Torta del Casar is a cheese made from unpasteurized sheep’s milk in the districts of Los Llanos de Cáceres, Sierra de Fuentes and Montánchez in the province of Cáceres near the Portuguese border. It is named after Casar de Cáceres, its city of origin, and torta or atortao, referring to its shape.
Torta del Casar is a very rare delicacy since the Merino and Entrefina sheep, which are farmed in the traditional way, yield very low amounts of milk. An interesting fact about this cheese is that it is renneted with cardoon, a wild thistle, which causes the cheese to soften during maturation and adds a slightly bitter note to the final product.
The cheese is aged for at least 60 days at 4 to 12ºC upon which it develops a semi-hard crust and a soft, creamy center. During this stage, it obtains its typical dropped shape and sometimes, a wrapping is needed to prevent the soft center from leaking.
Its rind may be left untouched or it can be coated with olive oil. Torta del Casar is traditionally served whole, with the top sliced off, and it's then spread on bread and eaten with Kiwi, Jamon Serrano, and white wine. It should be stored at room temperature to stay soft and delicate, but the cheese can also be placed in an oven to warm up as well.
