“18 of the best Spanish Cheeses” An article published in Speciality Food Magazine (24/09/2024)
With only around 200 cheeses in its national larder, Spain can’t claim to be the one of the largest producers in the world. But what it lacks in quantity, it more than makes up for in quality, say Spanish Masters of Cheese. Particularly within its selection of sheep’s milk varieties, which make up much of its number.
With demand for both sheep’s milk and goats’ milk cheeses continuing to grow in the UK, while sheep’s milk supply dwindles, should we be looking to the continent to satisfy our cravings?
Like many other parts of the world, Spain’s relationship with cheese likely goes back to milk spoiling in some way, and the resulting curds being appreciated as a portable product with lots of nutrition to offer.
There are records going back thousands of years of cheese in Spain, the prevalence of sheep’s milk cheeses is largely down to the migratory nature of farmers in the country’s history, who would travel throughout the year from North to South, following their flocks. Sheep are very easy to handle, while Cows are complicated and goats are more independent!
Here are some recommendations of the best cheeses produced in Spain courtesy of Jesus Llamazares, of one of the UK’s only specialist Spanish cheesemongers.
1. Manchego
From the Castilla La Mancha region
Tasting notes: Light, acidic, flavourful and peppery when aged
Everyone loves Manchego. It’s one of our most famous cheeses. But what people don’t know here in the UK is Manchego is not just one single variety. Manchego curation comes from 15 days, which is soft, up to 24 months, and in the middle we have four months, 6 months and 12 months.
Click on the link to discover more highly recommended Spanish Cheeses.