Manchega

The Manchega sheep comes from the Entrefino breed and has a double production use: milk and sheepmeat. Among this breed, there are two accepted varieties: black and white. The latter one makes up more than 90% of the animals. The average milk production is 100 liters (26.4 gallons) per animal a year, being markedly seasonal during the months of April, May and June.

Manchego cheese is the most important and well-known sheep’s milk cheese in Spain. True Manchega cheese is made only from whole milk of the Manchega sheep raised in the "La Mancha" region. This region is a vast high plateau, more than 600 meters (1,969 ft) above sea level.

Breed categories: dual purpose (dairy and meat) / Distribution: Spain, Europe