What is the name of the traditional cheese produced in Castilla La-Mancha?
The correct answer is Manchego
Manchego cheese originates from the arid fields and grasslands of Spain’s La Mancha region, which lies in the country’s central plateau. This iconic cheese holds a Protected Designation of Origin, meaning that only cheeses made from the milk of Manchega sheep and produced within La Mancha can officially bear the name Manchego. Through centuries of tradition, Manchego has become Spain’s most famous and prized cheese variety.
Records indicate sheep’s milk cheesemaking existed in La Mancha since at least the Roman era. However, written references to a cheese called “Manchego” first appeared in the 13th century. Manchego production was initially done on a small, family scale, with shepherds making cheese from the milk of their own flocks of Manchega sheep. These hardy sheep grazed semi-wild across La Mancha’s meseta landscape, dining on herbs and shrubs that lent their unique flavors to the rich milk. Manchego gradually gained renown across Spain for its distinctive taste profiling.
In the 1800s, cheesemaking shifted from a cottage industry to larger-scale production on manchego farms called quedas. These farms focused specifically on managing Manchega sheep and making Manchego cheese. The Queso Manchego Bylaw passed in the 1890s further regulated the cheese, mandating what ingredients and techniques could be used in its production. By the mid-1900s, Manchego was Spain’ssignature cheese, though mainly only available domestically.
Today, authentic Manchego cheese is still made from the raw or pasteurized milk of Manchega sheep in the La Mancha region, with calf rennet used for curdling. Ripened for 60 days to 2 years, traditional Manchego forms a firm texture and can range from creamy white to amber yellow depending on age. Younger Manchegos carry grassy, fruity notes while aged versions take on a nutty complexity, with a distinct salty undertone throughout.
Beyond Spain, global interest in Manchego has soared. Its production is now highly systemized, with large manchego companies able to make over 1 million pounds annually. Yet many smaller artisanal producers still craft Manchego in the traditional style. Manchego cheese has secured its reputation as Spain’s quintessential cheese and a world-class gourmet product, its distinctive essence of the La Mancha plains still cherished by cheese aficionados today.