to three months, and has a firmer, but still pliable texture. Curado is aged for at least six months, and has a mild, nutty flavor and slight crumbliness. Manchego viejo is aged for at least one year, and has a crumbly texture, and a deep, zesty, tangy flavor.
How Manchego is Made
Manchego cheese must be produced from the milk of the Manchega breed of sheep, and the milk must have a minimum fat content of 6%. This requirement is in addition to the regional one. It is made by gently cutting the curds and manually pressing them into cylindrical molds after sheep’s milk has been curdled with calf rennet. The Manchego cheese molds themselves are etched with a design that imitates the markings made by the woven fronds of the grass baskets used to traditionally make Manchego cheese, giving the rind its distinctive texture.
The molds are compressed, the resulting wheels of cheese are brined, and then they are moved into natural aging caves where they age for anywhere between a month and two years. The natural rind and color of the cheese’s exterior are created by brushing it with olive oil.
Uses
Manchego is one of the most traditional cheeses used in Spanish tapas, where it is frequently combined with Serrano ham, marinated olives, and bread.
In addition to nuts like almonds, hazelnuts, and walnuts, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, or figs go well with manchego. Or just eat it with your preferred crackers or crusty bread. Grated Manchego that has matured is perfect for serving with pasta or vegetables.
Manchego is a cheese that doesn’t melt well because it has a high fat content. Certain Mexican cheeses, known as “quesos tipo Manchego,” are good melting cheeses, but these are cow’s milk cheeses that bear little similarity to true Manchego.
Storage
Manchego cheese can be kept in your refrigerator’s cheese drawer for up to six weeks if it is wrapped tightly in parchment, waxed, or butcher paper.
Substitutes
The closest alternative for Manchego would be another sheep’s milk cheese. Zamorano, Idiazabel, and Roncal are some alternative Spanish sheep’s milk cheeses.
Italian Pecorino Romano is a sheep’s milk cheese that, like Manchego, can be aged for varying amounts of time without significantly altering its flavor or texture. The mature variety of Pecorino, which is relatively hard and frequently grated over pasta, may be the one you are most familiar with. And if your recipe calls for Manchego viejo, this would be your best substitute. But if your recipe calls for curado or semi curado, you should also be able to find Cheeses of Pecorino with comparable aging.
Along with Gouda, Swiss, and a mild white cheddar, Asiago would be a good alternative if you want to stick with cow’s milk rather than sheep’s milk. But once more, it differs depending on whether you’re substituting a young, soft Manchego or an older, hard one.
Can You Eat the Rind?
In the traditional method of making Manchego cheese, the rind is completely edible and is applied to the outside of the cheese wheel while it is aging. However, some Manchego varieties have the natural rind painted with a thin layer of glossy wax. Though not harmful, eating this is not advised either. Ask your cheesemonger whether you can consume the rind of the particular Manchego you’re buying if you want to be sure.
Bottom Line
Spanish sheep’s milk cheese known as Manchego is made in the La Mancha region. Spain’s most widely consumed cheese is known for its firmness and rich, buttery flavor.
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FAQs
Is Manchego a Strong Cheese?
It’s sometimes compared to Italy’s pecorino romano, another firm cheese made from sheep milk, but is milder and not as overpowering. You can buy Manchego young, old, and at various stages in between – fresco, semi-curado, curado, or viejo – and you can enjoy it on its own or in a recipe.
Will Manchego Cheese Melt?
Yes, Manchego is a good melting cheese.
How Do the Spanish Eat Manchego Cheese?
One of the most traditional uses of Manchego is in Spanish tapas, where it is often paired with Serrano ham, marinated olives and bread. Manchego can be enjoyed as is, or paired with sun-dried tomatoes, olives or figs, as well as nuts like almonds, hazelnuts and walnuts.
