El Trigal Manchego, 6 months
Well, I may have come across another cheese to add to my favorites list. Not only is this cheese lovely to look at because of the pattern in the rind, it has a deep buttery flavor and dry, flaky texture. The color of the cheese was pale yellow.
The overwhelming flavor that came to mind when I sampled this cheese was of ghee – a toasty buttery flavor that was nicely balanced with a dash of salt. This is not a strong cheese so do take care to eat this cheese slowly, allowing the flavors to develop on your tongue.
Did I say how pretty this little Spanish cheese is? The brown rind (inedible) has a beautiful zig-zag pattern pressed into it. Traditionally the round cheeses were pressed into plaited grass baskets, but today the same effect is achieved with a mould that has an embossed pattern similar to that of woven grass. The top and bottom surfaces of the full, uncut cheeses have a wheat ear design pressed into them.
Quick Facts:
$16.99 lb
Pasteurized sheep milk
Traditional rennet