Semi-cured goat's cheese, La Casota

Quesos La Casota Semicurado cheese is a traditional Spanish semi-hard goat's cheese from the Castilla-La Mancha region (specifically La Solana in the province of Ciudad Real). Its base ingredient is fresh goat's milk, which gives the cheese its typical gently milky, slightly piquant character with a balanced, creamy-compact structure, the result of traditional processing of this type of milk.

The production process begins with pasteurising the milk. The milk is heated to between 28°C and 32°C for 30 to 60 minutes until it coagulates. It is then cut and pressed into moulds for at least 2 hours. It is dissolved and salted by immersion in brine. This is followed by ageing, usually for 2-4 months, during which the cheese develops a richer aroma and firmer texture while retaining a fresh, slightly tangy flavour.

This semi-cured goat's cheese is wonderful on cheese platters, where its gentle piquancy complements olives, dried fruit or honey, but also pairs with white or light red wine, or as part of tapas, sandwiches, salads or baked dishes, where its aromatic yet not overly strong flavour highlights other ingredients and gives dishes the character typical of quality Spanish cheeses.

A whole piece weighs approximately 1.9kg.