In Spain, there are more than a hundred types of cheeses, but only eighteen of them have a certificate of quality and authenticity of origin DO (Denominación de Origen). This document is received by products created according to the strictest adherence to the recipe and technology. Spanish cheeses are known all over the world and are in great demand among customers.
Cheese designation
In Spain, the following designations apply, which determine the maturity of this product:
- Two-year-old hard cheese is called añejo.
- Cheese a week ago is considered young and is called tierno.
- A product with a ripening period ranging from ten to twelve months is considered half-mature and is called viejo. This is a fairly solid seasoned variety.
- Semi-hard Spanish cheese is considered semi-mature, and its ripening period ranges from sixty days to one hundred and twenty. This cheese is called semi-curado.
- The semi-annual cheese is called curado.
The names and photos of Spanish cheeses are known to almost all gourmets of the world. Each region has its own recipes, which are not one hundred years old. A national product is being prepared not only from cow's, but also from sheep and goat's milk. The most popular were the famous sheep cheeses.
Tetilla
Due to the unusual appearance, this Spanish cheese, the photo of which is presented above, is difficult to confuse with any other. It has a conical shape resembling a female breast. The consistency of the product is delicate and at the same time viscous, rich yellow color. When cooking, cheese is coated with salt or immersed in brine. Then it is transferred to a special chamber, where further ripening takes place in a humid atmosphere. Spaniards prefer to eat Tetilla with white wine and bread. The name of this cheese in Spanish means "nipple". It has a slightly sweet and sour taste, reminiscent of butter.
San simon da costa
Recipes of Spanish cheeses were known in the time of the Celts. Like the previous variety, San Simon da Costa is prepared in the north-west of Spain in the province of Galicia. It is made from the milk of cows of a certain breed called Light-haired Galega. One of the conditions for the production of this product is its full belonging to the region where it is made. When smoking cheese, sawdust of birches is used, which grow only in a certain area. This product has a semi-solid elastic texture with smoked smack. The cheese is covered with a bright orange shell, the thickness of which does not exceed three millimeters. As a rule, manufacturers make two packaging options. One of them is one and a half kilograms, and the second no more than five hundred grams.
Blue mold
Cabrales cheese is a bit like French Roquefort. However, according to experts, its smell is sharper and more saturated. In Europe you can hear the saying: “It smells like Cabrales”. It is made simultaneously from three types of milk. Maintain cheese in caves with a unique fungus. This product owes him the presence of blue mold. The Spaniards claim that this fungus can only be found in the caves of high mountain Asturias. Before selling, the product is kept on wooden shelves for ninety days. The consistency of the product is quite soft. Cheese literally crumbles in your hands while eating. It is served along with sweet wines and figs.
Afuegal pitu
This product is made from unpasteurized cow's milk. It has a fairly sharp taste and soft texture. When cooking, manufacturers add red pepper, which makes the cheese turn pink. The shell has the imprint of the fabric in which it was wrapped. In addition, manufacturers specifically rub the crust with cayenne hot pepper to enhance the taste. In the preparation of this product, only evening milk is used. The shape of the cheese piece has the shape of a cone with a truncated top.
Solid with holes
Idiazábal is one of Spain's favorite cheeses. It ripens for sixty days, weighs a piece from one kilogram to two. This is a fairly hard Spanish cheese, which practically does not crumble. It has a nutty flavor and an oily consistency. Idiazábal is made from low-fat sheep milk. During the production of the product, it is smoked on cherry wood, which is why it acquires a special, refined aroma. Spaniards love to make dessert from young cheese and fruit jam. Serve it with red wines.
Curd cheese "Mato"
“Mato” resembles ordinary cottage cheese with its taste and appearance. It contains absolutely no salt, and therefore it is often used to make sweet desserts. The Spaniards pour "Mato" honey with nuts and garnish with fresh fruits. Its taste is very delicate, and the color of the cheese has a pleasant beige hue. The consistency of the product is not uniform, but with grains. Get it by heating the serum with the addition of a special acidifier.
