The whole truth about cheeses with Paulius Ruškys

The whole truth about cheeses with Paulius Ruškys

Watch episode
Cheese and dairy products Semi-hard cheese

Sheep milk cheese Manchego Castilla de Bayern

One of the most famous Spanish semi-hard cheeses, produced in the Lamansha region and only from the Manchego breed sheep's milk. The 50% fat, intense flavour and rigid, yet coarse, consistency cheese is a long-lasting expressive scent, with a delicately spicy taste, with an aftertaste of sheep's milk and from white to pale yellow ivory.

Country of origin

Spain

Aging period

4 months

Milk type

sheep milk

Certificate

PDO

Certificates

The PDO, PGI and TSG certificates have been established by the European Union to encourage the production of agricultural products, protect product names from imitation and provide the consumer with information about the unique characteristics of a particular product. By virtue of this classification, you can be sure that a product bearing one of these authenticity marks is of a high quality and of the same origin.

PDO

Protected designation of origin

Includes agricultural products produced, processed and prepared in a given geographical area using recognized knowledge.

Certificates
by country

France

53 PDO, 33 PGI

Italy

81 PDO, 26 PGI

Spain

35 PDO, 18 PGI

United Kingdom

10 PDO, 13 PGI

Netherlands

4 PDO, 3 PGI

Germany

6 PDO, 25 PGI

Austria

9 PDO, 2 PGI

Denmark

4 PGI

History and uniqueness

Manchego cheese is the most important and well-known sheep’s milk cheese in Spain. Manchego cheese is made only from milk of the Manchega sheep, raised in the "La Mancha" region. Manchego cheese has a long historic and literary tradition, as it was mentioned by Cervantes in the legendary "Don Quixote of La Mancha". Today, there are two types of Manchego cheese: the farmhouse type, made with unpasteurized sheep's milk and the industrial type, made with pasteurized milk. In both cases, however, milk from Manchega sheep is the only type used and the cheese is produced in clearly defined homogenous surroundings of wheat fields, fallow land and brush fields. Manchego cheese is labeled D.O.P. (Denominación de Origen Protegida, or PDO in English – Protected Designation of Origin). It allows to foster the best cheese qualities, that result from specific production methods. According to DOP requirements, they are in line with the traditional old-fashioned recipe.

Goes best with

Food

Fruits (figs, quince, grapes, dates), olives, sun-dried tomatoes, crispy bread.

Drinks

Wines from the region of La Mancha: red (Tempranillo), white (Verdejo).