Manchego Cheese - Serving Suggestions For the Best Spanish Cheese

Manchego Cheese is an ancient and delicious Spanish cheese which has been made since well before the birth of Christ. We'll give you some background on this great cheese before getting down to business - novel and delicious Manchego cheese recipe suggestions.

Ever heard of Don Quixote? You might remember his tilting at windmills. He's the hero of one of the greatest novels of all-time, written by a man named Miguel de Cervantes. This was all set in the La Mancha region of Spain -- we mention it because it's also the only place in the world where real Manchego Cheese can be made.

There's a board in this pretty region in central Spain which keeps a close eye on the cheese-makers, certifying that the Queso Manchego is made from the milk of the Manchega sheep and aged for 60 days or more. Only then can they put the special D.O. sticker on it certifying that it's an authentic and tasty Manchego.

Manchego Cheese - Serving Suggestions For the Best Spanish Cheese

This whole regulation process has only existed since the early 1980s, but Manchego Cheese has been made in this area for much longer than that. Cervantes mentions it in Don Quixote, which was written in the very early 1600s, so it's at least that old. Or much older -- historians say that there's evidence that very similar cheese was made in La Mancha well before the birth of Christ, so in fact the cheese is thousands of years old! You can't actually buy a thousand year old cheese, though, and probably just as well! Manchego comes in three varieties, depending on how long it's been aged for (in a cave, no less):

A Manchego Fresco is a white, fresh variety of the cheese aged for only a couple of weeks. This is hard to get outside Spain and is not technically a real Manchego, but still has a great smooth, rich flavour. You'll just have to make a trip over there to eat it! Most common is the Manchego Curado which gets between three and six months of aging. It's semi-solid and a yellowish-white, with a mild, nutty taste and a smooth, creamy texture. It's an excellent melting cheese and very complementary to all kinds of flavours. My favourite, however, is the Manchego Viejo. This is aged for up to a year and so is a bit more expensive. The colour is a rich yellow and the cheese is much more solid, with a complex flavour -- an intense, peppery body with a sharp edge to it and the characteristic sheep's milk aftertaste. It's a main course cheese, as you'll see...

Now that we've whetted your appetite, how do you get hold of a delicious Manchego? Most gourmet supermarkets or delicatessens should have some for you to choose from - but look closely to make sure you're buying real Manchego. Make sure that you see the herringbone pattern on the rind, the wheat ear pattern on the top and bottom of the wheel, and most importantly, the official D.O. tab on the back which gives you confidence that it's real. And now it's finally time to make a meal! There's no limit to the versatility of these cheeses, especially if you can get hold of multiple types, but here are some Manchego serving suggestions which work well for us:

First, Spanish tapas platter: a strong Manchego Viejo works perfectly in the middle of a tapas platter, surrounded by gorgeous Spanish Jamon, green olives, crusty bread and dulce de membrillo (a sweet quince paste). This should be your first option for Viejo. For a Manchego Curado, you have infinite options. Apple and Manchego Salad is easy -- a salad of tart Granny Smith apples, smooth Manchego Curado cheese, chives, smoked almonds, olive oil and apple cider vinegar. How about a Manchego Hot Dog? It's a hot dog variant with a Spanish touch. A crusty bun with deep red chorizo sausage, rocket and Manchego Curado. Italian fusion Manchego Pizza: take a good thin pizza base, cover with tomato passata mixed with paprika, add slices of fresh tomato, sweet green olives and top with grated manchego curado - simple yet so effective!

Think carefully about how you serve this beautiful cheese and you'll be rewarded.

Manchego Cheese - Serving Suggestions For the Best Spanish Cheese
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David runs a site all about manchego cheese because he loves it! He's always adding more serving suggestions for queso manchego, so keep an eye out over there if you like what you've seen.