Tronchon

What is Tronchon Cheese?

Tronchon comes from eastern Spain, where it is typical of the provinces of Teruel and Castellón and the southern part of Tarragona. The name belongs to the town of Tronchón in Aragon, in the comarca of El Maestrazgo. It is made from sheep's milk, goat's milk, or a mixture of the two.

The different milks are not blended together during production. Milk moves from the cooling tanks into a stainless steel curd vat, a rectangular container with two walls or chambers. The temperature is raised to 30°C, rennet is added, and the mixture is stirred for at least half an hour. To check the curd, a broad knife blade is pushed in and turned to lift out a piece: if the sides of that piece collapse, the curd is not ready yet.

The mass is then heated to a maximum of 35°C while paddles keep the curd moving, which shrinks the rice-sized grains and releases as much whey as possible. Once the vat sits between 32°C and 35°C, stirring stops and the curd rests. The whey is drawn off, and the curd goes into molds that give the cheese its particular shape. Hard Tronchon ages at least 90 days, while the softer versions are aged for less time.

The body is compact and cohesive, a little springy, with a hard texture and no holes. The rind is smooth and strongly yellow, usually decorated with imprinted floral or symbolic motifs or letters. Wheels weigh between half a kilogram and two kilograms. The taste is intense, oily and buttery, with a clear goat or sheep note and the aromatic herbs the animals feed on, slightly sharp and carrying the scent of wild plants.

It is usually served with country bread, including corn bread and bread with sesame seeds, which can be spread with honey, chestnut paste or orange marmalade. It also works as a component in salads and scrambled eggs. Suggested wines are white Tuscan Chardonnay poured from the barrel, or loose reds such as Südtirol Sankt Magdalener and merlots.