Cheese lovers are likely familiar with both manchego and parmesan, two of the most popular varieties around. But what exactly sets these cheeses apart?
Manchego comes from Spain and is made from sheep's milk, delivering a creamy texture and nutty, tangy flavors. Its taste profile makes it quite versatile for cooking as well as snacking.
Parmesan originates from Italy and is made from cow's milk, offering a hard, crumbly texture and sharp, savory umami notes. Its pronounced taste stands up well to bold dishes and rounds out subtle ones.
What Is Manchego Cheese
Manchego cheese has its roots in Spain’s La Mancha region, crafted from the milk of Manchega sheep. The specific breed of sheep, along with their diet of wild grasses, herbs and cereals, impacts the flavor and consistency of the final cheese product.
Traditional manchego is aged between 60 days to 2 years. The aging duration affects its taste and texture:
- Fresco is aged 60 days, offering a mild, creamy flavor and texture.
- Semi-curado ages 3 months, becoming drier and firmer with a tangier profile.
- Curado ages 6 months, developing an intense nutty flavor.
- Viejo ages 1-2 years, concentrating into an extremely sharp, crumbly cheese with a potent taste.
No matter its age, a few core qualities define manchego:
- Firm, compact consistency ranging from sliceable to very hard.
- Tangy, nutty and buttery notes, sometimes featuring hints of olive, caramel or grassy undertones from the sheep's diet.
- An off-white to pale yellow color.
- Small mechanical holes dotting the interior from the cheese making process.
Manchego's nuanced taste and smooth mouthfeel make it quite versatile within Spanish cuisine and beyond:
Key Takeaway: Manchego cheese is a sheep's milk variety from Spain, known for its tangy, nutty flavors and firm texture ranging from sliceable to very hard depending on age.
What Is Parmesan Cheese
Parmesan originates from Italy's Emilia-Romagna region. To carry the name parmesan, this hard Italian cheese must strictly follow production protocols within designated provinces.
True parmesan uses raw milk from cows fed fresh grass and hay. Their diet impacts the compounds that develop parmesan’s signature taste. The cheese ages slowly, developing texture and savoriness:
- Most commercial parmesan matures around 10 months for moderate intensity and semi-hard texture.
- Artisan parmesan ages 18-36 months for full tang and crumble.
No matter its aging duration, parmesan carries some unifying traits:
- Hard, crumbly texture ranging from small granules to shards depending on maturity.
- Savory, umami-rich flavor with notes of fruit, nuts or caramel from the cow's milk.
- A pale to straw yellow color with occasional small holes or white flecks of amino acid clusters.
Its pronounced, salty profile means parmesan requires careful pairing to prevent overwhelming other ingredients. But this very intensity makes it perfect for rounding out and enhancing dishes.
Key Takeaway: Parmesan cheese comes from Italy's Emilia-Romagna area, made with cows milk and defined by its crumbly texture and sharp, savory taste intensifying with age.
Key Differences Between Manchego and Parmesan
Manchego and parmesan do share some broad style similarities, including their firm textures, aging processes and nutty flavor notes. But several major contrasts set them definitively apart:
Milk Source
- Manchego comes from sheep's milk, with a rich supply in Spain's La Mancha region. Sheep's milk contributes significant fat and nutrients.
- Parmesan uses cow's milk, abundant in parmesan's native Italian provinces. Cow's milk offers its own compositional advantages.
The differing milk sources affect texture, taste and nutritional profiles. Sheep's milk gives manchego a creamy mouthfeel, while parmesan takes on a crumbly crystallization.
Aging Time
- Manchego ages 60 days to 2 years. Fresco manchego matures only 2 months, developing mild creaminess, while year-plus viejo concentrates into an intensely nutty, brittle form.
- Parmesan ages minimum 10 months and up to 3 years. This extensive maturation period allows deep savory notes and granular texture to form.
The aging duration impacts hardness, flavor complexity and applications. Young manchego makes an approachable table cheese, while parmesan requires extended aging to develop its signature crunch and taste.
Flavor Notes
- Manchego offers a nutty, buttery taste with citrusy or olive undertones from the sheep's grazing. Its flavor profile stands out yet plays well with other ingredients.
- Parmesan focuses squarely on savory, salty umami, with slight sweetness and bitterness. Its pronounced punch can overtake more delicate flavors.
The taste differences mean manchego works in more dishes, while parmesan takes a targeted supporting role. Manchego cheeses subtle Spanish flavors, as parmesan amplifies Italian cuisine.
Key Takeaway: Key differences, including milk type, aging time and flavor notes, make manchego and parmesan suited for distinct dishes that optimize their unique qualities.
Best Uses for Manchego Cheese
From its native Spanish cuisine to broader European applications, manchego's adaptability stems from its mellow but complex profile. Its approachability even allows non-culinary uses.
