Cheese from the “Waterless Land”…
/Hello Cheese Enthusiast!
Photo courtesy of Alma Gourmet
While most parents were busy shopping online trying to find that last “perfect” gift…and visions of sugar plums were dancing in children’s heads (or something like that), a quiet anniversary was being celebrated in a far off land.
Queso Manchego may have been produced as early as the 4th millennium B.C, but it only became one of Spain’s protected cheeses on 21 December 1984….but I am getting ahead of myself. Let’s step back in time…way back. A time in history known as “The Bronze Age” when writing was just starting and history began to record happenings…
Archaeologists have discovered that a cheese very similar to Manchego was being produced in Spain long before the Roman Conquest of the Iberian Peninsula (which started in 218 B.C). Queso Manchego may have been produced as early as the 4th millennium B.C (4,000 B.C. to 3,001 B.C.), but it was the Romans who shared their cheese making know-how on the European countries that it invaded.
Queso Manchego is from the center of Spain in the Autonomous Community* of Castilla-La Mancha. (*An autonomous community is a political and administrative division, created with the aim of guaranteeing limited autonomy of the nationalities and regions that make up Spain).
Manchega Sheep image courtesy of Crowd Farming
La Mancha was named by Arab people, who called this place Al-Mansha, or “waterless land”, a perfect description of this harsh region of Spain. The dry and extreme climate has made La Mancha the only place in the world with a vegetation that is able to withstand the heat of summer months and the frosts of winter months. In this environment, seemingly unfavorable for any animal or plant, many grasses and legume species grow, which are the basis of the diet of Manchega Sheep. These sheep have adapted to this environment since far-off times and most likely originally migrated from the Pyrenees. Queso Manchego is produced with 100% pure Manchega Sheep milk.
Much like other protected cheeses, Queso Manchego has its own unique cheese production rules that each producer must follow. These rules were developed by the producers, so they left a little “wiggle room” to make each of their wheels of Queso Manchego their own.
Let’s review these rules…
Milk Collection:
Production Zone image courtesy of Queso Manchego
Manchego cheeses can only be made in the area covered by the Denomination of Origin, which spans part of the Spanish provinces of Cuenca, Ciudad Réal, Tolède (Toledo) and Albacete. Note: This zone has a unique significance, as the area colored in dark orange was the natural (and historical) region of La Mancha, an arid but fertile plateau known as “Campo Espartario” (The Spartan Field) by the Romans, given the abundance of the Esparto grasses.
The cheese is made of 100% Manchega ewe’s milk.
Manchego can be produced from either pasteurized or raw milk. In the latter case, the label may bear the word “Artesano.”
The ewes can be milked by machine or hand.
Immediately after milking, the milk is either transformed into cheese or stored in refrigerated tanks, where it is chilled down to 4° C (39.2° F) to prevent it from developing any microbial organisms. If transported, the temperature must be kept under 10° C (50° F) so it can reach its destination without losing any of its qualities.
Production:
The milk is curdled using natural rennet or other legally authorized coagulating enzymes.
While the cut curd size is no longer regulated, most will cut until a “grain” of between 5 to 10 mm (about the size of a grain of wheat) is achieved.
Moulding:
Note: I enjoy using the British spelling for “Mould” – Meaning the container or vessel that holds the cheese curds. This spelling helps me differentiate between the container (mould) and the fungus (mold – as in Blue cheese).
Cinchos image courtesy of Pindongas
The curd is placed either by hand or by machine into cylindrical moulds that have been lined with a standard coarse cheese cloth. This mould has a relief pattern on the inside which imprints the characteristic wheat-ear and herringbone patterns, which remind us of the patterns made by shepherds of the past who used wooden boards and a “Cincho” (belt) or “Pleita” (grass mat) made from woven esparto grass.
Esparto map courtesy of Wikipedia
Esparto (also referred to as Esparto Grass or Halfah Grass) is a fiberous perennial grass that is found throughout Southern Europe and Northern Africa. While the Spanish call it “Atocha”, Esparto comes from two different species of grasses known as Stipa tenacissima and Lygeum spartumthat have been used in basket making and rope making going back 7,000 years. From the map below, you can see why this was a popular material. Today, Esparto is still used in basket making, but more commonly used in the production of Espadrille shoes.
