Canela Cheese

Canela Cheese: A Wisconsin Original

When you want a real conversation starter for the cheese board, consider Roth's Canela cheese.

Named after the Spanish word for “cinnamon”, this Wisconsin original is inspired by manchego cheese, a world-famous Spanish cheese made from sheep's milk. Canela is made with fresh, Wisconsin cow's milk and is hand-rubbed with a cinnamon and paprika blend that imparts a sweet flavor and gives the cheese a signature reddish-orange rind. Each bite of this semi-hard variety offers a dense, crystallized texture with concentrated, exquisite, nutty flavors. With a firm texture, Canela can be grated over pastas, cubed for a charcuterie board, or sliced for sandwiches.

Meet Roth Cheese: A True Cheesemaking Pioneer

Part of the Emmi Group, a leading producer of specialty cheeses, Roth Cheese got its start in 1863 when Oswald Roth began making cheese in Uster, Switzerland. The Roth family eventually settled in Wisconsin and opened a cheese importing company. In 1990, the company transformed into a cheesemaker with the first ever copper vat used to create cheese in the U.S. Over the years, Roth Cheese has racked up more than 200 awards, including the top prize at the 2016 World Champion Cheese Contest for Grand Cru® Surchoix. The Roth family credits the remarkable quality of Wisconsin milk as the secret to their award-winning cheeses.

All About Canela

Canela cheese is the perfect marriage of quality Wisconsin craftsmanship and classic Spanish flavors. This cow's milk spin on Spanish manchego is aged for 15 months or more in a cellar to develop its deep, intricate flavors of candied pineapple and brown butter. Originally known as GranQueso® Reserve, Canela cheese has been an American Cheese Society winner for seven years in a row.

What does Canela look like?

Canela cheese has an ivory-yellow interior with an orange-red exterior, thanks to a cinnamon and paprika rub. The rind is textured with a beautiful basket weave design that makes it a real eye-catcher on the cheese board.

What does Canela cheese taste like?

Canela has a complex and slightly tangy flavor with notes of honey, pineapple, and brown butter with a long finish.

What's the texture like?

Canela cheese is a firm, almost hard variety with crystallization that makes each bite an adventure.

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What to Sip and Savor with Canela Cheese

Canela cheese goes beautifully with any bright, acidic, and still-to-bubbly white wine. Fruity reds love this cheese as well. Spanish and Portuguese wines are an easy match – think rioja, vinho verde, and albariño. With beer, a lighter lager or pilsner go down happily with Canela. If you're in the mood for something stronger, a sherry, port, madera, or fruit liqueur will do. And Canela will never say no to a high-quality tequila.

On the cheese board, Canela always makes a beautiful showing. Its complex flavors are enhanced by marcona almonds, castelvetrano olives, quince, roasted red peppers, honey, and Spanish jamon. We love to serve Canela on bruschetta, over roasted potatoes, in a cheesy corn dip, or with any pasta or veggie casserole.

FAQs

What is Canela cheese?

Canela cheese is a cow's milk variety produced by Roth Cheese in Wisconsin. The name means “cinnamon” in Spanish, and Canela is inspired by Spanish-style manchego cheese. Each wheel of Canela cheese is hand-rubbed with cinnamon and paprika, resulting in a reddish-orange rind that's textured with a basket weave pattern similar to manchego.

What is a specialty cheese?

Specialty cheese is usually a cheese of limited production, which allows cheesemakers to focus more on choosing the best ingredients and ensuring a high-quality cheesemaking process. Many specialty cheeses include extra ingredients like spices, herbs, nuts, fruit, and vegetables that add texture and expand the cheese's flavor profile. Common specialty cheeses include smoked cheese, rosemary cheese, and other herb cheeses, which can be enjoyed on their own, stirred into pasta, grated over salads, or baked into Italian herb and cheese bread.

What is manchego cheese?

Manchego is a Spanish cheese made from sheep's milk from the La Mancha region. After curdling the milk with calf rennet, cheesemakers gently cut the curds and press them by hand into molds with a basket weave texture. After brining, the cheese is aged in caves or stone barns for several months or years. Spanish manchego is distinct from Mexican manchego cheese, which is a younger cow's milk cheese with excellent melting properties and is one of the most common Mexican cheese types.

Craving award-winning aged cheddar, pining for parmesan, or searching for a new cheese to try? The world’s best cheese is just a click away! Explore our directory of Wisconsin cheesemakers and retailers who offer online cheese shopping and get cheese shipped right to your door. What are you waiting for?

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