Manchego Cheese tapa, delicious!

Some of the best Spanish tapas moments have to be accompanied with a hearty plate of Manchego cheese and bread. La Mancha region of Spain, just south of Madrid, is the cradle of this delicious cheese, in fact “Manchego” means “from the Mancha” in Spanish.  It was a basic food element for shepherds who grazed their herds, it was easy to transport and it didn’t  spoil.

The designation “Queso Manchego” is protected under Spain’s regulatory classification system. The best quality cheeses are used from free range goats that pasture around the planes of La Mancha and consume a variety of grasses and rosemary herbs, giving the goat milk that unique flavor. It has to be age for a minimum of 60 days and maximum 2 years. Spanish people definitely prefer the more cured manchego cheese when going out for Spanish Tapas in Madrid. Below is a break-down of all 4 aged types:

–Fresco: aged for only two weeks, it has a rich but mild flavor.

–Semicurado: aged between three weeks and up to three months, it’s milder than the Curado.

–Curado: aged between three to six months, it has a sweet and nutty flavor.

–Viejo: aged for at least one year, it has a hard texture and a sharper flavor, it grates very well, similar to parmesan cheese.

In Madrid, we consume quite a bit of Manchego cheese, in fact, we consider it to be our own!, given that Madrid historically belonged to the Mancha region.

In our Madrid tapa tours, we offer some of the best tapas in Madrid, and of course a nice plate of Manchego cheese and Spanish jamón are shared by our customers in an informal and local style way of going out for tapas.