Manchego cheese from Spain's La Mancha region is made from the whole milk of the Manchega ewe.
This "delicious-slightly piquant and nutty" cheese has a long historic tradition being mentioned by Cervantes in the legendary "Don Quixote of La Mancha".
You are more likely to find a pasteurized industrial Manchego at your local cheese shop aged from 6 to 12 months. If you have the chance to get your hands on some artisanal handmade raw milk Manchego aged (12 months or more), try it... it’s a whole different experience!
The Manchega breed of sheep, descend from the Ovis Aries Ligeriens type of sheep. The Manchega sheep are usually white but black fleeced sheep with white spots on their heads can also be found. There's no difference in the quality of the milk the two varieties produce.
The Manchegas grazing on the peculiar native wildlife is what gives Manchego its classic flavor and means that it’s impossible to make it properly away from that area.