Spain produces approximately 100 varieties of cheese.
Around 100 types of cheeses are produced in Spain. Each region has developed its own specialties. Cow's milk is generally used in the north, sheep's milk is used inland, and goat's milk cheese can be found along the Mediterranean coast and in the Canary and Balearic Islands. Cheeses are made from blends of milks throughout Spain. Types of cheese range from fresh to cured, to fermented and blue-veined. Some types of cheese have been regulated by the Ministry of Agriculture and are labeled as "Denominacíon de Origen" or Denomination of Origin (D.O.), guaranteeing their authenticity. These are the cheeses you are most likely to find in a store offering gourmet cheeses or imported Spanish food products.
Cow's Milk Cheeses
Mahón is a cow's milk cheese from Menorca. It can be produced as a semi-hard to an aged hard cheese. It has a sharp, slightly salty flavor and a sweet and fruity aroma. The rind is rubbed with oil and paprika. Tetilla, meaning "nipple," describes the shape of this soft, hand-formed cow's milk cheese from Galicia. Its flavor has been compared to a mild cheddar but with a much creamier quality. It has few air pockets and melts easily when used in cooking.
Sheep's Milk Cheeses
True Manchego cheese is made from sheep's milk from the region of La Mancha. It achieved literary fame with its mention in "Don Quixote." It is made in esparto grass molds, which create a zigzag pattern on the cheese. It has a buttery, piquant taste. Roncal is produced in northwestern Navarre from unpasteurized sheep's milk. It is formed in a cylindrical shape and ranges from cured to aged. Roncal has a buttery taste with an aroma reminiscent of straw, dried fruit and mushrooms.
Goat's Milk Cheeses
Ibores is a semi-soft cheese from Extremedura made from unpasteurized goat milk. It has a very buttery, creamy taste and a tangy aroma. It is a medium-aged cheese and the rind is rubbed with oil and paprika. Majorero comes from Feurteventura, one of the Canary Islands. It is made from unpasteurized goat's milk. It has a slightly acidic, piquant taste and a creamy texture. The aged versions may carry a taste of the paprika or the aroma of toasted wheat flour that was rubbed on the rind.
Mixed Milk Cheeses
Gamonedo is made in Asturias from a blend of raw milk from cows, goats and sheep. It is a mild, drier version of a blue cheese. It has a slightly piquant flavor and is lightly smoked. Cabrales is produced only in the village of the same name in Asturias. It is made from raw cow's milk, with sheep and goat milk mixed in during the spring and summer. It is a world-famous blue cheese. The taste of Cabrales is strong, slightly acid and piquant. It has a creamy texture.
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