The AnyCheese Holiday Gift Guide

Cow Milk Cheeses from Spain

Discover cheeses made from cow milk in Spain, from historic recipes to contemporary creations.

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Arzúa-Ulloa

Arzúa-Ulloa is a soft cow's milk cheese from Galicia, Spain, protected as Arzúa-A Ulloa PDO. It is known for a thin yellow rind, a creamy pale paste, and a mild flavor that is slightly sweet and grassy.

Country: Spain
Milk Type: Cow's milk (raw or pasteurized)
Texture: Soft
Flavor: Slightly salty and pleasantly acidic, buttery and milky with nutty notes

Mahón-Menorca

Mahón-Menorca is a white cow's milk cheese from the island of Menorca, named after the town and port of Mahón. It runs soft to hard depending on age, with an orange rind rubbed with butter or oil and paprika and …

Country: Spain
Milk Type: Friesian, Menorcan, Brown Alpine cow’s milk, some ewe’s milk (max 5%)
Texture: Firm
Flavor: Salty and spicy

Afuega'l Pitu

Afuega'l pitu is an unpasteurized cow's milk cheese from Asturias in northern Spain, sold plain white or paprika red. Its name translates as "strangle the chicken," and it holds Protected Designation of Origin status from Spain and the EU.

Country: Spain
Milk Type: Cow's milk
Texture: Soft
Flavor: Lactic, slightly sour, salted in fresh or hardly ripened cheeses; strong and spicy as ripening progresses

Queso de Valdeón

Queso de Valdeón is a Spanish blue cheese made in Posada de Valdeón, in the northeast of León province. It holds PGI status and is known for a very intense blue flavor that stays less biting than that of its …

Country: Spain
Milk Type: Cow’s, or a mix of cow’s, sheep’s, and goat’s milk
Texture: Low elasticity, crumbly, melts in the mouth
Flavor: Intense, salty, piquant, lightly ardent

Queso Tetilla

Tetilla is a cow's milk cheese from Galicia, Spain, molded into a cone with a nipple-like peak that gives it its name. Soft, creamy and pale yellow, it is a staple of Galician cooking and is often eaten as dessert.

Country: Spain
Milk Type: Cow
Texture: Soft to semi-cured
Flavor: Milky, slightly sour, mildly salty

Iberico

Queso Iberico is a hard cheese from Spain made using a blend of cow's, goat's, and sheep's milk. It can be crafted from either pasteurized or unpasteurized milk, contributing to its rich and aromatic profile. This cheese has a buttery …

Country: Spain
Milk Type: Cow's, goat's and sheep's milk
Texture: Hard
Flavor: Buttery, nutty, strong

Cabrales

Cabrales is a blue cheese made by rural dairy farmers in the Asturias mountains of Spain, from raw cow's milk alone or blended with goat and sheep milk. It is known for its strong, sometimes sharply acidic flavor and for …

Country: Spain
Milk Type: Cow's milk
Texture: Unctuous, compact, no eyes
Flavor: Intense, piquant

Queso de Burgos

Queso de Burgos is a fresh white cheese from the province of Burgos, Spain, eaten within days of being made. Once a sheep's milk cheese sold at the Burgos market, it received EU Protected Geographical Indication status in September 2025.

Country: Spain
Milk Type: Cow’s and sheep’s milk
Texture: Fresh, slightly grainy or buttery, elastic, slightly fatty
Flavor: Mild, milky, and slightly sweet

Cuajada

Cuajada is a soft cheese from Spain, traditionally made from either cow's or sheep's milk. It has a creamy texture that is smooth and slightly gelatinous. The flavor is mild and fresh, with a hint of natural sweetness. Often enjoyed …

Country: Spain
Milk Type: Cow's or sheep's milk
Texture: Soft

Cebreiro

Cebreiro is a Galician cow's milk cheese shaped like a mushroom or a chef's hat. Sold fresh, it has a white, spreadable paste and a milky, slightly acidic taste; cured, it turns firm and yellow with a sharper, metallic edge.

