Everything you ever wanted to know about Manchego cheese

My love for Manchego cheese knows no bounds. Not overly pungent, but having more character than a milder cheese, it is one of my favorite snacks. Manchego is considered a staple in Spanish cuisine, though the buttery texture and nutty overtone make it suitable for a wide variety of dishes, Spanish and otherwise. All of this said, for someone who's been passionate about this cheese since the age of 21, I knew surprisingly little about it, other than that it's produced in Spain.

Manchego cheese could easily be one of the most renowned cultural products to come from Spain. It is produced in the infamous region of Castile la Mancha, a sparsely populated area in central Spain, famous also as the homeplace of Don Quixote (in fact, it's even mentioned in the book). Produced from the milk of Manchego sheep (hence the name), Manchego has roots dating back to the Bronze Age when it was processed in esparto grass baskets, giving it a unique rind texture reminiscent of fishbones. Today most Manchego is identified by this grass zigzag rind, though it's normally now made of plastic. 

Manchego is distinguished principally by how long it’s cured, and luckily for us, it’s edible in almost every stage of aging. The youngest version of this cheese, which only ages for approximately 2 weeks, is Manchego fresco. It would be almost impossible to find anywhere outside of Spain. Next in line is Manchego semi-curado, aged between 3 weeks and 4 months. Manchego curado is aged between 3 to 6 months, though 'curado' is misleading as it's considered only halfway cured at this stage. Manchego añejo (or viejo) is aged for over a year to a maximum of 2 years. Fully cured, this is the oldest and most flavorful version of Manchego. In order to receive the Spanish Designation of Origin (Denominacion de Origen Controlada in Spanish), Manchego must be made from whole Manchego sheep milk and aged for at least 2 months. Only these unpasteurized versions will carry the circular mark that labels it as pure Spanish Manchego. There are also several industrialized, pasteurized versions of Manchego found in supermarkets. 

There are also some Manchego-lookalikes to watch out for. Zamorano historically was considered Manchego until the qualifications for Manchego mandated using only Manchego sheep milk (Zamorano is made from Churra sheep). Both have similar flavor and could easily fool someone in a blindfold test. Campo de Montalbán also looks similar to Manchego but is in fact a mixed-milk cheese. Around 60% of the milk comes from cow's milk, the other portion a mixture of sheep and goat milks. Finally, there is the American Roth GranQueso, a cheese inspired by Manchego, but proudly made from Wisconsin cow milk. This cheese is uniquely made with the rind smothered in blends of various spices.  

Thankfully, Manchego is well-known enough to be easily found in most grocery stores. You will likely find it in your store's artisan cheese section among other sheep's milk or Spanish cheeses. Having just researched more about my favorite cheese and wanting to do a taste test of my own, I decided to try several Manchego cheeses of different ages. I was determined to find an unpasteurized Manchego, though unsurprisingly, I was unable to get one. That said, my local grocery store offered three varieties of Manchegos: aged 3, 6, and 8 months. 

I'll confess that on starting this experiment, I didn't expect there would be much difference between each cheese. There was! In appearance, the 3-month aged Manchego was much paler and less porous than its older counterparts. The 6 month and 8-month aged cheeses are yellower, porous, and harder. In terms of smell, once more the 3-month aged cheese surprised me by having a robust smell of sheep's milk. This isn't necessarily strange, though it's difficult to note this same smell in the older cheeses. The 6-month aged cheese almost carried a hint of fruity smell to it, while the oldest of this bunch didn't give much of a smell at all. All three were texturally quite buttery, though the 3-month aged more so than the others, the older version being both crumblier and drier.

If blindfolded, each cheese would taste much like Manchego, though with notable differences. Once again, the 3-month aged cheese was the distinguishable in that it tasted notably milky. The 6-month aged cheese was milder at first, though the nuttier flavor builds in the mouth. The milkiness isn’t quite as potent in this version. Finally, though the 8-month aged cheese didn’t offer a lot of fragrance, the taste was much more intense. Here the taste of nuts and fruit becomes quite potent. Having tried Manchego several times before this experiment, this version of the cheese tasted the most ‘manchego’ of these three.

Though I hate missing an opportunity to use this cheese, there are times when it's called for and I simply don't have it, and I'd be remiss if I didn't offer a few substitutes for when this happens. Manchego is within the Parmesan family however, so a Parmesan or Parmigiano-Reggiano would be a suitable substitution.

I hope I've convinced you to try this cheese if you haven't already. There are many ways to enjoy it. Manchego is used in a wide variety of Spanish dishes. You'll find it in several tapa platters on its own. If that's your intention, I would recommend an older Manchego, though only you know your heart's truest desires. As an ingredient in Spanish dishes, you can't go wrong with any version of the cheese though see above for different flavors/smells/textures, as you might want a younger or older cheese depending on the recipe. I find it to be perfect on a cheese plate with some membrillo paste and Iberian chorizo. Manchego also pairs delightfully with a Spanish sherry (jerez) such as Fino, or a Rioja wine.