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Since I waxed poetic (or waned pathetic, take your pick) about my little wedge of Comté, the largest-production A.O.C. Cheese in France, I figure I might as well do the same for my little wedge of Manchego, the largest-production D.O. Cheese in Spain. I purchased this El Trigal ("The Wheatfield") Manchego from Whole Foods, at the same time I purchased my block of Comté. These legendary cheeses are both semi-firm, and are more resilient to damage than soft, buttery, cow's-milk cheese (Comté is made from cow's milk, but isn't "soft and buttery"; Manchego is made from 100% Manchega sheep (both words, Manchego and Manchega, mean "from La Mancha"). "Quesos Corcuera," (<--- click for their website, which has a wealth of information available in English) makers of El Trigal, was founded 70 years ago in the town of La Puebla de Montalbán, near Toledo, in the region of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain, by a gentleman named Don Eusebio Corcuera. It has been passed down, and is now run by his daughter, Carmen, after his sons, Ramon and Carlos, passed away. It is now one of the five-largest producers of cheese in Spain, and one of Don Eusebio's grandchildren is actively involved with the company. There are currently 27 D.O. ("Denominación de Origen")-regulated cheeses in Spain, and as stated above, Manchego is the largest-production D.O. cheese in Spain (A.O.C. and D.O. are each country's version of essentially the same thing: government-regulated and protected cheeses (as well as other products)). Again, instead of merely copying down the D.O. requirements, I'll link to them here. The term "P.D.O." is an EU (European-Union) term that's similar to - and might be the same as - "D.O.," but D.O. was around long before P.D.O., so that's the one I tend to focus on; I suspect there's just another layer of bureaucracy associated with P.D.O. status. There are at least three different "ages" of Manchego, all of which are produced by Quesos Corcuera: 1) Semi-Curado (around 3 months) 2) Curado (around 6 months) and 3) Viejo (around 1 year). Manchego *must* be aged between 60 days and 2 years (it can be aged only 30 days for cheeses weighing less than 1.5 kg). The aging requirements are covered in the D.O. link in the above paragraph. There's also a "Fresco" that's produced for local consumption, which is aged for about 2 weeks, but to the best of my knowledge, this isn't found outside of Spain, and isn't a D.O. Manchego. This is the equivalent of drinking a Beaujolais Nouveau - something fresh, fruity, and quaffable; not meant to be scrutinized too closely, but perfectly fine for everyday dining at home (at least, that's my guess). If you put a piece of Comté and Manchego side-by-side, and are told which is which, there's nobody in the world who couldn't tell the difference between the two. If you're a complete cheese novice, you may want to do this as an exercise - you'll see that you "get it," and I promise you that you'll identify them correctly each and every time. There's no "roughness" whatsoever in a Comté, whereas there's no "smoothness" whatsoever in a Manchego - and I'm just talking about texture and appearance. Why *not* embark on your newfound hobby with these two cheeses? They're found everywhere, and despite their ubiquity, are world-class cheeses that even the most insufferable cheese snob would respect and enjoy. -
Hello! Just wanted to make sure you all knew about a very special event we are putting on with Society Fair and Essex St Cheese on Monday, June 22 from 6-9pm. The producers from Essex St Cheese Company will be in town for a very rare meet-and-greet, guided tasting, and class. If you have ever tasted any Essex St cheeses, such as L'Amuse Signature Gouda, Brabander Goat Gouda, Wilde Weide, Manchego 1605, Cravero Parmigiano, and Marcel Petite Fort St. Antoine Comte, you know they are in a completely different league than their typical counterparts. Their textures, aromas, and flavors are truly next level. Find out how these producers, agers (affineurs), and selectors achieve this perfection and why they dedicate their careers to creating extraordinary cheese. I highly recommend that any food professional, whether cheese is your focus or not, attend this awesome event. You will learn, have fun, and taste amazing cheeses! And if you're simply a cheese lover, by all means, come get down with us and enjoy this rare experience. Tickets can be purchased at: store.societyfair.net for $35 each. Homage to Fromage: An Evening with Essex St. Cheese Company Monday, June 22, 6-9pm Society Fair 277 South Washington Street Alexandria, Virginia Come meet the producers, affineurs, selectors, and importers of Essex St Cheese Company! The event includes: Meet and Greet Welcome Punch Cheese Seminar with Guided Tasting Q & A Session Cheese Inspired canapes and desserts Featuring: Giorgio Cravero of Cravero Parmigiano Betty and Martin Koster of L'Amuse Signature Gouda Benoit Prince of Marcel Petite Fort Saint Antoine Jose Luis Martin of Manchego 1605 Go to Store.SocietyFair.net to purchase your tickets! Space is limited and will sell out soon! Hope to see you there! Katie Carter-
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