A Guide to Spanish Cheese Tapas
Tapas
Tapas, those tasty Spanish snacks, are thought to have originated in southern Spain. There is speculation that in the 18th century, the government mandated that taverns could only serve wine if accompanied by food. Derived from the word "cover," legend has it that tapas were little plates or perhaps even just slices of bread, that covered wine glasses. Today, tapas help to dull hunger pangs, stimulate appetite before a meal and of course, inspire socializing. Sangria, cider, beer and sherry typically accompany tapas in addition to wine.
Spanish Cheese Tapas
Empanadas
Croquetas
Cheese plates with fruit, honey and other accompaniments
Cheese toasts
Cheese with chicken
Cheese with vegetables
Sobrasada and Baby Manchego Cheese photo credit La Tienda
The range of tapas options is as broad as your imagination. These hot or cold small plates may feature Spanish olives, toasted baguettes with spreadable chorizo and melted cheese, empanadas, croquettes, and fresh seafood or multiple cheeses – sometimes with fruit such as sliced pears, or dates. A few nibbles can be served as a snack, more or larger portion referred to as raciónes, is enough to share or can be part of a full meal.
Valdeon photo credit La Tienda
Based in Williamsburg, Virginia, La Tienda’s Spanish cheeses find their way onto many tapas plates across the U.S. Valdeón, a blue cheese, is a creamy blend of cow and goat's milk from Leon, Spain, and pairs especially well with fruit and nuts. Another cheese, beloved Arzúa-Ulloa is a light yellow, soft and rich, Galician cow’s milk cheese known for its creamy, buttery profile. In addition, Organic Farmstead Manchego by Mitica provides a more nuanced version of the cheese named for a breed of sheep. It pairs especially well with red wine.
In San Francisco’s Castro neighborhood for 15 years, Canela Bistro Bar is known for its tapas offerings. Chef and owner, Mat Schuster, says he and his staff aim to make sure they serve classic tapas options for folks who want to recreate some food memories, including Spanish tortillas, hams and cheeses. Other dishes incorporate Spanish ingredients with California influence.
Typical Spanish Cheeses for Tapas
Manchego
Mahon
Valdeon
Arzúa-Ulloa
Torta del Casar
San Simon
Baby Manchego photo credit La Tienda
Schuster explains that customers look for both familiar dishes and Spanish ones. So they might recognize a word in English or in Spanish. Servers at Canela Bistro Bar talk with customers about the style of each dish on the menu and suggest how much to order. These family-style tapas also come from the kitchen at the pace customers are eating.
The restaurant typically offers eight to 10 Spanish cheeses at a time. “A really nice one is Mahon,” Shuster says. “It’s a young, cave-aged cheese that we use in a stuffed piquillo pepper. Also, Torta del Casar is a spreadable raw sheep’s milk cheese that’s very authentic to Spain.”
San Simon photo credit La Tienda
Customers appreciate tapas made with easy melting San Simon smoked cow’s milk cheese, such as toast with Spanish piquillo peppers and chopped Spanish olives plus a drizzle of Spanish olive oil or saffron aioli. Young Manchego cheese can be rolled into a chicken breast or wrapped in bites of puff pastry with seasonal jam (such as membrillo/quince paste) and walnuts, before baking.
The restaurant’s "Quesos de España" tapas may include 2-6 cheeses served with honeycomb, candied almonds, olives, and bread—depending on customer preference. The Roasted Eggplant and Swiss Chard tapas plate incorporates arugula, sofrito, feta and sheep’s cheese. And Summer Squash Montadito offers a delicious combination of roasted baby squash on toast with goat cheese and Miel de Caña (a natural sweetener derived from sugarcane syrup).
Tapas Recipes
Piquillo peppers stuffed with cheese photo credit La Tienda
With the right recipes, it’s also easy to enjoy cheese-infused tapas at home. La Tienda offers recipes for Piquillo Peppers Stuffed with Manchego and Sobrasada and Baby Manchego Cheese Toasts – a mouthwatering combo of spreadable chorizo, crusty bread and, of course, Manchego. Other classic Spanish tapas recipes to try at home include Manchego with Honey and Walnuts, Ham and Cheese Croquetas and Queso Frito.
“Spain was ‘late’ to the United States compared to other European cuisines,” Schuster says. “But I think people are becoming more educated regarding food and global dining through social media. There’s more exposure to items they may not have had, 10 years ago.”