Past Newsletters

Vol. 5 No. 7

Manchego: A Taste of The Spanish Heartland

It is said that Manchego is to Spain what cheddar is to England: A legend in its own land and a special treat for the rest of the world. This month, it is a special privilege to present this tasty, piquant and nutty milk cheese to our loyal readers and club members. It is a cheese with both a unique, pleasing taste and a full, rich history.

Manchego derive it names from the central Spanish region of La Mancha, which was also the home of the legendary Don Quixote. However, unlike the Spanish explorer featured in the Cervantes classic, aficionados of this delightful, aromatic cheese with its somewhat intense, zesty taste and a crumbly texture, will hardly be tilting at windmills when they share this culinary treat. It is often cut into wedges and eaten simply “as is” with a slice of bread or as the central point to an antipasto. Instead, they will be sharing in Spain’s most popular cheese and one of that nation’s prized exports.

Manchego has a distinctive flavor and an equally distinctive look. It can be recognized by a unique, zigzag or crosshatch pattern in its black-gray or buff-colored rind. (It is created by the rippled surface of the press used to make it. The rind itself is inedible. Inside, you’ll discover an ivory-colored interior and several small holes. Most Manchego fans are pleasantly surprised at their first taste of this hard cheese: Rich, full and slightly salty at the finish. Even its aroma has been described as special, suggesting lanolin and roast lamb.

The cheese is marketed at various stages of maturity from “cured” at 13 weeks to “aged” at more than three months. The aging period must be a minimum of 60 days.

True Manchego cheese is produced only from the milk of the Manchega sheep. (Other Spanish ewe-milk cheese is commonly referred to as Manchego-style). The Manchega sheep graze mostly on dry pasture, fallow land and stubbly brush fields on a high plateau outside of the cities of Toledo, Albacete, and Cuenca in a region southeast pf Madrid.

The somewhat harsh grazing conditions in the region might be expected to yield low-fat milk from which the cheese is manufactured. In fact, the contrary is true. Manchego actually has a fat content of as high as 57 percent, which is why it yields such a rich, intoxicating taste that is savored throughout the world.

The cheese is subjected to a rigorous and detailed production process, with the base milk having a 6 percent fat minimum and the aging process limited to fresh areas with a humidity of between 75 and 85 percent. Manchego typically is produced in a cylindrical shape with each cheese weighting between four and eight pounds.

Manchego's Rich and Varied History

Not surprisingly, Spain’s most famous and greatest cheese enjoys not only a rich taste, but a rich history as well that is traced all the way back to ancient times.
The La Mancha plains in southern and central Spain were a focus of dispute for centuries between Northern Christians and Southern Muslims, who fought for control of its pastures. Historians of early Rome chronicled the area for its livestock farming. The Muslims than inhabited the land from the 8th through the 11th centuries dubbed it “Manya” which meant “land without water.” Eventually, that would translate into “Mancha,” the name that is used today.

King Alfonso VI conquered and united the region in the 12th century and forced the Muslim inhabitants to retreat out to the Andalucia region of modern day Spain. The resultant lack of political stability led, by the end of the century, to the organization of the area’s stock farmers into cooperatives, which in turn helped bring stronger identity and political and economic power to the region’s agricultural inhabitants.

By the 1600s, farming had advanced, but efficient use of pastureland led to the decline of stock-farming and the rise of land farming. By the mid-1800s, wool production (once a staple of the region) was in decline, and the production of meat and cheese moved to the forefront of the local economy.

By the beginning of the 1900s, the initial studies about Manchego cheese were written and local farms focused more on cheese production. And as cheese production steadily grew, La Mancha evolved into a cheese powerhouse with production techniques tied to the local Manchega sheep herds. The result is the delicious and unique cheese that is being made available to you today.

Idiazabal: Gift from the Basque Shepherds

Idiazabal is classis, delicious, robust cheese recognized primarily by its rich, smoky flavor – a tradition launched centuries ago when the cheeses were stored near the night fires of the field shepherds because their Spanish Pyrenees mountain huts lacked chimneys. The cheeses were made only during the summertime in rural dwellings on top of the mountains.

Living conditions if the Basque region of Spain where this cheese was born have vastly improved and so has the market for this exceptional cheese. Still, some of the old traditions die hard. Idiazabal retains its standing as “the quintessential shepherds’ cheese” and is considered a delicacy among cheese purists. It is a treat sure to delight the palate all year ‘round, but especially well-suited for the outdoor cooking of summer months.

Typically, the cheese is smoked with cherry wood, hawthorn or beech wood. However, an unsmoked version derived in lower elevations where there was no tradition of smoking food products.

The smoking process occurs at the end of the aging process using the various tree woods. The intensity of the smoked taste depends upon the intensity and length or the process, as well as the woods used.

