The AnyCheese Holiday Gift Guide

Sheep Milk Cheeses from Spain

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

Clear Filters

Queso Manchego

Manchego is a PDO sheep milk cheese from the La Mancha region of Spain, made only with whole milk from Manchega sheep. It is firm and buttery, aged between 60 days and two years, with a creamy, slightly piquant flavor …

Country: Spain
Milk Type: Sheep's milk
Texture: Compact
Flavor: Slightly acidic

Idiazabal

Idiazabal is a pressed sheep's milk cheese from the Basque Country, made with unpasteurized milk and named after a town in Gipuzkoa. It is usually sold unsmoked, tastes strong and slightly piquant, and has held a Denomination of Origin since …

Country: Spain
Milk Type: Sheep
Texture: Semi-Hard
Flavor: Intense, slightly piquant

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

Torta del Casar

Torta del Casar is a sheep's milk cheese from Extremadura, Spain, curdled with cardoon thistle rather than animal rennet. Aged at least sixty days, it goes creamy in the center, so it is eaten by slicing off the top and …

Country: Spain
Milk Type: Sheep's milk
Texture: Very soft and spreadable
Flavor: Rich, slightly bitter

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

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

Queso Zamorano

Zamorano is a hard sheep's milk cheese from the province of Zamora, Spain, typically aged about six months in cellars. Wheels run about 11 kg (24 lb), carry a zigzag pattern on the rind, and taste creamy and nutty with …

Country: Spain
Milk Type: Sheep's milk
Texture: Firm and compact
Flavor: Intense, nutty, buttery, slightly piquant

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

Queso de La Serena

Queso de La Serena is a sheep milk cheese from the La Serena district of Extremadura, Spain, curdled with a coagulant from cardoon pistils. Young, with a creamy centre, it is called Torta de La Serena and eaten with a …

Country: Spain
Milk Type: Sheep
Texture: Soft to semi-hard
Flavor: Slightly bitter, pleasant

Roncal

Roncal is a hard cheese made from raw sheep's milk in the Roncal Valley of the Navarrese Pyrenees. In 1981 it became the first Spanish cheese granted a denomination of origin, and it is known for its intense, slightly spicy …

Country: Spain
Milk Type: Sheep's milk
Texture: Hard or semihard
Flavor: Well developed, pronounced

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

Canarejal

Canarejal is a soft cheese from Spain made from sheep's milk. It has a creamy texture and a pale yellow color. The cheese has a mild, slightly tangy flavor with a rich, buttery taste. Its soft consistency makes it a …

Country: Spain
Milk Type: Sheep's milk
Texture: Soft

Tronchon

Tronchon is a Spanish cheese from sheep's milk, goat's milk or a mix of the two, typical of Teruel and Castellón and southern Tarragona. It is known for its trunk-like shape with crater-shaped hollows in the side and its intense, …

Country: Spain
Milk Type: Sheep's, goat's, or a blend of the two
Texture: Semi-firm
Flavor: Intense, oily and buttery

La Retorta

La Retorta is a soft to semi-soft cheese from Spain, made from sheep's milk. It has a creamy flavor that is both rich and smooth, offering a satisfying taste experience. The cheese has a pale yellow color, which is typical …

Country: Spain
Milk Type: Sheep's milk
Texture: Soft, semi-soft
Flavor: Creamy

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

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

Was this page helpful?