With its fondue-style creaminess, it can be used as an appetizer, a tapa, and sometimes as a dessert. We are talking about Torta del Casar cheese, a pride of Extremadura with a Protected Designation of Origin.
A creamy fondue cheese that is considered one of the best in Spanish cuisine and has a Protected Designation of Origin. Its production dates back centuries and today it is considered one of the emblems of the Extremaduran table. Torta del Casar meets requirements that include the origin of the milk, the type of rennet, and the geographical area. The production method is also a fundamental part of its history and its marketing is protected under seals that guarantee this. The ways to enjoy it include different cuts and accompaniments, and a glass of crianza red wine always seems to be a good idea to taste it.
What is Torta del Casar
Torta del Casar is a type of creamy cheese made from sheep’s milk. It is made in Casar de Cáceres, although it is also made in neighboring municipalities such as Sierra de Fuentes and Montánchez, and it has a Protected Designation of Origin. It has a slightly bitter flavour and is practically not salty. Its texture is very creamy and it is the same thickness in the heart of the piece as on the sides. Its rind has a uniform ochre colour, without spots or large cracks.
The name comes from the visual reminiscence of the torta de pan, a type of leftover cake with the same shape. This shape, and the creaminess inside, are a consequence of the use of wild cardoon ( Cynara Cardunculus ) for curdling. This cheese is a production that was created by shepherds who sought to preserve sheep’s milk for longer. The result, now an emblem, was initially a disappointment: the inside did not set firmly and flattened due to its own weight, or as they said, it was “tortao” (cake-shaped). An apparent defect turned into a gastronomic virtue.
Origin and history of Torta del Casar
Torta del Casar is closely linked to the tradition of shepherding and transhumance. The famous Vía de la Plata, now travelled by hundreds of pilgrims each year, was a mandatory route for herds before the 13th century.
Another example of the extent of pastoralism in the region is the Royal Privilege of 1291 by King Sancho IV, which granted the village of Casar half a league of land for grazing livestock, as recorded by the Regulatory Council of the Protected Designation of Origin of Torta del Casar. This is proof of the importance of livestock farming for the progress and economic activity of the area since the Middle Ages. Wool, milk, and sheep’s cheese, a cheese that in 1791 was used to pay tithes and which increased its importance when the value of wool was reduced.
What requirements does Torta del Casar DOP have?
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, all Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) products have quality characteristics that are due to the geographical area, including the natural and human resources of their production. In the case of Torta del Casar, the requirements that must be met in order to be certified as such are: the following.
In Spain there are a total of six cheese factories with the Protected Designation of Origin for Torta del Casar. Most of them are located in Casar de Cáceres and correspond to the Doña Francisca cheese factory, Iberques Extremadura, Los Casareños and Quesos del Casar. In Cáceres there is the certified El Castúo cheese factory and in the municipality of Almoharín there is the Lácteos del Búrdalo cheese factory.
Physical and organoleptic characteristics
The Torta del Casar must be cylindrical, with a convex surface and rounded edges. Depending on the weight, it can be considered small (500 g), medium (800 g) or large (1100 g). The crust must be semi-hard, well differentiated from the pastry, and have a uniform color without the addition of coloring. It must be presented in the traditional way, spread with oil.
Regarding the interior, the cream or paste should be soft to very soft, with a white-yellowish hue, uniform, with a greasy, melting character and soft graininess. A milky smell of low to medium intensity and a medium-low bitterness is expected.
Methods of preparation
For the production of Torta del Casar cheese, only milk from Merino and Entrefino sheep can be used, the breeds best adapted to the semi-steppe areas of Extremadura and with low milk production. The sheep must be fed with fodder, straw, compounds or concentrates. Coagulation must be achieved using the rennet of the cardoon Cyanara cardunculus in traditional doses and maturation must last a minimum of 60 days.
Geographical area
The geographical areas of both milk production and the production of Torta del Casar DOP are located in the province of Cáceres, Extremadura (Spain), and are included within the regions of Los Llanos de Cáceres, Sierra de Fuentes, and Montánchez.
