Manchego Semi Curado

PLU: 320
A truly artisan Manchego with limited production . Younger, fresher and moister flavour than the Manchego Curado
Sheep Unpasteurised Not vegPasteurised Spain PDO Accredited
£8.00
per 250g

320 - Manchego Semi Curado

Commentary

Manchego was produced and consumed a number of centuries BC. Although it is not known how the cheese was made by the ancient ancestors, it can be said that the taste was probably very similar to the cheese eaten today, and that the methods of production were, without a doubt, similar to those used now. The cheese is named after the breed of sheep whose milk is used in the production of the cheese, who are in turn named after the area from which they originate. La Mancha was named by the Arabs as ‘Al Mansha,’ which meant ‘land without water,’ a name which perfectly described the harshness of the climate. The dry, extreme climate is a unique area, in that the vegetation that grows is able to support the extreme heat of the summer and the devastating cold of the winter. The history of Manchego can not be told without mentioning the famous work ‘Don Quixote’ by the writer Miguel Cervantes. This book is, without a doubt, one of the reasons that Manchego cheese is so gastronomically important, and popular.
Our Manchego is from Cuenca. The dairy is a family business and the unpasteurised milk is collected from the dairy's own herds and local farms.

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To make Manchego, the unpasteurised milk is put into copper vats, where it is curdled using traditional rennet. For this process the milk is heated to 30 ºC and kept at this temperature for 45 minutes and then the curd is then cut over and over again, until the individual curds are the size of rice grains. The cheese mass is stirred and slowly reheated to 37 ºC, to help eliminate the whey and then they are put into cylindrical basket weave molds which imprint the cheese with a zigzag braid relief. During this operation the casein tab, with its serial number, is attached to identify each individual cheese. Once the curd is in the molds, it is pressed to help eliminate the whey from the inside of the cheese mass and after some time in the press the curd is extracted from the mold, turned over, and put back into the mold to be pressed again. The next step is the salting of the cheeses which is achieved by immersing them in sodium chloride for 24 to 48 hours. The cheeses are placed in rooms which have a certain degree of humidity, to eliminate the excess water. They are then placed in a cheese cellar where the temperature and humidity are controlled to ensure that the cheeses ripen correctly. Here, their rinds are regularly rubbed in olive oil to give them a deep red, orange colour.

This is a truly artisan Manchego, with limited production, resulting in subtle and complex flavours. It has a compact paste, and is nutty with a savoury sweetness, while being full-flavoured, fruity, buttery and clean.



Product Detail

Type of Milk
Sheep
Pasteurisation
Unpasteurised
Vegetarian
No
Country
Product of Spain
Region
Castilla la Mancha
Organic
No
Flavour
Nutty and sweet
Recommended Drink
Tinto de Toro
Weight
250g

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