Manchego

Manchego cheese [ man'tʃeɣo ] (or Queso Manchego ) is a Spanish sheep's milk cheese from the region of Castilla -La Mancha. The hard cheese is under the appellation DO Queso Manchego protected.

Designation of Origin

Queso Manchego is in accordance with the guidelines of the Designation of Origin cheese which is made ​​from sheep's milk Manchego of race in the Spanish region of Castile -La Mancha by registered producers. Manchego cheese must be made ​​from pasteurized milk. If, instead of unpasteurized raw milk used, the cheese as Queso Manchego Artesano ( technically generated Manchego cheese ) must be called.

Properties

The barrel-shaped loaves weighing 1 to 2 kg and have a semi-solid to solid, extruded dough, colored white on pale yellow to golden. The bark has a beige - brown, sometimes dark to black color, which has a characteristic pattern of grooves and can wear different colored mold cultures.

The taste is mild, depending on the maturity, freshly acidic to full-bodied, soft.

Variants

Manchego cheese is offered in different stages of maturity: fresh (fresco, fresh), 3-4 months old ( curado, aged ), or up to one year style ( viejo; old). To preserve this cheese and make up to one year shelf life, it is steeped in olive oil.