Mahón cheese . Mahón cheese, also known as Mahón-Menorca Cheese due to its designation of origin, is a cheese made from cow’s milk . It is an uncooked pressed pasta cheese, with a parallelepiped shape and rounded edges. It has a Regulatory Council for Protected Designation of Origin and is produced exclusively on the island of Menorca , in Spain , according to tradition and the regulations contained in the regulations of the PDO .
Summary
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- 1 History
- 2 Elaboration
- 3 types
- 4 Sources
History
Ceramic pieces dating back to 3000 BC have been found on the island . C . It seems that they could have been used as utensils by farmers to make cheese. The Greeks and the Carthaginians already knew, consumed and appreciated the cheeses made in Menorca . Arab writings from the year 1000 already refer to the important productions of cheese, wine and meat in Menorca. Specifically, the Arab historian Ashashaskandi says of Menorca: «it has good livestock and vineyards that are used to make good cheeses and wines . TheArchives of the Crown of Aragon also reflect the importance of Menorcan livestock and Mahón cheese in the 15th and 16th centuries . This trade continued to grow in such a way that in the 18th century there were even four ships dedicated exclusively to the transport of cheese – produced on the Island of Menorca from the Port of Mahón to Genoa and other important places in the western Mediterranean , which led to the in the duty stations it was known as “cheese from the port of Mahón” and, more briefly, “cheese from Mahón”, although it had been produced in Mercadal , Ciutadella , Alaioror any other place on the island. For all these reasons, we can rightly affirm that Menorca cheese has been recognized since very ancient times, which has now given rise to a protected designation of origin that is highly consolidated and appreciated both at the level of the Balearic Islands and the rest of the Spain and even in the foreign market.
Elaboration
The cheese-making process has long been invariable in all Menorcan places, where very old practices have been followed. It is an ancient set of techniques that has been transmitted from parents to children, and its application defines and originates the authentic cheese. The dairy cows of Menorca are mainly Friesian breed and of singular Menorcan breed herds. In general, the pasta has a firm texture, which undergoes continuous evolution depending on the degree of maturation reached. The color varies from milky white to strong yellow. A general characteristic is the appearance of the so-called eyes, of variable size although they never exceed the size of a pea . TheSemi-cured cheese is soft and with a remarkable elasticity. The flavor is mild, slightly salty and acidic; dairy flavors more evolved somewhat reminiscent of butter , and nuts , toasted well defined and characteristic. As for the aged cheese, its flavor and aromas are highly evolved, complex and intense, with long oral persistence. It suggests the memory of aged firewood, tanned leather and maturing cava. The salty flavor intensifies and a slight itch appears, missing the memory of the milk .
Types
Two types of cheese are distinguished according to the previous treatment that the milk used to make the protected cheese has undergone:
- Mahón-Menorca Cheese: made with milk subjected to some process and / or method of conservation in authorized industrial cheese factories .
- Mahón-Menorca artisan cheese: made with raw milk in authorized artisan cheese factories