Queso fresco
It is called an alternative to mozzarella. For this Spanish cheese, the name in translation means "fresh." It has a rich aroma that customers really like. In stores in Spain you can find a variety of packaging Queso Fresco. Locals prefer to take this popular product with them on a trip, for a picnic or for a light snack at work. It goes well with pastille and dried fruit, as well as tomatoes and salted fish.
Queso de cabra
This is a relatively inexpensive product made from goat's milk. Its ripening period is only six months. Semi-seasoned cheese ripens from sixty to one hundred and twenty days. It is made from pasteurized milk, rennet, salt and sourdough. The product contains no prohibited ingredients, so the cheese is completely safe for health. It is quite fat and high in calories. So, one hundred grams of the product accounts for three hundred and ninety kilocalories. You can eat it very little by watching its weight.
It has a pleasant aroma without a specific goat smell. Cheese practically does not contain holes and has a fairly dense uniform consistency. Sometimes it is compared with the Dutch Frico Chevrette. In contrast, the Spanish product is more saturated, with a moderate salting and a pleasant aftertaste. Cooks like to work with this cheese. During heat treatment, the product melts and forms a great crust. Gourmets advise holding cold cheese before use for about half an hour outside the refrigerator so that the taste of the product can open.
From sheep’s milk
One of the best Spanish sheep milk cheeses is Torta del Casar. Manufacturers according to an old recipe use milk of only two breeds of sheep Interfino and Merino. To take ten liters of milk, you have to milk at least forty animals, and from this volume you can get only two kilograms of cheese. Unlike some other similar products, Torta del Casar has an artichoke as a starter culture. It takes at least one hour to form a clot, which will subsequently become cheese. The creamy consistency is poured into special molds and pressed for six hours. Two months are enough for the product to mature.
Torta del Casar goes well with white wine and salted fish. Thanks to artichoke, this Spanish cheese acquires an exquisite bitterness, and its consistency remains pasty.
Queso majorero
It is made from cow and sheep milk, taken approximately equally. There are three types of aging of this cheese. The most piquant and saturated product is obtained, aged more than two months. If the Queso Majorero extract was only one month old, then its taste will be balanced enough and ideal for cooking. A delicate aftertaste and delicate aroma is present in the young product with a short exposure. When cooking, spices and some plants are also added. Spaniards prefer to consume it with white wine and vegetables.
Queso de la serena
It belongs to semi-hard Spanish cheeses. It has an elastic, oily texture with medium-sized holes. When slicing, cheese stretches after a portion knife. Translated from Spanish, its name means "calm place." The product is produced in the south-west of the country. The area is characterized by a quiet life away from industrial areas. The taste of the product is slightly acidic, and the cheese itself is white. It is usually served with red wine and bread.
It is made from sheep’s milk and a plant enzyme is added. The shape of this cheese resembles a cake. The Spaniards very often call it “cake” among themselves. The crust of Queso de la Serena is brown. It is strong enough and solid. A rather soft aromatic mass is hidden under it.
How to store
When storing Spanish cheese, some rules should be considered. This product needs moderate cooling and air availability. At home, cheese most often lies in the refrigerator. Leaving it on the table is undesirable. At high temperatures, it quickly loses its taste and texture. In the refrigerator, the ideal shelf is the lower shelf, where vegetables and fruits usually lie.
Before storage, the packaging should be removed and the cheese wrapped in plain paper or a thin plastic wrap. A good material will also be foil. If the cheese is not eaten within three to four days, then the packaging should be changed to a fresher one. Experts advise keeping small pieces in an enameled saucepan with a piece of sugar. The fact is that sugar absorbs moisture perfectly, regulating the humidity in the container.
The only cheese that can be stored outside the refrigerator is processed. Hard cheeses have the longest shelf life, and soft ones made from goat milk have the smallest shelf life. For example, dry hard cheese is stored for several months. If the product is slightly dried up, it can be soaked in fresh milk for ten to twelve hours. The product restores its aroma within half an hour. Therefore, during this period you should not rush to start tasting, but rather wait the recommended time.