Manchego

Manchego

This cheese is a delicious, characteristic cheese from Spain. The name 'Manchego' comes from 'La Mancha', the region in Spain where this cheese comes from. This is the inland region of Spain, known for its windmills and for the historical character Don Quixote. You can recognize the cheese by the zigzag pattern of the crust. Originally, this pattern was created by the band of braided grass that was wrapped around the cheese to allow the moisture to flow away during the pressing of the cheese. Today, there are two types: the traditional Manchego, prepared on a farm with unpasteurized milk and the industrial variety, which is made with pasteurized milk.

Manchego is a cheese made from sheep's milk. The sheep's milk gives the cheese its typical and pronounced taste: slightly spicy, nutty and with a hint of sheep's milk at the end. The inside of the cheese has an ivory yellow color. Manchego is a firm cheese that is easy to slice or cut into the traditional triangles. The cheese has a compact consistency with small holes. The ripening process takes at least 60 days and only milk from the sheep from La Mancha is used.

You can eat Manchego straight out of the package or with bread. You can also use the cheese as an antipasto (starter) with olives and sun-dried tomatoes and a nice glass of red wine or dry sherry. Manchego also tastes great in combination with fruits such as figs or membrillo. In addition to a red Rioja, Manchego also goes well with a Manzanilla, a dry but fresh white wine.

Manchego is a cheese to really enjoy to the fullest. Due to the versatile nature of the cheese, every combination is a surprise! And with every bite you can taste the ancient tradition of this beautiful Spanish cheese from La Mancha.