Manchego

A {{lang|es|queso manchego}} must satisfy these requirements:

{{Citation

| date = 13 February 2012

| title = Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 129/2012 – approving minor amendments to the specification for a name entered in the register of protected designations of origin and protected geographical indications (Queso Manchego PDO)

| periodical = Official Journal of the European Union

| location = Brussels

| volume = L43

| pages = 3–5

| url = http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/quality/door/registeredName.html?denominationId=917

| access-date = 19 September 2017

}}

• It must be produced within designated parts of the provinces of Albacete, Ciudad Real, Cuenca, and Toledo, all in the La Mancha region.
• It can be made only with the whole milk of sheep of the Manchega breed raised on registered farms within that area.
• It must be aged for a minimum of 60 days (30 days for cheeses weighing up to {{convert|1.5|kg|abbr=on|disp=or}}) and a maximum of two years.
• It must be produced by pressing in a cylindrical mould that has a maximum height of {{convert|12|cm|abbr=on}} and a maximum diameter of {{convert|22|cm|abbr=on}}.

Manchego cheese can be made from pasteurised or raw milk; if the latter, it may be labelled {{lang|es|artesano}} (artisan). The only permitted additives are natural rennet or another approved coagulating enzyme and salt.

The moulds in which the cheese is pressed are barrel-shaped. Traditionally, manchego cheese was made by pressing the curd in plaited esparto grass baskets, which left a distinctive zig-zag pattern (known as {{lang|es|pleita}}) on the rind.{{Citation

| title = Spanish food – Manchego cheese

| year = 2005

| url = http://www.iberianfoods.co.uk/manchego.htm

| access-date = 28 April 2010

| archive-date = 30 September 2018

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180930144145/http://www.iberianfoods.co.uk/manchego.htm

| url-status = dead

}} Today, the same effect is achieved by the mould, the inside of which has a design in relief that imparts to the finished cheese an embossed pattern similar to that of woven esparto grass. The top and bottom surfaces of the cheese are impressed with a design of a head of wheat.

During the maturation process, manchego cheese develops a natural rind. The regulations permit this to be washed, coated in paraffin, dipped in olive oil, or treated with certain approved transparent substances, but require that it must not be removed if the cheese is to be marketed as PDO.

Cheeses that meet the PDO requirements carry a casein tab that is applied when the cheese is in the mould and bear a distinctive label that is issued by the Manchego Cheese Denomination of Origin Regulating Council; this carries the legend {{lang|es|queso manchego}}, a serial number, and artwork depicting Don Quixote de La Mancha.{{Citation

| title = Identification Manchego cheese

| url = http://www.quesomanchego.es/ingles/identifica.htm

| access-date = 28 April 2010

| archive-date = 2 July 2012

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120702173811/http://www.quesomanchego.es/ingles/identifica.htm

| url-status = dead

}}

A cheese that is similar to manchego{{cite web |access-date=11 December 2020 |title=Manchego Cheese Substitutes |url=https://cheese.buzz/manchego-cheese-substitutes/ |archive-date=7 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210507000529/https://cheese.buzz/manchego-cheese-substitutes/ |url-status=dead }} and made in the same region, but from a blend of cows’, goats’, and ewes’ milk, is sold as {{lang|es|queso ibérico}}, or {{lang|es|ibérico}} cheese.

Almost 60% of Spanish cheese with Denomination of Origin is Manchego, which makes it the main reference of Spanish cheese. As most of its production is exported, it is one of the most important ambassadors of Spain’s national gastronomy. La Mancha exported 5.9 million kg of this cheese in 2017, according to the Foundation for Manchego Cheese (Fundación C.R.D.O Queso Manchego).{{Cite web |date=8 March 2022 |title=Spanish Club Blog - Manchego Cheese: All About It |url=https://spanishclub.blog/manchego-cheese-all-about-it/}}