Today’s moulds are made from materials approved by the current legislation and have the right dimensions for the cheeses to achieve the required weight and size. The finished cheeses will have a maximum height of 12 cm (4.72 inches), and a maximum diameter of 22 cm (8.66 inches).
Queso Manchego Casein Band
After the initial pressing, a Casein Band is placed on top of the cheese curd and the lid of the mould is returned. The moulds are stacked, one on top of the other, then placed on their sides and pressure is applied to remove any remaining whey. Pressing takes from 1 hour to up to 6 hours.
The Casein Band with its serial number (a combination of five numbers and three capital letters) is a critical step, as this will allow the cheese maker to identify the dairy and batch of each individual cheese.
Salting:
Salar (or ‘to salt’) is done by immersing the cheese in brine, by a dry salting, or combining both options by using a sodium chloride solution. In the case of using brine immersion, this process should take at least 5 hours and never exceed 48 hours.
Aging:
Queso Manchego can be found in a variety of ages…
Fresco - Aged for only 2 weeks, with a rich but mild flavor. Produced in small quantities, it is rarely found outside Spain.
Semicurado – Aged over 60 days.
Curado – Aged over 105 days.
Viejo – Aged over 180 days.
Añejo – Aged over 270 days.
Cheese aging should last at least 30 days for cheeses under 1.5 kilos and 60 days for larger cheeses. Aging starts counting from the unmolding date. While they age, cheeses are regularly turned over and cleaned so they can acquire their required characteristics. Aging chambers should ensure clear identification and separation of the cheeses aiming to be protected by the Manchego Cheese PDO. During the whole aging process, the chambers have a controlled temperature between 3 - 16° C (37.4 – 60.8° F) and stable humidity levels between 75% - 90%. This is necessary for correct aging. After this amount of aging, the wheels that have been aged 60 days or longer will have a coating of mold on the outside which will be cleaned and may be rubbed with olive oil, or dipped in food grade paraffin.
Know the facts….
Even though Queso Manchego PDO is a protected cheese from Spain, you need to be aware of imitations. Another cheese can be found called “Queso tipo Manchego”. It is a very popular cheese in Mexico and can also be found here in the U.S. The name is a misuse of the word “Manchego”, as the Mexican version has nothing to do with the Spanish original. Here are some (obvious) differences:
The Mexican version is made with pasteurized cow’s milk, while authentic Manchego is made with Manchega sheep’s milk.
Mexican “Manchegos” are very rarely aged, while original Manchego cheese is always aged.
Most Mexican versions are commercial cheeses, while the real Manchego has a unique cultural and gastronomic heritage.
Mexican “Manchegos” are mostly used to melt in quesadillas or in other dishes, while original Manchego tastes delicious on its own.
Queso Manchego PDO from Spain will have the following identifications:
The Casein Band (above), Manchego Cheese PDO Regulating Council’s label, with its logotype, stamp and serial number (right or above on mobile devices). Another variant is this same label is if the cheese weights under 1.5 kilos, a blue stripe will cross this label on its right top corner. If the portion is sold in a plastic film, a green stripe will cross this label on its right top corner.
Today, Queso Manchego is one of the largest exported cheeses out of Spain. It could easily be recognized as one of the most consumed cheeses, not only from its long standing production, but the literary references about this cheese in The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes written in 1605 and is the 2nd most translated book in the world after the Bible.
The name “Queso Manchego” was provisionally recognized by the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food in 1982. By order of 21 December 1984, the regulation was amended, and the Denominación de Origen (DO) "Queso Manchego" was officially ratified. Queso Manchego was recognized as a PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) cheese in 1996 by the European Union.
Today, these rules are enforced by the Fundación de Consejo Regulador de la Denominación de Origen Queso Manchego (Foundation of the Regulatory Council of the Manchego Cheese Designation of Origin), as well as the Cofradía del Queso Manchego (Manchego Cheese Guilde).
Whew!....A lot to cover, but I wanted to make sure that you knew the full story and why the real Queso Manchego is so important and worthy of this protection of it’s good name….Now that’s a present that we can all enjoy (and maybe a sugar plum or two)
Until next year….
Trevor
