Editor’s note: We’ve looked at Spanish cheeses before, but we saved Manchego for a deeper dive. This is the first of a series on Manchego, possibly the most well-known of all Spanish cheeses, not just in Spain, but all over the world.
Cheesemaking has been a part of Spanish tradition for thousands of years, specifically in the central region of Spain known today as La Mancha. Archeology shows us that inhabitants of La Mancha were making cheese in the Bronze Ages, long before Spain existed as a country. Since then, the development and proliferation of Manchego cheese has increased, solidified, and expanded across the world and into our hearts and bellies.
Manchego’s Fame
Manchego is one of the most popular and well-known cheeses in all of Spain. And outside of the country, the cheese is not only king, it’s practically the poster child of Spanish cheese. “From what I remember as a kid, which was before Spain entered the European Union, Manchego was the only cheese available in my village”, says Spanish native and local food tour guide, Mario Moreno. “There may have been others, but I have no memory of them.” His mother would actually make her own cheese for the family.
“paisaje manchego” by M. Martin Vicente is licensed under CC BY 2.0
There are many theories as to why Manchego reigns. Antonio Padilla, my local cheesemonger in Spain, attributes the cheese’s fame to Miguel Cervantes’ multiple references to Manchego in Don Quixote. As the second-most published book in the world after the Bible, Don Quixote has surely had a cultural impact on our perceptions of Spanish food.
But the truth of the Manchego matter is much simpler. Around the 20th century, farms in the area started focusing on cheese production. They took advantage of the growth of the cheese industry, along with the fact that there were loads of sheep in the area, to produce cheese. This advancement helped grow the Manchego cheese production and eventually, increase it’s global reputation.
“La Mancha en estado puro” by The Whisperer of the Shadows is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
The Manchega Sheep of La Mancha
Manchego cheese gets its name from the breed of sheep used to make the cheese: Manchega. And the Manchega sheep gets its name from its location in La Mancha. There are two varieties of Manchega sheep, one black and one white, and these sheep are a derivative of a French breed that crossed the Pyrenees Mountains and made its way down to the area of current-day La Mancha. The residents of the area domesticated the sheep, and since then, the breed has changed very little. It continues to graze all year round on the natural grasses in the La Mancha region, and has maintained many of its original qualities.
The areas encompassing the La Mancha region are extremely dry. In fact, the name “La Mancha” comes from an Arabic word that means “dry land” or “land without water.” The vegetation can withstand extreme temperatures and thus, offers a particular landscape for grazing and creates unique flavors in the milk.
Manchego by cyclonebill is licensed under CC BY 2.0 photo
What Makes a Manchego?
Manchego, like so many other European cheeses, is a part of a protected region known as a Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOP). This DOP has various regulations on how a Manchego cheese must be produced. For example, Manchego molds that weigh less than 1.5 kilograms have to be aged for at least 30 days, and anything larger requires at least 60 days of aging. At that point, it can be aged up to two years.
“There are three basic styles of Manchego,” says Padilla. “Curado, semi-curado, and viejo” As most Manchegos are aged in those wheels upwards of 1.5 kilograms, the curing goes as such: semi-curado 2-3 months, curado 6-9 months, and everything over 9 months is considered a viejo, or what is sometimes referred to as a reserva.
If you’ve ever tried Manchego cheese, you’ll notice pleasantly strong residual flavors that are said to come from the Manchego milk. Experts say that Manchego cheeses, like many others, contain casomorphin, a substance much like an endorfin, which gives cheese a highly addictive quality. Similar to other aged cheeses, the longer Manchego ages, the richer and more complex the flavors and textures become. Older Manchegos will be nuttier, spicy, and intense; they’ll often develop a graininess to them.
The appearance of a Manchego varies depending on how long it has been aged. The rind is either a pale yellow, or, when natural molds develop during the ageing process, it can be a greenish-black color. The interior color varies from white to yellowed ivory.
Two years of aging provides such a wide range for flavor profiles, which is why there are so many variations of Manchego here in Spain. And that doesn’t even count the additions of creative ingredients like truffle or rosemary.
The next time you’re in your local cheese shop, ask to taste a few styles of Manchego cheese. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at the varieties and differences one can achieve with just a simple breed of sheep.