The cheese has a hard, dry texture yet is feels pleasantly oily when consumed. It is a real favorite of those who enjoy a tasty, chewy cheese. Adherents rave about its distinctive rich, buttery flavor and perfumed aroma. Even its hard, orange-brown rind is edible. The cheese is often served with a full-bodied Spanish red wine and is considered a perfect companion for grilled or barbequed meats, which makes it especially appealing for summertime barbeques as an added treat. One culinary recommendation: it is perfect to melt on top of barbequed burgers. How ironic that the most famous of Basque cheeses should find notoriety on America’s outdoor grills!

Other popular uses of Idiazabal include serving it on toasted bread, over salted crackers or grated in salads. Whatever method you choose, you are sure to be pleased and delighted by the experience.

Mahon: The Mediterranean Island Delight

Dairy cattle farming to produce cheese trails only tourism as the leading industry of Menorca, the northernmost Balaeric Island in the picturesque Mediterranean Sea. One taste of Mahon, a smooth, supple hard cheese named for the capital (and port city) of Menorca, will prove to any skeptic why cheese production here has become world-renowned.

A cheese produced completely from cow’s milk, Mahon has a sweet and fruity aroma and a rich, bold flavor. It comes with a yellowish rind that reveals a spicy and somewhat salty cheese flavor. Highly unique and certainly not for the bland cheese aficionado!

Although Menorcais a small rocky island, it produces enough cheese to rank Mahon in second place among Spanish cheeses, right behind Manchego. Locals have been producing this exotic cheese for more than 700 years, and it has become a true island tradition handed down for generations. More than 600 different farms dominate the small island, producing the milk and the cheese and benefiting from the mild climate, high humidity and heavy rainfall. Professional cheese curers also inhabit the island. They purchased the farm-made cheeses on a weekly basis and dry them naturally. Such a tried-and-true ritual may seem quaint in today’s highly mechanized world. However, there is little doubt that such a long-established and painstaking production process has worked to the benefit of the modern-day cheeselover!

Mahon cheese gains in flavor when aged, and it is sold at various stages of maturity. The cheese, which typically is shipped in large, 6-lb. squares, is ripened for a minimum of two months in underground caves. This ripening process helps make Mahon a must for any true cheese connoisseur.

The cheese comes in several varieties, all of which are prepared for long-term storage and transportation. That is a trademark in keeping with Mahon’s rich history – the product was shipped from its namesake port by sea to eager Spanish and European consumers.

More than 70 years ago, the island’s cheese production got a major boost when the industry was officially established and new milking cows were imported. Improved feeding and health care for the animals were implemented and, as a result, milk production flourished. Today, Menorca’s cow herds are renowned for their superior health and milk production. That, in turn, has led to more renown for the island’s cheese.

It’s a primary reason Mahon received the prestigious Denomination of Origin Award in 1985 – and why discriminating cheese aficionados around the world are finally able to sample this excellent cheese product today!

Fast Facts:

Manchego
Country of Origin: Spain
Region: La Mancha
Milk: Ewe Milk
Characteristics: Mild, nutty flavor. Hard, compact texture
Uses: Standalone with bread. Snack or dessert with fruit.

 

Mahon
Country of Origin: Spain
Region: Balearic Islands
Milk: Cow Milk
Characteristics: Bold, spicy, slightly salty taste. Hard texture.
Uses: Highly versatile. Grate over pasta, rice, vegetables. Serve as appetizer with olive oil.

Idiazabal
Country of Origin: Spain
Region: Basque
Milk: Ewe Milk
Characteristics: Hard, compact texture. Sweet, smoky taste.
Uses: Grilled and barbequed meats; cubed and grated over salads.

Recipe

Loin of Beef with Smoked Idiazábal Cheese
Source: www.cheesefromspain.com

2 lb. loin of beef
1 cup concentrated beef stock
1/4 lb. raisins
1/2 lb. smoked Idiazábal cheese
1 glass of herb eau-de-vie
4 cooking apples
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
Mache (or watercress)

Soak the raisins in the herb eau-de-vie for half an hour before use. Remove the rind from the cheese. Cut the cheese into pieces and melt in a double saucepan over a medium heat with the brandy and a little of the stock, stirring all the time while adding more stock until a thick cream forms (about 10 minutes taking care that the cheese does not separate).

Put the sauce through a fine sieve and add the raisins. Brush the beef with oil and place in an iron frying pan over a medium heat. Sprinkle the top surface with plenty of rock salt and leave to cook on one side for 20 minutes.

Remove the salt with a spatula, turn over and place salt on the other side. Again leave to cook over a medium heat for 15 minutes. Remove the salt and cut into thick slices. Peel the apples, cut into wedges and brown in oil. Serve the meat with the sauce, the apple pieces and a few leaves of Mache or watercress.

Serves 4