By Porter Lang
Start with the object. A Mah贸n-Menorca cheese is not round. It is a block with rounded edges and rounded corners, and the rind is orange. Most cheeses in a shop window are wheels, so this one stands out before you read a word of the label.
Now the label, because that is where the useful information sits.
What the name is
It comes from the island of Menorca, in the Balearic Islands, and takes its first name from the town and natural port of Mah贸n. The Catalan form, “formatge de Ma贸”, appears in Wikipedia’s article on the island.
The regulatory council’s own site, the Consell Regulador, calls it a Protected Designation of Origin, a PDO. It says the cheese is made from cows’ milk produced on Menorca. It describes the cheese as a pressed paste in a “paralepipedic” shape, which in plain words means a block with edges and corners that are rounded off. The council adds that more than 30 associated farms produce and sell it under the PDO.
Two kinds, defined by the milk
The council’s page sets out two types, and they depend on the milk, not on age. Standard Mah贸n-Menorca is made with milk that has had a conservation treatment such as pasteurisation. Artisan Mah贸n-Menorca uses raw milk from the producing farm itself.
This is where a careful reader should slow down. Wikipedia uses the same word differently. It says the young version, “artes脿” or “artesano”, is aged for no more than three months and is softer. So “artisan” can mean raw milk from the farm (the council) or a young cheese (Wikipedia). We do not resolve this. Our reading: the label word that matters is the one printed on the cheese, and it is worth asking the seller which meaning applies.
Size, rind and age
Wikipedia gives the size as 20 centimetres by 20 centimetres by 9 centimetres and a weight of 2 to 3 kilograms. It says the rind is rubbed with butter or oil, and with paprika, which gives the orange colour. The council page does not mention the rind or the weight, so these rest on Wikipedia alone.
On ageing, Wikipedia gives a wide range, from three weeks to two years or more. Beyond the young cheese at up to three months, it says an aged cheese of around ten months develops small, uneven holes and a granular texture. The council refers to semi-cured and cured cheeses but gives no durations. We therefore cannot say how many months a “curado” label means, and neither source helps.
Side by side
| Question | Wikipedia | Regulatory council site |
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Denominaci贸n de Origen, 1985; renamed Mah贸n-Menorca, 1997 | Protected Designation of Origin |
| Milk | Cow’s milk | Cows’ milk from Menorca; pasteurised or treated for standard, raw for artisan |
| Rind | Butter or oil and paprika, orange | Not mentioned |
| Shape | 20 x 20 x 9 cm, 2 to 3 kg | Pressed paste, rounded edges and corners |
| Age | 3 weeks to 2 years or more | Semi-cured and cured, no durations |
| “Artisan” means | A young cheese of up to 3 months | Raw milk from the producing farm |
An island and its harbour
The island is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, designated in October 1993, says Wikipedia’s article on Menorca. It covers 695.8 square kilometres by the article’s infobox, although the table of municipalities adds up to 695.7. Mah贸n has been the capital since 1722, under British rule, “due to its strategic natural harbour”, while Ciutadella was the capital before that.
Dates in order
- About 2000 BC: Wikipedia says ceramic pieces found on the island, which may have been used for cheesemaking, date from about this time, or 3000 BC according to other authors.
- About 417: Wikipedia mentions a letter from a bishop, Sever, in which Menorcans are said to eat cows’ milk cheese.
- Nearly a century ago: Wikipedia says gatherer-ripeners, called recogedores, emerged. They traded farm goods, aged cheeses in caves and sold them across the islands and the mainland.
- 1985: Denominaci贸n de Origen.
- 1993: the island becomes a Biosphere Reserve.
- 1997: the cheese’s name changes to Mah贸n-Menorca.
How it is eaten
Wikipedia says it is traditionally sliced and sprinkled with olive oil, black pepper and tarragon, and that its creamy texture suits pasta, potato, rice and vegetable dishes. It also says that most production goes to processed cheese. Our reading: that is worth knowing if the label is vague, because “Mah贸n” on a processed product is a different thing from a PDO block, but the sources do not say how to tell them apart.
Questions a buyer would ask
Is the name protected? Yes. The council describes a PDO, and Wikipedia gives the dates of 1985 and 1997.
Is it always made from raw milk? No. The council says the standard version uses milk with a conservation treatment such as pasteurisation, and only the artisan version uses raw milk.
How long is it aged? The sources do not give one answer, only a range of three weeks to two years or more in Wikipedia.
What kind of sources these are
The cheese’s regulatory council, which speaks for the producers and is therefore a promotional source; and Wikipedia, in articles on the cheese and on the island. We tried a Spanish-language article and an official food board, but neither could be read, so the ageing categories remain unsourced beyond Wikipedia.
What we left out
Recipes, producers, shops, storage advice, pairing suggestions, and the tarragon-and-oil serving details beyond one line.
Quick answers
Is Mah贸n-Menorca a protected name? According to the regulatory council, yes: it is a Protected Designation of Origin for cheese made from cows’ milk on Menorca.
What shape is it? According to the council, a pressed block with rounded edges and corners; Wikipedia gives 20 by 20 by 9 centimetres.
What makes it orange? According to Wikipedia, the rind is rubbed with butter or oil and paprika.
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Roam first. Shop later.