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Roncal
Country: Spain Grade: Unpasteurized
Cheese Type: Hard Milk Type: Sheep
Size: SKU: SKU16181
Weight: 0.50 lbs Available: 16
Your Price: $14.50 Quantity:

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Description:
Roncal comes from seven villages in the Roncal valley in the Navarre region, located in the Pyreéneées mountains of Spain. This region was the setting for Ernest Hemingway’s novel “The Sun Also Rises”. The cheese is made from the milk of the legendary Iacha and Aragonesa breed of Oveja (sheep). The cheese making history in this region goes back to the 13th century and in 1981 the region was given D.O. (Denominacion de Origen) status. The cheese makers would herd their sheep up into the mountain pastures in the spring and back to the valley in the fall. During this period they would make the famous cheese and bring it to market. The aging period for the cheese is at least 4 months. Roncal is similar to the Spanish Manchego cheese.
Texture:
Roncal has a firm, moist, smooth and nice chewable texture. The rind is hard with beige to gray color and the paste is beige that turns amber with age. The greenish moldy rind is occasionally rubbed with olive oil to protect the cheese. The interior of the cheese is firm, slightly grainy with small irregular holes.
Flavor:
The flavor owes much of its richness to the quality of the milk. As Roncal ages it develops a rustic, nutty and mild saltiness. In addition an olive-y flavor with a marked sweetness and herbaceousness from the grasses, herbs and flowers (that the sheep graze on in the mountain pastures) are quite pleasant. As the cheese ages it becomes increasingly tangy.
Pairings:
Serve on its own, shaved over salad or grilled vegetables, or drizzle with olive oil and top with quality green olives and toasted almonds. Roncal is a very versatile cheese that pairs well with many types of wine.
Whites: Albariño, Macabeo, Ansonica
Reds: Malbec, Bonarda, Parraleta, Grenacha, Teroldego, Nero d'Avola, Tannat, Dornfelder, Cabernet Franc
 
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