When it comes to cheese, Manchego often steals the spotlight in the Iberian Peninsula—but Spain and Portugal have much more to offer. Here are our picks for the best regional cheeses you’ve probably never heard of:
Azeitão is a creamy, artisanal sheep’s milk cheese from the Setúbal region of Portugal, just south of Lisbon. This top-quality DOP product has a rich, tangy flavor and a soft, spoonable center. Paired with bread, crackers, jam or red wine, Azeitão is a must-try for food lovers!
Cabrales is a blue cheese made in the misty Picos de Europa mountains in Asturias. This DOP delicacy is crafted from cow’s milk—or a blend with goat and sheep milk—and aged in caves where the humid air encourages its signature blue-green marbling. This intense cheese is for the adventurous palate!
Hailing from the Sierra de Grazalema mountains of southern Spain, Payoyo cheese is made from the milk of rare Payoya goats. It is soft, sharp, and a tad salty—perfect for pairing with a crisp glass of Manzanilla sherry.
San Simon cheese is made from cows’ milk in the rolling countryside of Galicia, Spain. The teardrop-shaped DOP cheese is aged, lightly pressed, and then smoked with birchwood. Its buttery texture and smoky flavor pair perfectly with fruit-based desserts or Albariño white wine.
