Manchego is familiar to Finns, but the country also has other delicious cheeses.
The Desde 1911 restaurant in Madrid has a famous cheese trolley where dessert cheeses are cut in front of the customer’s eyes. The trolley’s cheese selection is a complete coverage of top Spanish cheeses. Wind Lindgren
Cheeses are an essential part of Spain’s food culture, which those traveling to the country should feel free to taste. Cheeses are eaten in Spain on their own, as part of tapas or as a dessert.
Roughly divided, it can be said that cow’s milk cheeses are produced in northern Spain, sheep’s milk cheeses are produced on the east coast of Spain, and goat’s milk cheeses are produced in central and southern Spain. There are big differences in the climate conditions of the country, which guarantees a wide variation for the production of different cheeses as well.
We listed five Spanish cheeses from Spain that you should definitely try. There were plenty of these cheeses also in the “Best cheeses in Spain” competition organized in the spring, in which more than 820 cheeses participated. Among the cheeses, the 60 best were awarded at the Salon Gourmet fair.
1. Manchego
The most famous Spanish cheese is manchego, which is sold in all well-stocked Finnish grocery stores. Manchego is made from sheep’s milk and is offered in different degrees of maturity. Manchego can be recognized by its dark waxy skin.
Manchego is at its best when enjoyed as is. For example, you can drizzle honey on top and offer nuts on the side.
2. Cabrales
The Spanish blue cheese Cabrales comes from the Asturias region. Cheese can be made from either cow’s, goat’s or sheep’s milk. The cheese has a very strong taste, but there are also milder versions.
3. Mahón cheese
Mahón is a cow’s milk cheese that comes from the island of Menorca. The cheese is mild in taste and has both saltiness and a sweet note.
4. Idiazabal
Made from sheep’s milk, Idiazabal comes from the Basque Country. Hard cheese is at its best when cut very thin. The cheese is also made in a smoked version, in which case the color of the cheese is brown. The color of unsmoked cheeses is light yellow.
5. On Tet
The salty and sour Tetilla comes from Galicia and is made from cow’s milk. The soft creamy cheese is great for dessert, and it is also used in dishes where the cheese is supposed to melt.