Manchego Cheese is an ancient and delicious Spanish cheese that has been made long before the birth of Christ. We’ll give you some background on this great cheese before we get to work: New and Delicious Manchego Cheese Recipe Suggestions.
Have you heard of Don Quixote? You might remember leaning on him at windmills. He is the hero of one of the greatest novels of all time, written by a man named Miguel de Cervantes. All of this developed in the La Mancha region of Spain; We mention it because it is also the only place in the world where you can make real Manchego cheese.
There is a board in this beautiful region in central Spain that keeps a close eye on cheesemakers, certifying that Queso Manchego is made from the milk of Manchega sheep and aged for 60 days or more. Only then can they give it the special DO label that certifies that it is an authentic and tasty Manchego.
This entire regulation process has existed since the early 1980s, but Manchego Cheese has been made in this area for much longer. Cervantes mentions it in Don Quixote, which was written in the early 17th century, so it’s at least that old. Or much older: historians say there is evidence that a very similar cheese was made in La Mancha long before the birth of Christ, so in fact the cheese is thousands of years old! However, you can’t actually buy a millennial cheese, and probably too! Manchego comes in three varieties, depending on how long it has been aged (in a cave, no less):
- A fresh manchego is a fresh, white variety of the cheese aged for just a couple of weeks. This is hard to get outside of Spain and isn’t technically a real manchego, but it still has a great rich smooth flavor. You’ll only have to make a trip there to eat it!
- The most common is the Cured Manchego, which is aged between three and six months. It is semi-solid and yellowish-white in color, with a mild nutty flavor and a smooth, creamy texture. It is an excellent cheese to melt and very complementary to all kinds of flavors.
- My favorite, however, is the Manchego Viejo. This is aged for up to a year, so it’s a bit more expensive. The color is deep yellow and the cheese is much more solid, with a complex flavor: an intense spicy body with a sharp edge and the characteristic aftertaste of sheep’s milk. It is a main course cheese, as you will see…
Now that we have whetted your appetite, how do you get hold of a delicious manchego? Most gourmet supermarkets or delicatessens should have a few for you to choose from, but look closely to make sure you’re buying real Manchego. Be sure to see the herringbone pattern on the crust, the wheat ear pattern on the top and bottom of the wheel, and most importantly, the official DO label on the back giving you the assurance that it’s real. And now it’s finally time to make a meal! There is no limit to the versatility of these cheeses, especially if you can get multiple types, but here are some Manchego cheese suggestions that work well for us:
- First, Spanish tapas plate: a strong old manchego works perfectly in the middle of a tapas plate, surrounded by gorgeous Spanish ham, green olives, crusty bread, and dulce de membrillo (a sweet quince paste). This should be your first choice for Viejo.
- For a Cured Manchego, you have endless options. Apple and Manchego Salad is easy: a salad of tart Granny Smith apples, soft aged Manchego cheese, chives, smoked almonds, olive oil and apple cider vinegar.
- How about a Manchego Hot Dog? It is a variant of hot dog with a Spanish touch. A crispy bun with red chorizo, arugula and Manchego cured meat.
- Italian Fusion Manchego Pizza – Take a nice thin pizza base, top with tomato passata mixed with paprika, add fresh tomato slices, sweet green olives and top with grated cured manchego – simple but very effective!
Think carefully about how you serve this beautiful cheese and you will be rewarded.