Spanish Cheese

Spanish Deli proudly supplies Manchego cheese imported directly from producers in La Mancha.

Browse our range and learn about Spain’s amazing range of artisan cheeses.

To qualify for the famous Manchego label:

• The cheese must be firm and dry, yet rich and creamy
• Only sheep’s milk from La Mancha may be used
• The distinctive pattern on the waxed rind must be visible
• The colour of the wax denotes the age of the cheese
• The interior should be ivory in colour, with small, irregular eyes.

The complexity of the flavour will depend on the age of the cheese but there should be a richness, reminiscent of Brazil nuts and burnt caramel, with a slightly salty finish. The aroma should suggest lanolin and roast lamb.

Manchego has a firm and compact consistency and a buttery texture, and often contains small, unevenly distributed air pockets. The colour of the cheese varies from white to ivory-yellow, and the inedible rind from yellow to brownish-beige. The cheese has a distinctive flavour, well-developed but not too strong, creamy with a slight piquancy, and leaves an aftertaste that is characteristic of sheep’s milk.