List of Spanish cheeses facts for kids

Spain is famous for making many different kinds of cheeses. Some Spanish cheeses are known all over the world, like Manchego from the region of La Mancha.

Certain regions in Spain are especially famous for their cheeses. The European Union has given special protection to 26 Spanish cheeses, calling them "Protected Designation of Origin" (P.D.O. or Denominación de Origen Protegida). This means they must be made in a specific area using traditional methods. Three other cheeses have a "Protected Geographical Indication" (P.G.I. or Indicación Geográfica Protegida).

Queso Manchego is a famous Spanish cheese.

Spanish cheeses are made from different types of milk, including cow, goat, or sheep milk. Sometimes, they even mix different kinds of milk! The milk can be raw (not heated) or pasteurized (heated to kill germs). Cheeses come in many styles:

• Fresh: Soft and mild, eaten soon after being made.
• Cured: Aged for a longer time, making them harder and stronger in flavor.
• Semi-cured: Aged for a medium amount of time.
• Pressed paste: Made by pressing the cheese to remove moisture.
• Blue varieties: Have special molds added to create blue or green veins, like Cabrales.

Cheeses also come in all shapes and sizes, from large, hard wheels like Manchego to small, soft quesitos.

Cheese sometimes goes well with other foods like ham.

Here is a list of some Spanish cheeses, grouped by the region where they are made.

Cheeses from Andalucía

Andalucía is a region in southern Spain.

• Queso de las Alpujarras (P.D.O.)
• Queso payoyo from Grazalema in the Sierra de Cádiz.
• Quesitos de Zuheros from Córdoba.

Cheeses from Aragon

Aragon is a region in northeastern Spain.

• Queso de Tronchón: This cheese was even mentioned in the famous book Don Quixote by Cervantes! It's made from sheep milk or a mix with goat milk.
• Queso Echo y Ansó
• Queso de Biescas

Cheeses from Asturias

Asturias is a green, mountainous region in northern Spain, known for its strong cheeses.

Queso de Cabrales is a famous blue cheese from Asturias.

• Queso Cabrales (P.D.O.): A very famous and strong blue cheese.
• Queso de Afuega el pitu (P.D.O.): A unique, often cone-shaped cheese.
• Queso Casín (P.D.O.)
• Queso de Gamonedo (P.D.O.)

Cheeses from Balearic Islands

The Balearic Islands are a group of islands in the Mediterranean Sea, including Mallorca and Menorca.

Formatge de Maó from Menorca.

• Formatge de Maó (P.D.O.): This cheese comes from the island of Menorca.
• Formatge Mallorquí (P.D.O.): From the island of Mallorca.

Cheeses from Basque Country

The Basque Country is in northern Spain, near the Pyrenees mountains.

• Queso Idiazábal (P.D.O.): This popular cheese is made from the milk of Lachen sheep and is also produced in Navarre.

Cheeses from Canary Islands

The Canary Islands are off the coast of Africa.

• Queso majorero (P.D.O.)
• Queso de flor (P.D.O.)
• Queso palmero (P.D.O.)

Cheeses from Cantabria

Cantabria is another northern Spanish region, next to Asturias.

• Picón Bejes-Tresviso (P.D.O.): This blue cheese is similar to Cabrales.
• Quesucos de Liébana (P.D.O.)
• Queso Nata de Cantabria (P.D.O.): A creamy cheese.

Cheeses from Castile–La Mancha

This central Spanish region is famous for its flat plains and windmills.

• Queso Manchego (P.D.O.): The most famous Spanish cheese, made from the milk of Manchega sheep.

Cheeses from Castile and León

This is the largest region in Spain, located in the northwest.

Queso zamorano is a sheep's milk cheese.

• Queso zamorano (P.D.O.): A sheep's milk cheese from Zamora.
• Queso de Valdeón (P.D.O.): Another blue cheese.
• Queso de Burgos: A fresh, soft, white cheese.

Cheeses from Catalonia

Catalonia is in northeastern Spain, with a long coastline and mountains.

Mató is a fresh Catalan cheese.

• Formatge de l'Alt Urgell i la Cerdanya (P.D.O.)
• Formatge de la Garrotxa: A goat's milk cheese.
• Mató: A fresh, unsalted cheese, often eaten with honey.

Cheeses from Extremadura

Extremadura is a region in western Spain, bordering Portugal.

Queso Ibores is a goat's milk cheese.

• Queso de La Serena (P.D.O.): Also known as Torta de La Serena, it's a soft, creamy sheep's milk cheese.
• Queso Ibores (P.D.O.): Made from goat's milk.
• Torta del Casar (P.D.O.): Another very creamy and soft sheep's milk cheese.

Cheeses from Galicia

Galicia is in the northwest corner of Spain, known for its green landscapes.

Queso de Tetilla has a unique shape.

• Queso de Tetilla (P.D.O.): This cheese has a distinctive cone or breast shape, made from the milk of the Rubia Gallega cow.
• Queso Arzúa-Ulloa (P.D.O.)
• Queso Cebreiro (P.D.O.)

Cheeses from Murcia

Murcia is a region in southeastern Spain, known for its warm climate.

• Queso de Murcia al vino (P.D.O.): A goat's milk cheese that gets its reddish rind from being washed in red wine.
• Queso de Murcia (P.D.O.): Another goat's milk cheese from Murcia.

Cheeses from Navarre

Navarre is a region in northern Spain, sharing the Pyrenees mountains with the Basque Country.

Queso Idiazábal is a popular cheese from Navarre and Basque Country.

• Queso Idiazábal (P.D.O.): Shared with the Basque Country.
• Queso Roncal (P.D.O.): A hard, aged sheep's milk cheese.

Cheeses from Valencian Community

The Valencian Community is on the eastern coast of Spain.

• Queso blanquet
• Queso de servilleta: This cheese gets its name ("napkin cheese") from being pressed in a cloth, giving it a unique shape.

See also

In Spanish: Quesos de España para niños

• List of cheeses
• Spanish cuisine