Manchego (Lidl Deluxe)
Following on from recent review on a Manchego wrapped in a rosemary rind, I thought it prudent to have a go at tasting Manchego in all its naked glory. The Lidl Deluxe offering claims to be rich and nutty with a strength rating of 3. It is made from the milk of the Manchega sheep and as such it offers a different taste from a similar hard cow-milk cheese.
The cheese has a somewhat evocative smell that to me conjures up memories of Spanish holidays and visits to the supermarket deli counters. Interestingly, the alluring waft of smell increases on cooking. The cheese has an initially smooth texture that becomes more crumbly as you chew. This isn’t a strong hard-hitting vintage but it doesn’t claim to be. The taste is distinct enough although there could do with being a little more overall. The sheep taste is certainly not as strong as in something like Singletons Parlick. Don’t get me wrong, it is a nice cheese with a slightly rustic earthy (and yes, possibly a little nutty) taste that evokes the spirit of the hard Spanish cheese. It makes for a decent sandwich filler but I feel it’s better used melted on a burger or on a piece of toast.
As always, value is a consideration for me and at £1.99 for a 175g wedge it satisfies my wallet as well as my taste buds. My memory of fresh Manchego from the deli counters of Spain does say that you do get a better overall product from a freshly cut wheel but in the absence of that, this supermarket offering does offer a suitable alternative.
RATING – 7.0
RECOMMENDATION – My best tasting experience of Manchego was sliced and melted over a quality burger. The taste is noticeably bolder and certainly offers a change from a more conventional cheese like Cheddar
Consummate copious consumer of cheese. Lover of a good strong cheddar!
Is this sheep milk cheese vegetarisj
I don’t believe it is. The process uses Rennet which I don’t believe is Vegetarian
Is it from raw sheeps’ milk?
Hi David. I went to Lidl yesterday to check. The packaging only states that it used Spanish ewe’s milk. I know Manchego can be made with both raw and pasturised. I would be more inclined to think something like this would use pasturised milk but I can’t say for certain!
Now costs £2.99 in late 2024.
Thanks for the update. My colleague Phil was collecting prices to write an article on the price inflation hitting cheese. A 50% hike in 3 years seems crazy! To be fair, a lot of the cheese offerings in Lidl were often very good value so even this price rise doesn’t make it outrageous.
Have you seen the news about criminals stealing cheese? What a world we live in!