Torta del Casar Cheese

Torta del Casar

One doesn´t need to look far into the wide variety of Spanish cheeses to see all that they have to offer the palate.  Torta del Casar, however, has made its own nitch within the cheese world as one of the richest, most unique spreadable cheeses available in the international market.

This aged organic spanish cheese originates from the optimal ecological conditions and temperatures of Cáceres.  While the yellowish rind is fine and delicate, the cheese itself is characteristically creamy, almost to the point of being liquidy.  It has a strong, aged, slightly salty flavour, with a hint of bitterness due to the vegetable rennet plant (cynara cardunculus) that is added during the production process.  The cheese blocks are circular in shape, and come in two sizes, 500-700 g. and 900-1,100 g.

The Denominación de Origen only accepts sheep milk from the Entrefina and Merina varieties.  Due to the low amount of milk produced by each sheep, an average of twenty are needed to produce just one block of Torta del Casar, resulting in lower overall production rates and relatively higher prices.  Its fame and price have led many other regions to produce knock-offs, making it important t
ook for the D.O. seal to ensure the quality of your Torta del Casar purchases.

To serve, the thin top layer should be cut off, allowing you to dip into the cheese with a knife or crackers.  Afterwards, the layer can be used as a top to cover any uneaten cheese.  Since Torta del Casar is a smooth, spreadable cheese, experts say it is best to take it out of the fridge a few hours before serving and either serve at room temperature or oven-heated, and spread on toasted bread or crackers.  Combine it with a glass of your favorite red wine, close your eyes, and let the aroma and flavour of this Spanish delicacy take you back to the green pastures of Cáceres, where it all began.