Mahón-Menorca Cheese vs Manchego Cheese

In this article, we’ll explore the answers to the most common questions about Mahón-Menorca Cheese and Manchego Cheese, including:

  • "What is the difference between Mahón-Menorca Cheese and Manchego Cheese?"
  • "Is Mahón-Menorca Cheese and Manchego Cheese the same?"
  • "How does Mahón-Menorca Cheese compare to Manchego Cheese cheese?"
  • "How does the taste of Mahón-Menorca Cheese compare to Manchego Cheese?"
  • "Is Mahón-Menorca Cheese or Manchego Cheese better?"

Mahón-Menorca Cheese Overview

Mahón-Menorca is a cow's milk cheese from the island of Menorca in the Balearic Islands. It has a square shape with rounded edges and is known for its orange rind and soft to hard texture depending on age. The flavor is slightly salty and tangy, with buttery notes in younger cheeses and a sharper taste in older ones.

Manchego Cheese Overview

Manchego is a PDO-protected cheese made in the La Mancha region of Spain, exclusively from the milk of Manchega sheep. It has a firm and compact consistency and a buttery texture, with a distinctive flavor that is well-developed and tangy, often with a slight piquancy in older cheeses. Manchego is aged for a minimum of two months and up to two years, developing a deeper flavor and harder texture with time.

Comparing the Two Cheeses

Ranking

Mahón-Menorca is ranked #210 out of 376 types.

Manchego is ranked #44 out of 376 types.

Country of Origin

Mahón-Menorca Cheese comes from Spain. Manchego Cheese originated from Spain.

Certification

Many cheeses have some kind of protected status that makes it so they can only be produced in a certain manner and location. Mahón-Menorca Cheese has a PDO (1985). Manchego Cheese has a PDO (1984).

Milk Type and Treatment

Mahón-Menorca Cheese is made with cow or sheep milk that is typically raw. Manchego Cheese is made with sheep milk that is typically raw or pasteurized.

Composition and Texture

Mahón-Menorca's texture can be described as "firm". Manchego's texture can be described as "compact".

Flavor and Aroma

Mahón-Menorca Cheese has a salty and spicy flavor. Mahón-Menorca's aroma can be described as "lactic, buttery". Manchego Cheese has a slightly acidic flavor.

Appearance and Aging

Mahón-Menorca Cheese's appearance is colored ivory-yellow to orangey or brownish gray , is available in parallelepiped shape and is aged tender: 21-60 days, semi-cured: 2-5 months, vintage: >5 months . Manchego Cheese has a color of white to yellowish ivory , comes in cylindrical with flat faces and has an aging period of fresco (2 weeks), semi-curado (3 weeks to 4 months), curado (3-6 months), viejo or anejo (1 year) .

Rind and Rennet Type

Mahón-Menorca Cheese's rind is described as characteristic orangish and uses vegetable (cynara cardunculus) rennet. Manchego Cheese's rind is described as pleita and flor imprints , with animal rennet.

Side-by-Side Comparison Table

Mahón-Menorca Cheese Manchego Cheese
Country of Origin Spain Spain
Specific Origin Menorca, Balearic Islands La Mancha region
Certification PDO (1985) PDO (1984)
Milk Type Friesian, Menorcan, Brown Alpine cow’s milk, some ewe’s milk (max 5%) Manchega ewe's milk
Milk Treatment Raw or any authorized preservation technology Raw or pasteurized
Rind Characteristic orangish Pleita and flor imprints
Texture Firm Compact
Flavor Salty and spicy Slightly acidic
Aroma Lactic, buttery
Colors Ivory-yellow to orangey or brownish gray White to yellowish ivory
Forms Parallelepiped shape Cylindrical with flat faces
Age Tender: 21-60 days, Semi-cured: 2-5 months, Vintage: >5 months Fresco (2 weeks), Semi-curado (3 weeks to 4 months), Curado (3-6 months), Viejo or Anejo (1 year)
Rennet Type Vegetable (Cynara cardunculus) Animal rennet

Compare Mahón-Menorca Cheese to Other Cheeses

Compare Manchego Cheese to Other Cheeses