Country: Spain
Milk Type: Pasteurized Cow's
Texture: Soft, spreadable
Flavor: Milky, slightly acidic

Mahón

Mahón is a white cow's milk cheese from the island of Menorca, off Spain's Mediterranean coast, named after the port town of Mahón. It runs from soft and young to hard and aged, tastes buttery sharp and slightly salty, and …

Country: Spain
Milk Type: Cow's milk
Texture: Semi-hard, artisan
Flavor: Buttery, salty

Gamonéu

Gamonéu is a fatty, lightly smoked Spanish cheese made in parts of Asturias and protected by a Designation of Origin. It comes in two forms: the hard, dry del Puertu from the high passes and the creamier del Valle from …

Country: Spain
Milk Type: Cow's, goat's and sheep's milk
Texture: Hard, artisan
Flavor: Buttery, nutty, smokey , spicy

Gamonedo

Gamonéu is a fatty, lightly smoked Spanish cheese made in parts of Asturias from a blend of cow, goat and sheep milk. It holds a Protected Designation of Origin and comes in two forms: del Puertu from the high passes …

Country: Spain
Milk Type: Raw cow’s, sheep’s, and goat’s milk, or any combination. Breeds: Friesian, Asturiana de los Valles, etc.
Texture: Harder and drier (del Puertu), richer and creamier (del Valle)
Flavor: Buttery, slightly nutty

Picos de Europa

Picos de Europa, also known as Picos Blue, is a semi-soft, blue-veined cheese from Spain made with pasteurized cow's milk. It has a strong, spicy flavor that appeals to those who enjoy bold cheeses. The blue veins running through the …

Country: Spain
Milk Type: Cow's milk
Texture: Semi-soft, blue-veined
Flavor: Spicy, strong

Queso de Afuega'l pitu

Afuega'l pitu is a soft cow's milk cheese from Asturias, Spain, with protected designation of origin status. It comes plain white or paprika red, shaped like a small cone or a squash, and turns dry and pasty with age, which …

Country: Spain
Milk Type: Cow's milk
Texture: Soft, artisan
Flavor: Slightly acidic and creamy, strong and spicy in the paprika versions

San Simón DOP

San Simón DOP is a semi-soft cheese from Galicia, Spain, made from pasteurized cow's milk. It has a creamy color and a natural rind. This cheese is known for its buttery flavor, complemented by a smokey, woody aroma that comes …

Country: Spain
Milk Type: Cow's milk
Texture: Semi-soft
Flavor: Buttery

La Peral

La Peral is a semi-soft blue-veined cheese from Spain, made from pasteurized cow's milk. It has a pale yellow color and a creamy texture with blue veins running through it. The flavor is a combination of spicy and sweet, offering …

Country: Spain
Milk Type: Cow's milk
Texture: Semi-soft, blue-veined
Flavor: Spicy, sweet

Castigliano

Castigliano is a hard cheese from the Castile-Leon region in Spain. It is made from a blend of cow's, goat's, and sheep's milk, which can be either pasteurized or unpasteurized. The cheese has a yellow color and a natural rind. …

Country: Spain
Milk Type: Cow's, goat's and sheep's milk
Texture: Hard
Flavor: Acidic, salty, spicy

Selva

Selva is a soft, artisan cheese made from pasteurized cow's milk in Fornells de la Selva, Gironès, Spain. It has a pale yellow color and a natural rind. The cheese features a balanced combination of bitter, buttery, and salty flavors, …

Country: Spain
Milk Type: Cow's milk
Texture: Soft, artisan
Flavor: Bitter, buttery, salty

Penamellera

Penamellera is a small Asturian cheese made mostly from cow's milk, sometimes with goat's or sheep's milk added. It is known for the grid pattern left on its rind by the hazel rods it dries on, and for a slightly …

Country: Spain
Milk Type: Cow's, goat's and sheep's milk
Texture: Semi-hard, artisan
Flavor: Acidic, bitter, herbaceous

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