Manchego Cheese

Manchego cheese: a cheeseboard headliner

Manchego is one of Spain's most famous cheeses – and for good reason. This legendary semi-hard variety is made from the full-fat milk of Manchega sheep that graze only in the La Mancha region, south of Madrid – the land of Don Quixote. Wisconsin Cheesemakers rightly found Spanish manchego's buttery yet nutty, sweet yet salty flavors inspirational and set about crafting their own delectable versions using cow milk.

With nearly twice the butterfat of cow's milk cheese, manchego boasts a distinctive creamy flavor that's bold but not overwhelming – a perfect balance of buttery, nutty, sweet, and salty. It's a taste profile manchego-inspired Wisconsin Cheese's like Canela and Sancho Cruz beautifully capture with cow's milk and craftsmanship.

Spanish manchego is aged from several weeks to two years, allowing the flavor to sharpen over time as the cheese develops tiny pores of crystallized texture that ooze with butterfat. Beloved by connoisseurs and kindergartners alike, this Spanish cheese can elevate your cheeseboard game faster than you can say “más Manchego, por favor.”

All about manchego cheese

They've been making cheese from sheep's milk in the Iberian Peninsula since the Bronze Age. Over the millennia, the Manchega sheep breed has evolved to thrive on the harsh grazing conditions and arid environment of the central La Mancha plains – which surprisingly help produce milk with higher fat content and richer flavor.

Cheese is mentioned, most appropriately, in Miguel de Cervantes's Don Quixote, but manchego doesn't get its first official callout until 1878 in a book on Spanish cheeses. Manchego cheese achieved Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) in 1984, meaning it can only be made from the full-fat milk of Manchega sheep that graze within the La Mancha region.

How it's made

Spanish manchego is made only with sheep's milk, natural animal rennet and salt. Coagulated curds are reduced to the size of rice grains before they're packed into rounded molds. Manchego's signature rind features a herringbone pattern. It reflects the ancient tradition of wrapping the cheeses with belts made from local grasses, which left a crosshatched pattern on the rind. Manchego is soaked in a salty brine before aging. Once it is set to age, the rind is sometimes brushed with olive oil to seal in flavor and moisture.

Types of Manchego cheese

Manchego fresco is a fresh cheese that's aged for less than two weeks and is rarely seen outside of Spain. Manchego semi-curado is aged up to three months and retains a soft and supple texture. Manchego curado, aged three to six months, develops more complex, nutty flavors. Manchego viejo is aged up to two years and boasts sharper, piquant flavors and a full-bodied texture.

Wisconsin's Manchego-inspired cheese

While PDO Manchego cheese only comes from Spain, that hasn't stopped Wisconsin cheesemakers from riffing on this buttery classic. Roth Cheese's Canela is a cow's-milk variety that's based on Spanish manchego. Hand-rubbed with cinnamon and paprika and textured with a beautiful basket-weave rind, Canela cheese has taken home one national or international cheese award after another. A dense, crystallized texture and exquisite hints of candied pineapple and brown butter make this manchego-inspired cheese the perfect weeknight snack or the star of any grazing board.

How to pair manchego cheese

It's perfectly fine to enjoy manchego cheese on its own – its piquant flavors and crystalline texture offer an all-in-one taste sensation. But pairing manchego with the right food and beverage partners will show off more of this extraordinary cheese's winning personality.

What to serve

Manchego's bold flavor profile makes it easy to pair with both sweet and savory foods. The sweetness of dates, grapes, fresh figs and quince jams offer a pleasing balance to manchego's nutty, tangy flavor. For savory foods, manchego is right at home with its Spanish compadres like Marcona almonds, Spanish olives, chorizo and jamón Iberico. Spanish-style crackers baked in olive oil, herbs and sea salt provide a perfect crunchy contrast.

Wisconsin's Manchego-inspired cheeses like Canela love many of the same companions as well as roasted red peppers, honey, and membrillo, or other cured meats that help draw out its complex and slightly tangy side as well as its smooth honey notes. A bonus is its visually stunning rind to make any cheese board a real showstopper.

What to pour

When uncorking wine, manchego can play the field. A crisp Spanish cava, a citrusy Verdejo white, an aromatic Tempranillo or a bold Rioja red can all hang nicely with a chunk of manchego. If beer is your beverage, a malty stout, porter or nut-brown ale will suit Manchego well. For something stronger, a bourbon aged in charred oak barrels will hold its own with an aged Manchego.

Wisconsin's Canela enjoys any beverage hailing from Spain or nearby Portugual, so rioja, vinho verde, or any brightly acidic white or light and fruity red is a great choice. Not in the least shy, Canela will also partner with stronger spirits. Sherry, port, madeira, fruit liquers, and high-quality tequilas make excellent choices. And being a Wisconsin Cheese, Canela also gives the nod to lighter lagers, like pilsner.