Spanish Mahon Cheese

In Spain Mahon is second in popularity next to Manchego, Spain's most famous Cheese. Mahon has been given Denomination of Origin ( D.O.) and is produced exclusively on the small island of Menorca off the coast of Spain in the Balearic Sea.  

Details: Mahon is produced in two versions, pasteurized which is factory made and unpasteurized which is farm made and considered to be artisanal. The fresh curd is chopped, then pressed to remove the whey and placed on square sheets of cloth. Each cloth is then gathered up by the corners and tied up in the center. This process forms a distinctive shaped square cheese with rounded edges. The newly formed cheeses are then ready to begin the aging process which can last up to two years. Mahon can be found in various stages of aging. Fresco is aged about two to three weeks, semi Curado is aged for two to three months, Viejo is aged for six months and Anejo is aged from eighteen months to two years. The aging process produces an inedible hard smooth light golden rind which darkens as it ages.  The inner paste is light amber when young and progresses to dark gold at the Viejo and Anejo stages. Older versions with also have many small holes throughout the paste.

Spanish Cheese Assortment

Flavor, Serving and Storing: The overall flavor of Mahon is determined by its age. The fresco version has a mild nutty flavor and  is very aromatic. As its age progresses its flavor will become bolder and more complex and gives off a sharp, salty, buttery flavor with a hint of nuts. Mahon has a pleasant fruity aroma at all ages. A young Mahon should be wrapped in plastic wrap and kept in the refrigerator's vegetable bin, aged Mahon can be wrapped in tin foil and kept refrigerated where it should last at least two weeks. Mahon can be served thinly sliced, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with tarragon and black pepper. It can also be served sliced with thinly sliced smoked ham in a sandwich or as an appetizer with fresh sweet fruit.

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Purchasing: When buying Mahon try to find ones that are aged at least two months. If you can find a Viejo or Anejo version do not hesitate to purchase it because they are quite uncommon and you will be in for tasty surprise. Do not purchase Mahon if it is overly soft, discolored, looks dried with a cracked rind, or has mold on the inner paste. You can buy Mahon in most good local cheese shops, Whole Foods, Wegmans or online at Amazon.

Wine Paring: Mahon pairs well with all red Spanish wines and surprisingly well with beer.

Swiss Emmental Cheese

SwissEmmental is an unpasteurized partially skimmed cow's milk cheese that produced in both France and Switzerland. Both of these cheeses are world renowned for their excellent flavor and the iconic holes in their paste. The holes are created by bacteria that give off carbon dioxide gas which expands during the aging process forming pockets within the paste.

Details: Swiss Emmental is made in the Emme River valley in the Canton of Bern and is known as an alpine style cheese.  Animal rennet is used to form the curds which are heated to create the desired texture. After draining, the curds are manually pressed to remove any remaining water and whey. They are then placed in molds and aged for at least six months. The cheeses that are produced are massive with weights ranging between 175lbs to 220lbs and are about 9 inches thick. The rind will be flat and smooth and  have a beige or slight yellow color and the red Swizerland trademark stamped on its top.Swiss Emmental has a low salt content and no salt is added to the curds during production. Any saltiness that may be noticed is produced by the brine bath which helps to form the rind. The interior paste will be a pale yellow and have random and various sized holes throughout. The flavor of Swiss Emmental expands on the palate and will reveal a nice nutty flavor and mild bite on the finish.

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Details: French Emmental is produced in the Jura mountains and is also considered an alpine style cheese. It is made  with partially skimmed raw cow's milk. The methods of production for French and Swiss Emmental are identical the main difference is that French Emmental has varying ages and has a more complex flavor The young age is mild and is best for fondue, mid-aged has more complex flavor and the extra aged version has a full bodied nutty flavor and works well melted over gratins or potatoes and is an excellent table cheese.  Authentic French Emmental will be stamped with "Emmental Francais Grand Cru on its rind but it is much less common in the United States than its Swiss sister.


Overall Emmental is a great cheese when thinly sliced and used on sandwiches or shaved over salads. It also goes well with most fruits, meats and crusty breads. It is often the major cheese used in fondue.

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When shopping for Emmental do not purchase any that are significantly weeping its butterfat or that has any mold on the rind or the interior paste. Emmental dries out fast when sliced thin so try to avoid any that has been pre-sliced and left to sit out. It is best to keep it in the vegetable bin of the refrigerator wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. Try to find  authentic Emmental and stay away from the banal pasteurized domestic versions like and other pasteurized imposters. Keep in mind that authentic Emmental is not sold by brand names.

Wine Paring: Light fruity reds like Beaujolais and Rhone reds or spicy whites like any Alsace and dry Vouray for French Emmental.

Swiss Emmental pairs well with light fruity reds like French Bandolor big reds like Saint-Joseph and light fruity whites like Swiss Fendant or Muscadet.

Garrotxa: A Superb Goat Cheese From Spain

Garrotxa  (ga-ROW-sha) is an exceptional goat cheese from the Catalonian region of Spain. Garrotxa is produced by using pasteurized milk from free range goat herds that feed on the local grasses and herbs. It is normally aged for three weeks but can be aged up to seven weeks. Since it is pasteurized there are no United States importing restrictions on it, however, it is somewhat difficult to find in the US. It should be able to be purchased from  a good cheese shop that carries a wide variety of Spanish cheeses or check out Whole Foods or Wegmans markets.

Details and Flavor: Garrotxa is a small cheese, about 2lbs, with a very thin  gray moldy micro-fiber like inedible rind that should be removed. The interior has white paste that is somewhat moist, and dense but not hard, older versions will be drier. The flavor is mild and not overtly goaty but does possess  nice herb flavors that represent Thyme and Rosemary with a nutty overtone. Garrotxa melts well so you can experiment with it in your recipes. Try spreading some Spanish quince paste (membrillo) or honey on a slice of Garrotxa as an afternoon snack.

Spanish Membrillo Quince Paste 

Wild Oak Honey Imported From Spain

Notes: When shopping for Garrotxa do not purchase any that are cracked or have any mold on the INTERIOR  paste. Garrotxa will stay fresh once it is cut for about two weeks if kept alone wrapped in paper and covered with tin foil in a vegetable bin of the refrigerator. Garottax can be served with crusty bread, cured meats, sweet fruits and soft nuts. It is also a great table cheese eaten by itself, saved over salads or melted over potatoes or other vegetables.

Wine Pairings: Spanish red wines like Rioja or white wines like Pinot Gris or Chardonnay