The name “Manchego cheese” refers to the cheese made in the La Mancha region of Spain using milk from manchega ewes.
The cheese comes from a harsh, rocky region of Spain. The dry, extreme climate has made La Mancha special and its vegetation can withstand the torrid heat of the summer months and the devastating frosts of the La Mancha winter. The diet of the manchega sheep consists the tough plants that grow in this area, mainly grains and legumes. The result is a gourmet cheese unlike any other.
A wheel of manchego cheese will have a braided basket design around the outside, and its flat top and bottom will have lines dividing the surface into four equal parts. Depending on how it has been aged, the cheese may be ivory to light brown in color. The rind may be coated with transparent substances.