Queso Tetilla 
Queso Tetilla is a semi-soft cow's milk cheese from Galicia in northwestern Spain, shaped like a cone with a small peak on top. It tastes milky, buttery, slightly sour and mildly salty, with a soft, creamy texture.
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Key Facts
| Country of Origin | Spain |
| Specific Origin | Galicia (all four provinces) |
| Protection | PDO (1996) |
| Milk Type | Cow's milk |
| Milk Treatment | Pasteurized |
| Rind | Thin |
| Texture | Soft, creamy |
| 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.
What Does Queso Tetilla Taste Like?
Queso Tetilla tastes milky and buttery, slightly sour and mildly salty. The flavor stays close to the taste of the milk it was made from.
It smells buttery and a little sour. In the mouth the cheese is soft and creamy, with the same smooth texture all the way through.
How Do You Eat Queso Tetilla?
In Galicia, people usually serve Queso Tetilla in slices after dinner or as a dessert.
It also melts well. You can use it in any dish that calls for a soft cheese that melts.
Substitutes for Queso Tetilla
If you can't find Queso Tetilla, try one of these semi-soft cow's milk cheeses with a mild, buttery flavor.
- Havarti, a semi-soft cow's milk cheese from Denmark, has a mild, buttery flavor and a buttery smell, much like Queso Tetilla.
- Fontina, a semi-soft cow's milk cheese from the Aosta Valley in Italy, is mild and buttery like Queso Tetilla, with a nutty taste as well.
- Muenster is a semi-soft cow's milk cheese with a mild, buttery, slightly tangy flavor. That is close to the buttery, slightly sour taste of Queso Tetilla.
- Butterkase, a semi-soft cow's milk cheese from Germany, has a buttery, mild flavor that comes close to Queso Tetilla.
What Does the Name Queso Tetilla Mean?
Tetilla is Spanish for "small breast." The name describes the shape of the cheese, which is a cone with a nipple-like peak on top.
Tetilla is also the official name in Galician.
Where to Buy Queso Tetilla
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is tetilla cheese?
Tetilla cheese, also called Queso Tetilla, is a semi-soft cheese from Galicia in northwestern Spain. It is made from pasteurized cow's milk and shaped like a cone with a small peak on top. The inside is pale yellow to ivory and soft, under a thin rind. It tastes milky, buttery and slightly salty.
Is Queixo Tetilla the same as Queso Tetilla?
Yes. Queixo Tetilla is the Galician name for the same cheese. It is also the name used by the council that regulates the protected cheese. In Spanish it is called Queso Tetilla, and you may also see it called just Tetilla. All of these names refer to the same cone-shaped cow's milk cheese.
How Does Queso Tetilla Compare?
The most relevant cheeses to compare Queso Tetilla against.
