Washed rind Sheep’s milk

Torta del Casar

Set with wild thistle instead of rennet, and eaten with a spoon through the lid.

Drawn by the app from this cheese’s own record — paste, rind and texture come from the data, not a stock library.

Coagulated with an extract of the wild cardoon thistle rather than animal rennet, which breaks the proteins down differently and leaves a paste that will not hold itself up. The wheel is bound in a cloth band to stop it escaping.

Cut the top off like a lid and spoon it out. Rich, bitter-edged and deeply savoury, with the vegetal bitterness of the thistle running underneath — the thing that separates it from every other soft sheep's cheese.

Tastes of

thistle bitterness lanolin salt melted butter

Put it next to

Ribera del Duero Rustic bread Sherry Iberian ham