{{lang|es|Queso manchego}} has a variety of different flavours depending on its age:{{cite web|url=http://www.seriouseats.com/2017/08/guide-to-manchego-spanish-sheeps-milk-cheese.html|website=seriouseats.com|title=An Introduction to Manchego-Style Cheese|last=Craddock|first=Kat|access-date=19 September 2017}}{{cite web|url=https://cheese.com/manchego/|website=cheese.com|title=Manchego|access-date=19 September 2017}}{{cite web|last=Keenan|first=Tia|url=https://www.cheeseconnoisseur.com/manchego-surviving-the-test-of-time/|website=cheeseconnoisseur.com|title=Manchego: Surviving The Test Of Time|date=February 2016|access-date=19 September 2017}}

• {{lang|es|Fresco}}: fresh cheese is aged for 2 weeks. It has a rich but mild flavour, not a true {{lang|es|queso manchego}} due to its lack of ageing.{{cite web|url=http://manchego-cheese.com/types-of-manchego-cheese/|website=manchego-cheese.com|title=How Does Manchego Cheese Change With Age?|access-date=19 September 2017|archive-date=27 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210227132518/http://manchego-cheese.com/types-of-manchego-cheese/|url-status=dead}} Produced in small quantities, it is rarely found outside Spain.
• {{lang|es|Semicurado}}: semifirm, semicured cheese aged for 3 weeks to 3–4 months, somewhat milder than curado.
• {{lang|es|Curado}}: semifirm cured cheese aged for 3–6 months with a caramel and nutty flavour.
• {{lang|es|Viejo}}: aged for 1–2 years, firm with a sharper flavour the longer it is aged; it has a rich, deep pepperiness to it. It grates well, but can also be eaten on its own or on tapas.Spanish-Cheese.co.uk – [http://www.spanish-cheese.co.uk/types_of_spanish_cheese.html Types of Spanish Cheese (Queso)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120108000650/http://www.spanish-cheese.co.uk/types_of_spanish_cheese.html |date=8 January 2012 }}

In Mexico and Spanish-speaking areas of the United States, {{lang|es|manchego}} or {{lang|es|queso tipo manchego}} (manchego-type cheese) is the name given to an industrialized cow's milk cheese similar in taste to Monterey Jack.

{{cite web

|access-date=19 September 2017

|publisher=clovegarden.com

|title=Varieties of Cheese

|url=http://www.clovegarden.com/ingred/da_cheesev.html

}} It melts well and is used as both a table cheese and for cooking. Apart from the name, this cheese has nothing in common with the Spanish variety.

In Costa Rica, three companies (Dos Pinos, Los Alpes,{{cite web |access-date=14 June 2010 |title=Los Alpes website |url=http://www.losalpesquesos.com/productos/maduros.htm }}{{Dead link|date=January 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} and Monteverde) produce a manchego-type cheese ({{lang|es|queso tipo manchego}}), which can come with a drawing of Don Quijote on the labels.{{Cite web |url=http://www.lactalisforlasaexport.com/cheeses-by-format/3k/don-quijote-semi-cured-wheel-3-kg |title=Don Quijote Semi-cured, Wheel 3 kg |publisher=Lactalis Iberia Export |access-date=2 December 2018 |archive-date=2 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181202070647/http://www.lactalisforlasaexport.com/cheeses-by-format/3k/don-quijote-semi-cured-wheel-3-kg |url-status=dead }} One company also makes a manchego-type cheese with basil added. These Costa Rican cheeses can come dipped in paraffin wax, and some have the {{lang|es|pleita}} pattern pressed on the side.

• List of cheeses

{{Reflist}}

• Manchego cheese info at [https://spanishclub.blog/manchego-cheese-all-about-it/ spanishclub.blog]

{{Spanish cheeses}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Manchego Cheese}}

Category:Cheeses with designation of origin protected in the European Union

Category:Spanish cheeses

Category:Castilian-La Mancha cuisine

Category:Sheep's-milk cheeses