Spanish cheeses: types, names and recipes

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

There are more than a hundred types of cheese in Spain, 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 observance of the recipe and technology. Spanish cheeses are known all over the world and are in great demand among buyers.

Designation of cheeses

In Spain, the following designations are used to indicate the maturity of this product:

• A two-year-old hard cheese called añejo.
• A week old cheese is considered young and is called tierno.
• A product that has a ripening period of ten to twelve months is considered semi-ripe and is called viejo. This is a fairly firm aged variety.
• Spanish semi-hard cheese is considered semi-aged, and its ripening period ranges from sixty days to one hundred and twenty. This cheese is called semi-curado.
• Cheese aged six months is called curado.

Names and photos of Spanish cheeses are known to almost all gourmets in the world. Each region has its own recipes, which are notone hundred years. A national product is being prepared not only from cow's milk, but also from sheep's and goat's milk. The famous sheep cheeses are the most popular.

Tetilla

Due to its 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 tender and at the same time viscous, rich yellow color. When cooking, the cheese is smeared with s alt or immersed in brine. After that, it is transferred to a special chamber, where further ripening takes place in a humid atmosphere. Spaniards prefer to consume Tetilla along 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 for Spanish cheeses have been known since the days 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, which is called Light-haired Galega. One of the conditions for the production of this product is complete belonging to the region where it is made. When smoking cheese, birch sawdust is used, which grows only in a certain area. This product has a semi-solid elastic texture with a smoky flavor. The cheese is covered with a bright orange shell, the thickness of which does not exceed three millimeters. Typically, manufacturersproduce two packaging options. One of them is one and a half kilograms, and the second is not more than five hundred grams.

With blue mold

Cabrales cheese tastes a bit like French Roquefort. However, according to experts, its smell is sharper and more intense. In Europe, you can hear the saying: "Smells like Cabrales." It is made simultaneously from three types of milk. Cheese is aged in caves with a unique fungus. It is to him that this product owes the presence of blue mold. The Spaniards claim that this fungus can only be found in the caves of high Asturias. Before being sold, the product is kept on wooden shelves for ninety days. The consistency of the product is quite soft. Cheese literally crumbles in the hands while eating. It is served with sweet wines and figs.

Afuegal Pitu

This product is made from unpasteurized cow's milk. It has a rather sharp taste and soft texture. When cooking, manufacturers add red pepper, which is why the cheese acquires a pink hue. The shell has an imprint of the fabric in which it was wrapped. In addition, manufacturers specially rub the crust with cayenne pepper to enhance the taste. In the preparation of this product, only evening milk is used. The shape of the cheese piece looks like a cone with a truncated top.

Hard with holes

Idiazábal is one of Spain's favorite cheeses. He matures infor sixty days, a piece weighs from one to two kilograms. This is a fairly hard Spanish cheese that practically does not crumble. It has a nutty flavor and buttery texture. Idiazábal is made from low-fat sheep's milk. During the production of the product, it is smoked on cherry wood, which is why it acquires a special exquisite aroma. The Spaniards love to make a dessert of young cheese and fruit jam. Served with red wines.

Curd cheese "Mato"

With its taste and appearance, "Mato" resembles ordinary cottage cheese. It contains absolutely no s alt, and therefore it is often used to make sweet desserts. Spaniards pour "Mato" with honey and nuts and decorate with fresh fruit. Its taste is very delicate, and the color of the cheese mass has a pleasant beige tint. The consistency of the product is not homogeneous, but with grains. It is obtained by heating whey with the addition of a special acidifier.

Queso Fresco

It is called an alternative to mozzarella. This Spanish cheese has a name that means "fresh". It has a rich aroma that customers really like. In stores in Spain, you can find various packages of Queso Fresco. This is a popular product that locals prefer to take with them on a trip, on a picnic or for a light snack at work. It pairs well with marshmallows and dried fruit, as well as tomatoes and s alted fish.

Queso de Cabra

Thisa relatively inexpensive product made from goat's milk. Its maturity is only six months. Semi-aged cheese matures from sixty to one hundred and twenty days. It is made from pasteurized milk, rennet, s alt and sourdough. The product contains no prohibited components, so the cheese is completely safe for he alth. It is quite fatty and high in calories. So, one hundred grams of the product accounts for three hundred and ninety kilocalories. Watching your weight, you can eat quite a bit of it.

It has a pleasant aroma without a specific goat smell. Cheese practically does not contain holes and has a fairly dense homogeneous consistency. It is sometimes compared to the Dutch Frico Chevrette. In contrast, the Spanish product is more saturated, with moderate s alting and a pleasant aftertaste. Cooks love working with this cheese. During heat treatment, the product melts and forms a magnificent crust. Gourmets advise keeping the cheese cold for about half an hour outside the refrigerator before eating so that the taste of the product can open up.

Sheep milk

One of the best Spanish sheep's milk cheeses is Torta del Casar. Producers, according to an old recipe, use milk from 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,at Torta del Casar, the artichoke acts as a starter. It takes at least one hour to form a clot that will later become cheese. The creamy consistency is poured into special molds and pressed for six hours. Two months is enough for the product to mature.

Torta del Casar pairs well with white wine and s alted fish. Thanks to the artichoke, this Spanish cheese acquires an exquisite bitterness, and its consistency remains spreadable.

Queso Majorero

It is made from cow's and sheep's milk, taken approximately equally. There are three types of aging of this cheese. The most piquant and rich product is obtained, aged for more than two months. If Queso Majorero has been aged for only one month, then its taste will be quite balanced and ideal for cooking. A young product with a little aging has a delicate aftertaste and delicate aroma. When cooking, spices and some plants are also added. Spaniards prefer to drink it with white wine and vegetables.

Queso de la Serena

It belongs to the semi-hard Spanish cheeses. It has an elastic, oily texture with medium-sized holes. When cutting, the cheese stretches after the portioned knife. Its name means "peaceful place" in Spanish. The product is produced in the southwest of the country. The area is characterized by a quiet life away from industrial areas. The taste of the product is sweetish sour, andthe cheese itself is white. It is usually served with red wine and bread.

It's made from sheep's milk with a vegetable enzyme added. The shape of this cheese resembles a cake. The Spaniards very often among themselves call it “cake”. The rind of the Queso de la Serena is brown. It is quite strong and solid. Under it lies a rather soft fragrant mass.

How to store

There are some rules to keep in mind when storing Spanish cheese. This product needs moderate coolness and air availability. At home, cheese is most often in the refrigerator. Leaving it on the table is undesirable. At high temperatures, it quickly loses its taste and texture. In the refrigerator, the bottom shelf is ideal for storing fruits and vegetables.

Before storage, the packaging should be removed and the cheese wrapped in plain paper or thin cling film. Foil would also be a good material. 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 enamel saucepan along with a piece of sugar. The fact is that sugar perfectly absorbs moisture, regulating the humidity in the container.

The only cheese that can be stored outside the refrigerator is processed cheese. Hard cheeses have the longest shelf life, while soft cheeses made from goat's milk have the shortest shelf life. For example, dry hard cheese is stored for several months. If the product is a little dry, it can be soaked in fresh milk for ten to twelve hours. Product within half an hourrestores its aroma. Therefore, during this period, one should not rush to start tasting, but rather wait for the recommended time.