Manchego is a Spanish cheese made with milk from sheep of the manchega breed, produced in the region of Castile-La Mancha.
Description
The rind is yellowish or dark brown in color, that of the pastry ranges from white to yellowish ivory, and its flavor gives a taste of sheep's milk with a slight tangy and salty taste. It is hard and dry. It is one of the most famous and most exported cheeses. It is common in Spain to taste it with quince paste (carne de membrillo).
Traditionally, a braid of esparto made from spelled strands surround the cheese. The practice tends to get lost.
History
It has been established that cheese was already produced in La Mancha during the Bronze Age.
Manchego has been the subject of a denomination of origin since 1984. Carlos Gutierrez-Maturana-Larios Altuna's was crowned best cheese in the world in 2012 by the World Cheese Awards.
Production
Manchego is a Manchega sheep cheese, characterized by long, thin, drooping ears. A sheep produces one liter a day of thick milk. It takes five liters of milk to make one kilo of cheese. Milk can be raw or pasteurized. Curing should last between 30 and 60 days.