Table Cheese
Manchego's balanced flavor and creamy texture make it an exceptional table cheese for everyday snacking. Enjoy manchego:
- On a tapas platter with cured meats, olives, nuts and dried fruits
- With bread or crackers
- Shaved over salads or roasted veggies
- Alongside fresh or dried fruits and honey, like figs, dates and apricots that complement its sweetness
- Straight off the wedge
Cooking Ingredient
Manchego also melts well, making it perfect for cooked dishes across cultures:
- Enhance Spanish tortillas, ratatouille and puchero stews
- Bake into bread, like soda bread and scones
- Stuff manchego into breaded, fried appetizers
- Grate over pasta, pizza, vegetables and soups
- Mix into risotto or polenta dishes
- Add boldness to American grilled cheese sandwiches and macaroni and cheese
Thanks to its diverse applications, manchego shows up across globe-spanning cuisines.
Cheese Board Addition
On cheese boards and platters, manchego always makes a crowd-pleasing appearance:
- Pair with Spanish cured meats like Jamón Ibérico ham, chorizo and salchichón
- Contrast with soft cheese like Camembert or brie
- Complement goat cheeses and blues
- Accent with olives, almonds, fresh or dried fruits and quince or apple paste
- Serve with sherry, cava sparkling wine or tempranillo red wine
As a cheeseboard anchor or complement, manchego’s familiar nuttiness never disappoints.
Best Uses for Parmesan Cheese
While manchego wins points for its flexibility, parmesan’s defined personality means it requires careful pairing to shine. But when matched correctly, parmesan transforms dishes with its salty intensity.
Finishing Touch
In the kitchen, parmesan takes a support role, added in finishing touches rather than as a central ingredient:
- Top Italian pasta, gnocchi, risotto or polenta dishes
- Mix or sprinkle into cooked vegetable sides
- Finish pan sauces, soups and stews
- Bread or coat fried food like vegetables, meats or fish before baking
A little parmesan goes a long way thanks to its bold personality. A dusting or dash enhances other ingredients instead of masking them.
Baked Dishes
For baked recipes like casseroles, parmesan’s savory notes bake directly into the dish:
- Blend into egg-based dishes like frittatas or quiche
- Mix with Italian baked pastas, including lasagna, manicotti or baked ziti
- Fold into stuffed vegetables like tomatoes or squash
- Top pizzas before baking
Melting melds parmesan’s flavor directly into casseroles and bakes.
Grating Finishes
Parmesan’s hard texture also makes it perfect for grating topping finishes:
- Sprinkle over salads, fresh and roasted vegetables
- Garnish soups, stews and cooked grains
- Shave over fish and meat entrees
- Top bruschetta, crostini and panini
A delicate garnish of grated parmesan allows its flavor to come through without overwhelming.
Key Takeaway: Parmesan's intense saltiness makes it best used as a finishing touch rather than a main ingredient, perfect for topping pastas, flatbreads, soups and more without overpowering other flavors.
FAQs
Can you substitute manchego for parmesan?
Thanks to its milder flavor, manchego makes an acceptable stand-in for parmesan in most dishes. Though it won’t provide the same salty hit, manchego’s nutty notes fill a similar role.
Adjust other seasoning like salt, pepper, herbs or spice to compensate for manchego’s more delicate nature. Manchego also melts smoothly in place of parmesan for baked dishes or topping finished pasta.
Can you substitute parmesan for manchego?
Parmesan doesn’t work as universally in place of manchego. Its pronounded personality overwhelms more subtly flavored ingredients.
However, a modest amount of very finely grated parmesan can replicate manchego’s sweet nuttiness in Spanish dishes like tortilla and vegetable sides. Blend it into rice dishes, egg bakes or Wquick breads for a bolder take.
Just take care not to overdo it on parmesan, as too much can make food taste solely and overwhelmingly of cheese.
What’s a good cheese pairing with manchego?
Manchego pairs wonderfully with complementary cheeses: soft fresh cheeses balance its texture, while blues, goat cheeses and sheep’s milk pecorino romano offer flavor synergy. Try manchego with:
- Fresh mozzarella or bufala
- Gorgonzola dolce blue cheese
- French goat cheeses like chèvre
- Pecorino romano for a nutty, saline sheep duo
Additionally, manchego teams up with charcuterie, olives, almonds, quince paste and dried fruits for an incredible Spanish-style arrangement.
What’s a good cheese pairing with parmesan?
Parmesan works best with equally big flavors that won’t get bulldozed. Bold cheeses like aged gouda, provolone and swiss can stand up to parmesan, as do salty companions like feta or halloumi. Combine parmesan with:
- Aged gouda or smoked gouda
- Provolone or asiago
- Briny feta or salty halloumi
- Italian salami or prosciutto
Grouping parmesan with other aggressively flavored cheeses and charcuterie allows its signature intensity to mingle rather than dominate.
Conclusion
While manchego and parmesan share an identity centered around nutty, saline qualities, they express those traits quite differently thanks to their Spanish and Italian roots.
Manchego distinguishes itself with a supple, sliceable texture and balanced citrusy, olive and grassy notes. This allows it to play a starring role across cured meat platters, cheese displays, cooked dishes and simple snacking.
Parmesan sets itself apart through intense savoriness dialed up by long aging. This punchy personality means parmesan makes the perfect finishing touch rather than foundation. A judicious hand prevents parmesan from eclipsing more delicate flavors.