Let’s talk about good cheese, this ancient food that has accompanied humanity for many centuries. There are many types of cheese and to tell the truth, for cheese lovers, all of them are simply exquisite. On this occasion, however, we will talk about Manchego cheese and Gouda cheese and their small big differences. Although they have certain similarities and a similar creative process, they certainly taste different and have a different color, smell and appearance.
Gouda cheese is of Dutch origin and according to history its origin dates back to the 14th century and its name comes from a very famous cheese market that bore the same name. Its denomination of origin became official in 1395, and it was thus that the Dutch city of Gouda received the right to market this cheese under that name, becoming at the same time the banner or image of the city.
Gouda cheese is made from pasteurized cow’s milk through a process of heating the milk several times until the whey separates from the rennet. Later, salt is added and it is poured into the molds according to the shape that the cheese will be given, the most common being the round shape. This round shape also makes it easier to roll the cheeses when they are very large and for this reason it is the preferred shape.
The creamy gouda cheese is characterized by having a yellow color inside with an orange or red crust on the surface. It has a rather greasy and smooth consistency that melts in your mouth when you eat it. You can get young or aged gouda cheese, but the latter has a stronger flavor. It is commonly aged from 3 to 18 months and is offered in the following varieties: Graskaas, Overjarig, Jong, Jong Belegen, Belegen, Belegen Extra and Oud.
For its part, Manchego cheese has a much older origin, archaeologists have found through detailed studies that it was already made in the Bronze Age, that is, before Christ. Back then, as now, Manchego cheese was made with milk from Manchego sheep. This primitive breed of sheep that has survived to this day provides the raw material for this high quality and creamy cheese.
Being made from sheep’s milk, Manchego cheese has an instantly more intense and acidic flavor that lingers in the mouth after eating. The older it is, the stronger its flavor, but its creaminess is certainly less than that of gouda cheese.
The name of Manchego cheese comes from its denomination of origin and is the city of La Mancha, in Spain, which has the DOO (Denomination of Origin) and marketing rights for this type of cheese. Let’s say that it is something like a patent, although the towns of Albacete, Ciudad Real, Cuenca and Toledo also have the DOO.
The most common types of Manchego cheese are semi-cured, cured, and old Manchego cheese. These names are derived from their aging or maturation, which also has to do with their color and flavor.
Well, after knowing this valuable information about your favorite cheeses, we hope that you will be motiv
