Spanish Cheeseboard

Manchego Cheese

Made from the pure ewe’s milk of Manchega sheep. Matured for a minimum of 60 days and is sold either semi-mature, mature or aged. Flavour is intense and mature, creamy in the mouth and slightly piquant with a touch of salt and the powerful aromas of ewes’ milk. Eat as in Don Quijote de la Mancha with bread freshly baked in a wood oven with a fruity, young crianza red wine. From the provinces of Ciudad Real, Toledo, Cuenca and Albacete (all the La Mancha provinces).

Tetilla Cheese

From area between La Coruna and Lugo (Galicia province)
So called because of its shape-a slightly flattened breast. Made from cows milk, matured in 2 weeks. Soft, full fat, slightly sweet cheese. Compact paste. Not at all salty. Excellent for use in cooking since it is fast-melting. Mild, sweetish, creamy and melts in the mouth. Its slight sharpness combines with the aroma of fermented butter. Goes excellently with thick bread.

Garrotxa Cheese

Goat’s milk. Matured for 3-6 weeks. Strong, piquant taste. Soft, compact paste with a bluish-grey rind. From Catalunia region.

Idiazabal Cheese

Highly prized farmhouse cheese. Made from unpasteurized Latxa ewes’ milk. Matured for a minimum of 2 months and is sometimes smoked. Traditionally made for keeping. Full fat cheese. A thin slice placed on the tongue will reveal its piquancy and slight bitterness. It has an aroma of wood. In its homeland, it is traditionally washed down with a good Rioja. From Basque Country.

Mahon Cheese

Cows milk. Matured between 1 week and 5 months. Orange rind, oiled or coated with paprika. Very aromatic, full-fat or medium-fat cheese. Slightly sour, salty taste. From island of Menorca in the Balearics.

Picon Cheese

Powerful, classic. From Asturian mountains. Produced by hand in small quantities. Matures in high caves in the cold, damp, salty winds of the Bay of Biscay . Cylindrical, medium sized, so creamy it can be spread, with a sticky rind and a penetrating smell. A cheese for connoisseurs and lovers of mature, full flavours. Spread a little on a slice of fresh toast or serve it with cider or an oak-aged white wine or with a sweet, thick wine like Pedro Ximenez.