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.
Key Facts
| Country of Origin | Spain |
| Specific Origin | Galicia (all four provinces) |
| Protection | PDO (1996) |
| Milk Type | Cow |
| Milk Treatment | Pasteurized |
| Rind | Thin |
| Texture | Soft to semi-cured |
| Flavor | Milky, slightly sour, mildly salty |
| Aroma | Buttery, lightly acidic |
| Colors | Pale yellow |
| Forms | Conical or convex-conical shape |
| Age | Minimum 7 days |
| Rennet Type | Animal |
| Also Known As | Queixo Tetilla, Tetilla, Queixo da Illana, Perilla |
What is Queso Tetilla?
Tetilla, or Queso Tetilla, comes from Galicia in the northwestern corner of Spain. Breast-shaped cheeses turn up in Pliny the Elder's writing in the 1st century AD, but the first mention of tetilla itself dates to the second half of the 18th century. It earned Denominación de Origen certification in 1993 and European DOP status in 1996.
Galicia sits next to the cool Atlantic, which gives the region an oceanic to sub-oceanic climate. That weather and the rolling land support wide pastures and meadows, good ground for dairy farming. By law the cheese may only be made from the milk of Holstein, Swiss Brown, or Rubia Gallega cattle.
The milk is fermented with Lactococcus lactis and coagulated with animal rennet. The curd goes into molds that give the cheese its cone shape, then it is lightly salted in brine and aged at least 8 days. About 2 million units were produced annually as of 2016, most of them sold inside Spain.
The paste runs pale yellow to ivory under a fine, thin rind, soft and creamy all the way through. Flavor and aroma are buttery, lightly acidic and a little salty, with a clear taste of the milk behind it.
Galicians usually serve it after dinner or as dessert. It melts well, so it also works in any dish that calls for a soft cheese.
How Does Queso Tetilla Compare?
The most relevant cheeses to compare Queso Tetilla against.