Control and labelling
The origin of the milk used to make Torta del Casar is controlled by means of the appropriate records in the relevant institutions such as the Milk Collection Centres and the Control Bodies that supervise these qualities. The cheese prepared for sale as Torta del Casar DOP must be registered with the Cheese Industries and be evaluated by the relevant Control Body. In Spain, the National Accreditation Entity (ENAC) is responsible for certifying annually that the production of cheeses meets the requirements.
The label of all Torta del Casar cheeses must include certification labels that guarantee origin and traceability, with numbering, batch identification, and best-before date. According to this regulation, cheeses can be shipped cut in halves or quarters.
How is Torta del Casar made?
To make Torta del Casar cheese, five basic steps are required: collecting the milk, curdling, cutting, pressing, and maturing.
Collecting sheep’s milk
Raw sheep’s milk must come from Merino and Entrefino sheep from cheese factories considered suitable for the production of Torta del Casar. The milk must be transported for processing within a maximum of 72 hours from milking and must always remain between 1ºC and 6ºC, to ensure hygienic and health conditions (especially when it comes to raw milk!).
Curdled
At the destination facility, raw sheep’s milk is coagulated using rennet obtained from the flowers of the wild thistle in order to separate the whey from the milk. This process is carried out under a controlled temperature range of 26°C to 32°C and for a specified time of 50 to 90 minutes.
Cutting and pressing
The curd is then cut, which involves stopping the coagulation to obtain a grainy texture the size of grains of rice. This paste is moulded and pressed for between 1 and 8 hours. This step removes any traces of whey.
Maturation
Finally, the cheese is aged in chambers between 4°C and 12°C with a humidity of 75% to 95%. The process takes place for a minimum of 60 days during which the tradition of periodically turning the cheese is maintained. Likewise, throughout this process it is common to wrap the cheeses in cloth. This is done because the rind is still very soft and permeable to that creamy interior.
Nutritional Value of Torta del Casar
Like all good cheeses, Torta del Casar is rich in fats and proteins. There are slight differences between Tortas del Casar from different cheese factories due to the milk, the production process, etc. However, in general, Torta del Casar is a cheese that is very low in carbohydrates, has a high caloric intake, as well as a high content of saturated fats. It is rich in calcium, vitamin A, and vitamin B12.
- Calories : 362.5 kcal
- Fat: 29.37 g (of which 21.75 g are saturated)
- Carbohydrates: 0.78 g (of which sugars: 0.19 g)
- Proteins: 26.30 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
Culinary uses: How is Torta del Casar cut and eaten?
How do you cut Torta del Casar? There are two equally valid ways to enjoy Torta del Casar in all its splendor. The most common is the lid, a rounded cut on the top of the piece that when removed reveals all the creaminess inside. Another possibility is the transversal cut right down the middle, in this way we obtain two containers of creamy cheese presented, nothing more and nothing less, than in their own crust. This last cut, in addition to being simple, allows both sides of a long table to have equal access to this Extremadura delicacy.
Once opened, it can be served as an appetizer or tapa with breadsticks, spread on toast, accompanied by nuts or fresh fruit. To give it a different touch, you can add a pinch of sweet paprika or aromatic herbs on top.
We can also cook the liquid cheese croquette version of Torta del Casar, a tapa that exceeds expectations. Of course, if we wanted, we could even turn it into a dessert, as is the case of Pepe Rodríguez, a judge on Masterchef, and his Torta del Casar ice cream, with honey jelly and apple granita. A winning combination, considering that the apple helps to enhance the next bite of Torta del Casar as if it were the first.
And whether in the most traditional format with some breadsticks or as croquettes, a red wine or a glass of cava will never fail as an accompanying drink.
The week of the Torta del Casar
Celebrated since 1995, Torta del Casar Week is an annual event that takes place in Casar de Cáceres. It was created with the aim of promoting the flavour and history of the town’s most emblematic cheese, through days full of workshops, tastings, and culinary demonstrations that alternate with other events such as the Trashumante Route, which venerates the relationship with the livestock world, ultimately, the true roots of Torta del Casar.
At the time of writing these lines, preparations were underway for the 29th edition, which will take place in October, as usual, coinciding with the European Cheese Fair.