Idiazabal Cheese, the Unpasteurized Sheep’s Milk Cheese from the Spanish Pyrenees.
Though it is a non-smoked cheese, some varieties are smoked which is allowed by the DOP only if does not affect the general stipulation for the production of Idiazabal Cheese. The crust is closed and smooth and its color goes from brown in its smoked variety to yellow-beige in its non smoked variety. The cheese texture is tight without air pockets. For Florence Fabricant, “[Idiazabal Cheese] has a pale interior and a firm, supple texture similar to provolone cheese.” The taste is robust and provocative, slightly acidic, and has the characteristic buttery touch of sheep milk cheeses. The smoked versions usually have a more pronounced aroma. Idiazabal is a small-medium size cheese with a weight between 2 and 4 lb.
Date: Sunday 21, 2008
Cabrales Cheese, a Renowned, Rough-Rinded Blue Cheese from Northern Spain
A renowned, rough-rinded blue cheese from northern Spain (region of Asturias), Cabrales is made from blended cow’s, goat’s and sheep’s milk (not in winter when only cow milk is available) . It is aged in naturally-formed caves and has a creamy texture, a complex flavor and a powerful bouquet. Cabrales is salted, wrapped in foil and aged for 6 months in natural limestone caverns.
Date: Monday 10, 2008
Zamorano
Famous Spanish cheese, usually produced in the shape of drum. The cheese is very similar to Castellano and Manchego, but is less grainy. It has a natural rind covered in gray mould. The flavor has a hint of burnt caramel and the buttery taste typical of sheep’s milk. Zamorano is used as a table cheese [...]
Date: Friday 12, 2008
Tronchon
Traditional, creamy, semi-soft cheese made from blended cow’s, goat’s and sheep’s milk. It has a shape of flattened globe with deep crater. The natural rind is smooth and glossy and butter-colored. Tronchon resembles a young Caerphilly. The taste is aromatic, with a hint of the acidity of a young white wine. The origin of its [...]
Date: Friday 12, 2008
San Simon Cheese
Named after San Simon de la Cuesta in the northwest of Spain, traditional and creamy, this semi-soft cheese is made from cow’s milk. It is lightly pressed, then smoked, and has a supple, open consistency and an attractive, polished rind, which ranges in color from honey to reddish-brown. The smoke gives the cheese [...]
Date: Friday 12, 2008
Roncal
Traditional, unpasteurized, hard cheese made from sheep’s milk. It is wheel-shaped, with a hard, natural rind covered with a velvety-smooth layer of blue-gray mould. Aging period lasts at least four months. The firm, elastic interior is slightly grainy, with small, irregular holes. The greenish mouldy surface is occasionally covered in olive oil. The flavor [...]
Date: Friday 12, 2008
Majorero
This cheese from Spain is also known as Queso Fuerteventura, after the beautiful Canary Island where it is made. It is a hard, cylindrically-shaped cheese made from goat’s milk. It has a natural rind with a pattern printed at top and bottom, typical of all Spanish cheeses. Its flavour suggests wild honey, wild thyme [...]
Date: Friday 12, 2008
Queso Iberico
This spanish hard, oily cheese from central Spain is made from a mixture of cow, sheep and goat’s milk, which is reflected in its mild yet tasty flavour. Sometimes Queso Iberico is mistaken for Manchego. The affinage usually takes from one to six months. It is a table cheese but is easily gratable and [...]
Date: Friday 12, 2008
Quesos del Tietar
There are two versions of this fresh spanish cheese. The first, Cabra del Tietar, takes just few days to ripen. It is made from goat’s milk and is often mixed with spices like oregano, thyme, rosemary or paprika. The other version takes two or three months to ripen, has a harder texture, and a [...]
Date: Friday 12, 2008
Quesos del Monsec
This soft-white cheese from Catalonia has a dense, fairly grainy texture that feels very creamy in the mouth. It is made from goat’s milk and is classified as a vegetarian cheese. The affinage takes two to three months. It has a herbaceous, spicy finish. Queso del Montsec is also known as Cendrat.
Milk: goat milk
Texture: soft
Fat [...]
Date: Friday 12, 2008
Queso de Murcia
Pure white, fresh, round cheese made from the goat’s milk. It is used as a table cheese and for cooking. It has a spongy texture and is flavored with rosemary and tarragon, balanced by a refreshing acidity. Queso de Murcia has been made for centuries, but because it has a short shelf life, a new [...]
Date: Friday 12, 2008
Picos de Europa
This creamy blue spanish cheese is also known as Valdeon and its origin dates back to the early French pilgrims. It is cylindrical in shape and usually made from the mixture of cow, sheep and goat’s milk. Picos de Europa has blue-green veins and a salty taste. With age the rind changes its color and [...]
Date: Friday 12, 2008
Manchego
This historic spanish cheese is named for the Spanish region of La Mancha, also home of Don Quixote. Made of pasteurized sheep’s milk, it has a black gray or buff colored rind with a crosshatch pattern, the interior ranges from stark white to yellow, depending on age. The aroma should suggest lanolin and roast lamb. [...]
Date: Friday 12, 2008
Mahon
Mahon is a traditional, creamy, unpasteurized, hard spanish cheese. It is produced from cow’s milk on Minorca, the outermost of the three Spanish Balearic Islands. The hard, orange rind carries the imprint of the cheesecloth and tends to be greasy. The curd is piled in the center of a cloth, square corners are knotted and [...]
Date: Friday 12, 2008
Idazabal
Traditional, unpasteurized, hard spanish cheese made from cow’s milk. It is cylindrical in shape, pale yellow to amber in color. The natural rind is smooth and hard. It has a compact texture, with a few pinprick holes. Its texture is dry, but not crumbly, and feels pleasantly oily in the mouth. The rind carries the [...]
Date: Friday 12, 2008
Castellano Cheese
Castellano is a traditional, creamy, unpasteurized, hard Spanish cheese of either round or half cylinder shape. The fresh curds are drained in special, plastic hoops, which have zigzag marks on the rind. The pale yellow interior of Castellano is firm and dense. Compared to Manchego, it is quite moist, and has a few rice-sized holes. [...]