Manchego (cheese)

This is a Spanish hard cheese made from Manchego sheep milk, aged for 6 to 18 months. The texture is dense and dry, becoming more pliable and fatty near the rind, giving it a buttery taste. The color ranges from white to ivory. The flavor can be slightly tangy, salty, or with hints of nuts and caramel.

Manchego cheese is available sliced, marinated with spices in olive oil, or as cylindrical wheels covered in a brownish rind with a braided pattern. Fresh Manchego has a curd-like consistency and is called queso-manchego fresco. A harder cheese, aged for 3-6 months and possessing a sweet, nutty flavor, is called manchego curado. A slightly tangy version of the cheese, aged for a year or more, is called manchego viejo.

Manchego cheese is used in Spanish dishes such as quesadillas, served on its own or as an appetizer.