Manchego cheese is a sheep's milk cheese made in the La Mancha region of Spain. Manchego is aged for 3 months or longer, and is a semi-firm cheese with a rich golden color and small holes. It ranges from mild to sharp, depending on how long it is aged. Each cheese is barrel-shaped and weighs about 2 kg. It comes in a ten inch diameter wheel, five inches thick, with a herringbone design on the inedible rind caused by the surface of the press used in the manufacturing process. This traditional embossed pattern comes from the time when the cheese was wrapped in sheets of woven esparto grass. The color of the paste is white or light yellow and the rind is between light brown and dark grey. The taste depends on the maturity: mild and fresh or strong and full-bodied.
Manchego is available in three different states of maturity: Fresh, 3-4 months old, or matured for one year. |
