Spain may be best know for its savory sheep's milk cheeses, but somewhere in its 500,000sq km there is a cow. Maybe even two. Probably two.
These two cows live in Galicia, the autonomous region in Northwest Spain that sits perched atop Portugal and produces more cow's milk than anywhere else in Spain, likely due to the luscious green meadows and its having the only cows in the country. Home to it's own language, 2.8 million inhabitants and, of course, our two cows, Galicia holds one other distinction above all else; it is the sole producer of Spain's area-controlled Tetilla. The name translates into "nipple" due to the cheese's flattened pear-like shape, a result of the traditional mold into which the curds are packed.
Origin: Galicia, Spain
Milk: Cow, pasteurized
Rennet: Animal
Affinage: Up to one month
Notes: Scalded in hot salt water to produce a quick, clean rind. Comes in various sizes, ranging from 1.5-3lbs.
Thoughts: Clearly I did not buy a whole cone, simply because 1.5lbs of cheese is a lot even for me. If (when) I were to purchase in such bulk it would likely not be this cheese because, while there's certainly nothing wrong with it, there isn't anything too exciting about it either. The texture varies from firm but springy on the exterior to nearly spreadable at the center, but the flavor is relatively constant throughout. Light, airy even, this cheese has a pleasantly milky and mildly fruity paste that melts on the tongue and gives way to a lingering sweet aftertaste. The textures and the simple combination of flavors work well together and make for a good example of cheese that is mild without being forgettable. It is a good snacking cheese and could be compared to mild Cheddars in terms of intensity. Next time you want to kick it Galician style simply speak a Western Ibero-Romance branch language, celebrate the concept of regional autonomy within a federal system, and melt some Tetilla over a slice of rasin-nut bread. Just watch out for that lateral consonant shift.
Caution
If those last two sentences make sense to you, you may be a linguistics or poli-sci nerd.
These two cows live in Galicia, the autonomous region in Northwest Spain that sits perched atop Portugal and produces more cow's milk than anywhere else in Spain, likely due to the luscious green meadows and its having the only cows in the country. Home to it's own language, 2.8 million inhabitants and, of course, our two cows, Galicia holds one other distinction above all else; it is the sole producer of Spain's area-controlled Tetilla. The name translates into "nipple" due to the cheese's flattened pear-like shape, a result of the traditional mold into which the curds are packed.
Milk: Cow, pasteurized
Rennet: Animal
Affinage: Up to one month
Notes: Scalded in hot salt water to produce a quick, clean rind. Comes in various sizes, ranging from 1.5-3lbs.
Thoughts: Clearly I did not buy a whole cone, simply because 1.5lbs of cheese is a lot even for me. If (when) I were to purchase in such bulk it would likely not be this cheese because, while there's certainly nothing wrong with it, there isn't anything too exciting about it either. The texture varies from firm but springy on the exterior to nearly spreadable at the center, but the flavor is relatively constant throughout. Light, airy even, this cheese has a pleasantly milky and mildly fruity paste that melts on the tongue and gives way to a lingering sweet aftertaste. The textures and the simple combination of flavors work well together and make for a good example of cheese that is mild without being forgettable. It is a good snacking cheese and could be compared to mild Cheddars in terms of intensity. Next time you want to kick it Galician style simply speak a Western Ibero-Romance branch language, celebrate the concept of regional autonomy within a federal system, and melt some Tetilla over a slice of rasin-nut bread. Just watch out for that lateral consonant shift.
Caution
If those last two sentences make sense to you, you may be a linguistics or poli-sci nerd.
First off, I love all of your cautions at the end. Second, I translated a piece of German literature by Sacher-Masoch into English. Why is this relevant? Well, because it was about the Jews of Galicia. I thought it pertained to the blog. :D
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