Why raw milk?

Raw milk cheese demands milk of much higher quality, which is much more difficult to handle and process than pasteurized milk, which can travel a long way to an industrial cheese factory. Artisan raw milk cheese making depends upon milk produced by herds that must be close to the dairy because it must be processed in a short time after it is received. This is one of the reasons why raw milk cheese is more expensive to make than commercial cheeses. The final product, however, has a much more creamy texture, complex and much richer aromas and a more developed, persistent and lactic flavour.


Of course, we know there are many other artisan/raw milk Manchegos around the world, than
Artequeso. Some of them are really good, but most of them are vacuum packed. Vacuum packing is the easy way to avoid preservation problems, such as the appearance of mould in the rind, but the process alters the flavour and look of traditional Manchego, similar to what occurs in industrial/pasteurized processing which causes the cheese to have a more “spicy” flavour. This is in contrast to the traditionally prepared Manchego that retains lactic and natural   flavours and an even more firm and compact texture.