¡Viva Manchego! Support Artisan Cheesemakers from La Mancha

My brother and I were driving across Spain and heard of a small food fair in the medieval fortress town of Trujillo. Arriving in the main square, we looked up to see an imposing statue of Francisco Pizzaro with spiral horns sprouting from his helmet. It turns out that the conqueror of Peru was born in this little city.

If you get a chance, you should stop by this lovely town, with its Moorish alcazaba castle and imposing cathedral. But we had another mission on that day, to discover treasures of Spanish cuisine.

After sampling some tasty olives, local breads and some delectable Ibérico ham, we came upon the Villajos family sampling their artisan Manchego cheeses. This was surprising, since we were hundreds of miles away from their little town of Porzuna in the region of La Mancha.

This chance meeting was fortuitous, because we never would have encountered this incredible cheese at the big food fairs in Barcelona and Madrid. Antonio Villajos told us how he uses only fresh milk from Manchega breed sheep that wander the countryside within sight of where the cheese is made. After nibbling a bite of his ‘reserva’ Manchego (and then nibbling some more!), we knew we had found a truly artisan version of the famous cheese.

This Manchego had a firm bite with a hint of creaminess. Tiny crystals (evidence of the artisan aging process) added an almost imperceptible crunch. The flavor was rich and nutty with an herbal finish. This was a truly exceptional cheese!

Later, Tim and I traveled to visit Antonio and his family in Porzuna, in the heart of La Mancha. This region is a massive plateau with a semi-arid climate, an important farming and winemaking region, and also ideal for herds of grazing sheep. The Manchega breed is native to the plateau and directly descended from wild sheep of the region – hard to believe in this time of industrial agriculture.

Antonio showed us how the Villajos family continues a tradition going back centuries. Only rich, fresh milk from local herds will do when it comes to authentic Manchego. The process has been adapted somewhat for modern rules – the woven esparto grass that created the iconic crosshatch rind have been replaced with food safe plastic molds that mimic the design. But otherwise, the methods remain the same. Each cheese is pressed by hand and ripened under the watchful eye of the cheesemakers. Expert hands test each cheese for readiness, and expert noses monitor the aromas of each cheese for quality.

Of course, the modern world has not passed La Mancha by. Because Manchego is Spain’s most famous cheese, big industrial companies now mass produce their version, focused on lowering cost and homogenizing quality. They use heat-pasteurized milk, removing complexity of flavor. The biggest loss is in the texture – most Manchego you will find at the store is now rubbery and ersatz, a far cry from the real thing.

The industrial companies are buying up most of the Manchega milk, even speculating and storing it for later, which undermines the small cheesemakers. Now is the time to support small family cheesemakers like Villajos, who are protecting the true Manchego cheese tradition.

We are doing our part by offering truly artisan versions of Spain’s incredible foods. We have offered the amazing Manchego cheese of Villajos for over twenty years, ever since our first visit to the food fair in Trujillo. We encourage you to taste the difference and support the Villajos family in their mission to preserve one of Spain’s iconic flavors. Your tastebuds will thank you!