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Aged Manchego Cheese Half Wheel (1.5kg)
Weight per item: 1.55 kg€49.20
At least one item in your basket is perishable and is currently available by Next Day Express delivery only.
Aged Manchego Cheese Half Wheel (1.5kg)
What is Cabrales?
Cabrales is a traditional Spanish blue cheese with a rich, assertive flavour and a creamy, intense finish that stands out on a cheeseboard or in smaller tapas-style servings.Cabrales production is strictly confined to the Picos de Europa mountains. To maintain its DOP status, it must be crafted within the municipality of Cabrales and select neighbouring villages which have a combined population of < 2,500.
The cheese uses raw cow’s milk, often blended with goat’s and sheep’s milk. Its character is forged in natural limestone caves, where it ages for two to five months.
In 90% humidity, the Penicillium mould develops naturally from the cave’s microflora rather than through manual injection. This unique subterranean maturation results in its signature pungent aroma and intense, salty profile, a literal taste of the rugged Asturian landscape.
In Asturias, Cabrales is celebrated for its pungent flavour and creamy consistency. Asturians typically consume it in several traditional ways:
- With Cider: It is almost always paired with local sidra. The cider’s sharpness provides a refreshing counterpoint to the cheese's intense, piquant bite.
- Spread on Bread: It is frequently served as a tapa, spread onto slices of crusty bread or traditional pan de escanda.
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Culinary Use: It is a staple in sauces, most famously drizzled over grilled beef or used to enrich local croquettes.
- Sweet Contrast: To balance the strong blue veins, it is often accompanied by honey, walnuts, or quince jelly.