So as has been mentioned in a previous disclaimer/notice/excuse, I was traveling earlier in the week. Traveling isn't quite the right word for it though; really I traveled for a little while, laid on a beach for a day, and then traveled back. But! Along the way I did manage to indulge my love of cheese and further the ol' cheese list with a local gem.
Simply called Mahón, Queso de Menorca, or Queso de Mahón-Menorca, this is a cheese you can, admittedly, purchase pretty easily in the USA and other countries outside of Europe. Still, being on the sister island of Mallorca and getting the chance to try some cheese (relatively) at the source was a dream fulfilled. It comes in many ages but this was an 8-9 month piece just bursting with flavor, a truly magnificent cheese.
Origin: Menorca, Spain
Milk: Cow, unpasteurized
Rennet: Animal
Affinage: 8-9 months
Notes: I was a little short on marble/wood cutting boards... so here's the port at Mallorca! And...... that may be the last time I reference my trip. No promises.
Thoughts: Strong nutty aroma greets the lucky taster, especially if it's been in the sun as you trek through a 80 degree beach town photographing architecture and things. Very creamy but surprisingly salty, one of the saltier cheeses I've tried in fact. The raw tang is most notable in the aftertaste, but the ride along the way is incredible. Creaminess builds up from the start to deliver a strong, grassy, earthy flavor. There is nothing refined about this cheese but it is really delicious in its simple way, and as I sat there eating bites of it like an apple (I was short a knife... packing light has some drawbacks) alongside fresh strawberries and bread life was simple, if only for a moment. The paste is almost chewy but the texture fits perfectly with the rugged, meaty flavor of the cheese. An edible rind that compliments the paste wraps up a truly incredible cheese.
Caution
If you ever happen to be in Mallorca then you must go to the Mercat de l'Olivar and bask in the good food opportunities. Like this cheese stall..... oh dear so good.
Fresh fruit and veggies so cheap and good it'll make you cry.
That's a whole wall of Jamón Ibérico....
Simply called Mahón, Queso de Menorca, or Queso de Mahón-Menorca, this is a cheese you can, admittedly, purchase pretty easily in the USA and other countries outside of Europe. Still, being on the sister island of Mallorca and getting the chance to try some cheese (relatively) at the source was a dream fulfilled. It comes in many ages but this was an 8-9 month piece just bursting with flavor, a truly magnificent cheese.
Milk: Cow, unpasteurized
Rennet: Animal
Affinage: 8-9 months
Notes: I was a little short on marble/wood cutting boards... so here's the port at Mallorca! And...... that may be the last time I reference my trip. No promises.
Thoughts: Strong nutty aroma greets the lucky taster, especially if it's been in the sun as you trek through a 80 degree beach town photographing architecture and things. Very creamy but surprisingly salty, one of the saltier cheeses I've tried in fact. The raw tang is most notable in the aftertaste, but the ride along the way is incredible. Creaminess builds up from the start to deliver a strong, grassy, earthy flavor. There is nothing refined about this cheese but it is really delicious in its simple way, and as I sat there eating bites of it like an apple (I was short a knife... packing light has some drawbacks) alongside fresh strawberries and bread life was simple, if only for a moment. The paste is almost chewy but the texture fits perfectly with the rugged, meaty flavor of the cheese. An edible rind that compliments the paste wraps up a truly incredible cheese.
Caution
If you ever happen to be in Mallorca then you must go to the Mercat de l'Olivar and bask in the good food opportunities. Like this cheese stall..... oh dear so good.
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