Mahón Tierno

Tierno has been aged the least, maturing for just 21 to 60 days, and is pale in color with a soft, elastic texture. The mild flavor has a pleasantly sharp taste with an appetizing buttery, nutty and slightly salty flavor.

Mahón is a versatile cheese and can be added to cooked dishes as well as enjoyed as a tasting cheese.

A classic way to eat Mahón is sliced thin and drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkled with black pepper and tarragon.

Young Mahón Tierno often pairs well with salami or sausage, as well as dried fruit and nuts.

Mahón Tierno is ideal for making creamy cheese sauces. It is also often grated over pasta, rice, and vegetable dishes.

The rind of Mahón is made naturally, developed by the air drying the outside of the cheese as it is aging. Over time, a crust forms on the cheese which is rubbed with a mixture of oil, butter, and paprika, imparting a particular hue and giving the rind a delicious flavor—similar to fruity olive oil—making it enjoyable to eat.

Because Mahón is a pressed cheese, it needs to be protected from drying out. Wrap the cheese in plastic wrap or cover with a damp cloth and store it in the coldest part of the refrigerator.

If the cheese shows any signs of mold, remove by cutting about an inch around the spot of mold. The remaining cheese is then safe to use.

Mahón is the capital and port of Menorca, the most northerly of the Balearic Islands, in the Mediterranean Sea.

The entire island (barely 800 km2) is rocky with a mild climate and heavy rainfall. Sea winds and high atmospheric humidity irrigate the pastures, giving the milk a high acidity and a touch of saltiness.

Cheese has been made on the island of Menorca for centuries, a tradition handed down generation to generation and cheese making is the island's second most important economic activity, after tourism.More than 600 dairy farms make their own cheese or sell milk to a farm cooperative.  Mahón received denominación de origen in 1985.

Variations of Mahón are made with either pasteurized or unpasteurized cow's milk. The curd is wrapped with a cotton cloth, called a fogasser, tied with a string, called a lligam, and pressed to remove the whey.

The cloth wrapping creates a pillow shape, while the version made with pasteurized milk uses special molds that give the cheese a rectangular shape.

The cheese is immersed in a brine, removed to dry and stored in cheese caves to age. During maturation, the cheese is rubbed with a blend of oil, butter, and paprika, giving Mahón its signature reddish orange rind.

Mahón is classified by age, creating three categories: tierno, semi-curado, and Mahón curado. The younger the cheese, the lighter the color of the paste, as it ages, the hue darkens, the texture becomes firmer and drier, and the taste intensifies.

The rind contains a hard, crumbly cheddar-like texture and darkens as the wheels age. At peak, Mahón is tangy, intense and delicious, slightly sharp, milky, and salty.

A very versatile cheese, it is often grated and used for topping pasta, rice and vegetable dishes. Traditionally, it was eaten sliced thin and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil.