Top 5 Extremaduran Raw Milk Cheeses

Torta del Casar is a cheese made from unpasteurized sheep’s milk in the districts of Los Llanos de Cáceres, Sierra de Fuentes and Montánchez in the province of Cáceres near the Portuguese border. It is named after Casar de Cáceres, its city of origin, and torta or atortao, referring to its shape. Torta del Casar is a very rare delicacy since the Merino and Entrefina sheep, which are farmed in the traditional way, yield very low amounts of milk. An interesting fact about this cheese is that it is renneted with cardoon, a wild thistle, which causes the cheese to soften during maturation and adds a slightly bitter note to the final product. The cheese is aged for at least 60 days at 4 to 12ºC upon which it develops a semi-hard crust and a soft, creamy center. During this stage, it obtains its typical dropped shape and sometimes, a wrapping is needed to prevent the soft center from leaking. Its rind may be left untouched or it can be coated with olive oil. Torta del Casar is traditionally served whole, with the top sliced off, and it's then spread on bread and eaten with Kiwi, Jamon Serrano, and white wine. It should be stored at room temperature to stay soft and delicate, but the cheese can also be placed in an oven to warm up as well.Expand

Also known as Torta de La Serena, this soft cheese is produced in the Spanish southwestern province of Badajoz and made exclusively with raw, whole milk from the Merino sheep breed. To coagulate the milk, only wild milk thistle rennet is used, which is an ancient Moorish and Jewish dietary custom. After about 60 days of aging, La Serena cheese still has a runny consistency and is traditionally eaten by slicing off the top and scooping out the inside with a spoon. If aged for a longer period of time, Queso de La Serena becomes harder and develops a much stronger, creamy to buttery flavor. It pairs best with palate-refreshing white wines but also chilled sherries or semi-sweet red wines such as Fondillón.Expand

Tortita de Barros is a Spanish cheese originating from the region of Extremadura. The cheese is made from either raw goat's or, more commonly, sheep's milk. It's left to age for 60 days before consumption. Underneath its thin lace-wrapped rind, the texture is smooth and open, with small eyes unevenly scattered throughout the paste. The aromas are herbaceous and earthy, while the flavors are fresh, goaty, and milky, with a slightly bitter finish coming from the thistle rennet. It's recommended to pair the cheese with a glass of Barolo or Chianti. Tortita de Barros can also be baked, when it's usually sprinkled with marjoram and smoked paprika.Expand

La retorta mini is a smaller version of retorta cheese. The cheese is made from raw sheep's milk and it's produced in Trujillo, Spain, where it matures for at least 60 days. La retorta mini is round and small, with a creamy and soft paste. The color is ivory, while the flavors are rich and intense, and the aromas are floral and strong. The cheese is traditionally eaten with a spoon after the top cover of the cheese has been removed. It is recommended to spread it on toasted bread, then pair it with honey.Expand

Traditionally produced in the province of Cáceres, Ibores is a semi-soft to semi-hard cheese made from raw milk from the Serrana, Verata, and Retinta goat breeds. Ripened for about 60 days, younger Ibores is creamy, mild, and delicate in flavor with a pronounced nutty finish. Aged Ibores is semi-hard, more intensely flavored, salty, and even slightly spicy, also with a pronounced nutty finish. Both versions have aromas of goat’s milk, aromatic wild plants, and spices such as Pimentón de la Vera, if the rind was previously rubbed with oil and red peppers. The versatile Ibores cheese can be paired with a number of different wines: Albariños, Rueda verdejos, young Toro wines, or Manzanilla sherries.Expand