The half-wheels of Moncedillo Original and Red cheese sit on a wooden cutting board on my countertop at home…
…I putter around my apartment for a bit, letting the cheese come up to room temperature. I slice a small wedge of each and place them completely unadorned on a small white plate. I pour a glass of rose and take the cheese and wine to my small deck overlooking the cityscape of Portland, Maine where I live. It had been a sweltering July day, but now, at dusk, a cool breeze blows through. I try the Original first—buttery with a hint of tangy sweetgrass and nutty hazelnut. I savor that flavor for a moment then try the Red. Although I trimmed off the Pimenton-dusted rind, the distinct smokiness of paprika fills my mouth, but not intrusively. I gaze out at the sliver of Atlantic I can see over the trees and rooftops and think about the small dairy factory on the other side of that great ocean.
Written by Leska Tomash – Moncedillo is a small cheese and yogurt factory located in the small Spanish town Cedillo de la Torre with just over 100 people. Cedillo de la Torre is in the province of Segovia in the Castilla y Leon region which, in the last 20 years, has become home to 80 cheese factories producing 66% of all sheep’s milk produced in Spain, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock.
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