Mahón-Menorca cheese: the natural taste of the island

The rebirth of nature is here, and with this spring, the beauty of the flowers colours the Menorcan countryside. Like the perennial plant Anclova or Zulla, which blooms red at this time of year and serves as food for the cows that graze calmly and freely on these lands. These are the very Friesian cows that provide all the milk used to produce Mahón-Menorca cheese, a local and healthy food in every sense.

Mahón-Menorca cheese tastes like its island; its authenticity lies in the characteristics that embrace its environment. Just as the wind spreads the seeds that germinate and colour the meadows, it is also an essential element that carries the sea salt to the pastures that feed these cows. This special “sea” touch is imprinted in every bite of Mahón-Menorca cheese.

Its peculiar and unmistakable flavour would not be possible without all these variables and the millenary tradition of Mahón-Menorca cheese-making. Just as the golden proportions of the petals that flood the region this season, the genuine art of “formatjar” has origins that go back to ancient times and is slowly engraved in the collective memory of this paradise, declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO.

Tradition and expansion of Mahón-Menorca cheese

This process of sustainable creation, respectful of the environment and aiding the miracle of the explosion of spring light on the island, is protected by the Regulatory Council. This guardian has been watching over the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) of Mahón-Menorca cheese since 1985.

Anclova has reached Malta, Brazil, Australia… and Mahón-Menorca PDO cheese has expanded to no fewer than 48 countries. It has also become the third Spanish Protected Designation of Origin in terms of sales and export volume. Each year, 3,000 kilograms of Mahón-Menorca cheese reach homes around the world, offering an unparalleled taste.

Another unique feature of Mahón-Menorca cheese is its shape. Wherever you see pressed pasta cheeses with a parallelepiped shape, with softened edges and corners, you have the Protected Designation of Origin Mahón-Menorca cheese. Yes, they are square.

Ripening process and characteristics of Mahón-Menorca cheese

All square, but more yellow or orange depending on their ripening time. Unlike flowers, which wither, Mahón-Menorca cheeses improve with the passage of time. Matured in the cellars of Menorcan producing farms, another added peculiarity is their ripening. In the 37 companies that market Mahón-Menorca cheese, all of them local, the process involves lovingly turning the cheeses and coating them with olive oil and paprika.

Turned up, turned down… slowly, with care and rest. With quality and dedication, like the emergence of nature, and that plant called “zulla” or “anclova” that lives perennially in the Balearic Islands. Will Mahón-Menorca cheese last as long? So far, it seems that 4,000 years of cheese-making tradition is a guarantee of longevity.

Mahón-Menorca cheese is more than food; it is a sensory experience that connects us with the essence of Menorca, its landscapes, and its rich cultural heritage. Each bite invites us to enjoy the authenticity and quality that only a product made with such care can offer.