How Does Manchego Cheese Change With Age?
As with any of the great cheeses, the maturation and ageing of Manchego has big implications for the flavour. In order to qualify as real Manchego cheese, the wheels must be aged for more than two months in natural caves in Spain’s the La Mancha region. Two months is enough time to get a bit of flavour into the cheese, but that silky sheep’s milk has much more to offer. This is where the cheese-maker’s art starts to manifest… Pulling the cheese out of the cave after between three and six months gives you a Manchego Curado. The cheese is about halfway to being completely solid – technically, it’s semi-cured – and breaks easily when required, with just a hint of yellow in the colour. The taste is mild, not over-powering, with a nutty piquancy and a smooth, creamy texture in the mouth. At this point it works very well for melting or in other ways finishing off a dish. However, if you’re prepared to wait a little longer for your cheese, you end up with a different beast. Restrain yourself
