The name Torta del Casar comes from two Spanish terms which keep an intimate relationship with this unique cheese. Torta refers to its shape. In Spanish legends, shepherds who first made the cheese realized that the inside of the cheese remained semi liquid, causing the middle of the cheese to sink. The shepherds used the word 'atortao', meaning 'cake-shaped', as it did not resemble traditional cheeses. Casar, comes from the name of the place where the traditional cheese-making process originated, a town called Casar de Caceres in Spain.
A more official name for Torta del Casar is Queso de la Serena; it is a gourmet cheese made from the milk of sheep raised in controlled conditions, the 'Cuajo' plant and salt. The process also involves maturing the cheese for more than 60 days.
This Spanish gourmet cheese is fine, soft and has a delicate rind with a yellowish color, a special aroma and a strong, mature taste, the cheese is also slightly salty and bitter due to the use of the Cuajo plant.
In order to comply with US FDA regulation for export to the USA the maturation of this cheese has been extended to over 60 days.