CheeseReviews.org

Manchego is one of Spain's signature cheeses. It's a D.O. protected cheese produced in La Mancha in central Spain, and is made from sheep's milk.

Since this cheese is made by several manufacturers and may have a variety of ages, the sample you find may vary slightly from what we tried here. But in general, Manchego is a very distinctive cheese with a rich spicy flavor. I've heard terms like roast lamb, pepper, "zesty and exuberant" tossed about when trying to pin down the flavor. And for a cheese, perhaps one could go so far as "zesty". But let's not get carried away. More than anything it just tastes like cheese. Really good cheese to be sure, but still....... In a blind taste test, no one will mistake it for roast lamb.

I'd say it's spicy, rich, complex, and woodsy. Semi-hard with a rind that is probably inedible. Very yummy.

The wife and I both love Manchego, as does the cat. The flavor is so distinctive that I've always gobbled it up plain before it had a chance to make it into any cooked dishes, but I'll have to get around to that at some point.

If you haven't tried Manchego I strongly suggest you head down to your cheese monger right now and grab some.