Cheeses

Question 1

Cana de Oveja

Answer 1

Animal: Pasteurized Sheep’s Milk
Profile: Soft-ripened sheep’s milk log (the first soft-ripened sheep log in Spain); Blanketed with a cottony white mold, the cheese immediately under the rind is ecstatically gooey but gives way to a flakier, crumblier center. With notes of tangy butter in the paste, the cheese will intensify the older it gets.
Origin: Murcia, Spain
Aged: 21 days

Question 2

Malvarosa

Answer 2

Animal: Pasteurized Sheep’s Milk
Profile: Buttery sheep’s milk cheese; made with milk from a nearly extinct breed of sheep called Guirra (Gee-YOUR-ah). Firm and buttery with a butterscotch finish.
Origin: Valencia, Spain
Aged: minimum 3 months

Question 3

Idiazabal

Answer 3

Animal: Unpasteurized (Raw) Sheep’s Milk
Profile: Smoked with Hawthorne and Cherry woods. Full flavored with a pronounced “sheepy” finish due to the raw milk used. At the time of sale, Idiazabal has a smooth, dark, yellow-brown rind and has a slightly burnt aroma. The rind carries the marks of the wooden molds in which the curd is drained. The cheese’s texture is compact, slightly waxy, and dotted with small holes. It is pleasantly supple and toothsome in the mouth.
Origin: Basque Country, Navarra, Spain
Aged: 2-10 months

Question 4

Manchego

Answer 4

Animal: Pasteurized Sheep’s Milk
Profile: Firm and compact consistency and a buttery texture, and often contains small, unevenly distributed air pockets. The color of the cheese varies from white to ivory-yellow, and the inedible rind from yellow to brownish-beige. The cheese has a distinctive flavor, well-developed but not too strong, creamy with a slight piquancy, and leaves an aftertaste that is characteristic of sheep’s milk
Origin: Castilla-La Mancha, Spain
Aged: 6 months

Question 6

Miticrema

Answer 6

Animal: Pasteurized Sheep’s Milk
Profile: This cheese is unique in the fact that it is the first and only Spanish spreadable sheep’s cheese. It is creamy and sweet—comparable to a richer and smoother cream cheese. Highly versatile, this sweet, creamy cheese can be used as a filling for ravioli, in Tiramisu and other desserts, or simply on a bread.
Origin: Murcia, Spain
Aging: Fresh

Question 7

Romao

Answer 7

Animal: Unpasteurized (raw) Sheep’s Milk
Profile: Full flavored and complex with a longer finish than most cheeses. Similar to Parmesan in texture and sharpness. Hand-rubbed with lard/rosemary.
Origin: Castilla-La Mancha, Spain
Aging: 6 months in caves

Question 8

Mahón

Answer 8

Animal: Pasteurized Cow’s Milk
Profile: The cheese is a pale yellow in color with numerous eyes (small holes) and a characteristic orange rind that comes from the butter and paprika that is rubbed on the exterior. Young Mahon is mild with a nutty finish. Great beginners cheese somewhat similar to cheddar.
Origin: Minorca, Spain
Aging: 4 months

Question 9

San Simón

Answer 9

Animal: Pasteurized Cow’s Milk
Profile: Shaped like a teardrop (conical); subtle smoke flavor comes from aging the cheese on birch wood. Semi-soft with smoky flavor (similar to a smoked gouda just not as sharp).
Origin: Galicia, Spain
Aged: 30-45 days

Question 10

Tetilla

Answer 10

Animal: Pasteurized Cow’s Milk
Profile: Pale yellow in color with a mild aroma; Slightly bitter in flavor, buttery, mild and tangy; Texture is creamy, smooth and spreadable
It is made with milk from three breeds of cattle: imported Friesian and Parda Alpina (Braunvieh), and the local Rubia Gallega of Galicia.
Origin: Galicia, Spain
Aged: 10-30 days

Question 11

Délice de Bourgogne

Answer 11

Animal: Pasteurized Cow’s Milk
Profile: Delice de Bourgogne from Burgundy is a pasteurized triple creme that is unapologetically rich and delightfully whipped. Unlike many straightforward triple-cremes, this one has a thin, pungent mold rind that imparts straw and mushroom aromas, complementing the buttery yellow, sweet cream interior.
Origin: Burgundy, France
Aged: 1-2 weeks

Question 12

Cabra al Gofio

Answer 12

Animal: Pasteurized Majorero goat
Profile: Beige, grainy, and ridged rind with a smooth ivory paste. Pleasantly milky and mild with subtle hints of roasted cornmeal and a unique sweetness in the finish.
Origin: Canary Islands, Spain
Aged: 60 days

Question 13

Cabra Romero

Answer 13

Animal: Pasteurized goat’s Milk
Profile: Semi-soft; mildly tart and creamy and covered with copious amounts of rosemary. Though the flavor of the herb is evident from the first to the last bite, it complements rather than competes with the cheese.
Origin: Murcia, Spain
Aged: 90 days

Question 14

Caña de Cabra

Answer 14

Animal: Pasteurized Goat’s Milk
Profile: Soft-ripened creamy and mild with hints of citrus on the finish.
Origin: Murcia, Spain
Aged: 21 days

Question 15

Doña Julia

Answer 15

Animal: Pasteurized goat’s Milk
Profile: Semi-soft and white in color with aromas of fresh milk. Bright and lactic flavor with a sweet finish.
Origin: Castilla La Mancha, Spain
Aged: 15 days

Question 16

Drunken Goat

Answer 16

Animal: Pasteurized Goat’s Milk
Profile: Bright white paste and purple rind; flavor starts off mild and buttery, but builds to a spicy and sweet finish as a result of the wine
Origin: Murcia, Spain
Aged: 78 days (3 + 75)