Cheeses

There are over 2,000 types of cheese worldwide, and with such variety, it is very difficult to choose. The variations in production range from the type of milk—goat, sheep, cow, etc., or a combination of different milks—to the time of pasteurization or maturation, and even the location where they are aged. In this section of AnchoasDeluxe, you will find a gourmet selection of more than 30 different types of cheese, where you can choose based on the type of milk, region of origin, or a specific Designation of Origin like Mahón, Manchego, or Idiazábal cheese.

What artisanal online cheeses can we find in this category?

In this category, we find the cheeses from Spain. In this section, we aim to offer you the best variety of online cheeses that we hand-select from every corner, making them available to you at the best price. We search for artisanal cheeses that stand out in their category and are difficult to find in the usual market. We have selected a few of the many magnificent cheeses we can find because we have an extensive variety of cheeses throughout the country.

Cheeses from small artisans who make small, traditional, and artisanal gastronomic gems, with great care and dedication, transporting you with each tasting to the place of production, to the green meadows where their livestock graze, to the village...

We start with the cheeses closest to us, the cheeses of Cantabria, with designation of origin quesucos from Cantabria. We have several cow cheeses, smoked cow, goat, sheep, and three-milk cheeses, soft cheeses, including the famous Queso Picón Bejes-Tresviso, with designation of origin and named the best cheese in the world in 2002. We also have Asturian cheeses, including the famous Cabrales cheese, which is somewhat similar to Queso Picón de Tresviso but with a slightly stronger and more intense flavor. These are cheeses worth trying and forming an opinion on.

The Manchego cheese couldn't be left out. We offer a aged cured sheep cheese, extremely rich and intense, along with other delicious cheeses from geographic areas that are famous for their unique characteristics, small production, and difficulty in finding in many physical stores, with international awards to their name.

Idiazábal cheese is ranked as one of the best Idiazábal cheeses, and Torta del Casar is listed as one of the best cheeses in the world. We continuously update our selection of cheeses with designation of origin.

Types of online cheeses

There are many countries, cultures, and regions with their own cheese-making traditions, where the consistency, flavor, and texture vary greatly.
Cheese is, besides being a delicacy, an affordable food commonly found on tables, either as an appetizer, accompaniment, or main dish. The most popular cheeses worldwide are:

• Mozzarella cheese: Originally from Italy and made from buffalo milk, this cheese is semi-fresh. It has a mild flavor and is used in salads and pizzas.
• Cheddar cheese: Cheddar, originally from England, is made with pasteurized cow's milk. When young, its texture is crumbly, and as it ages, it becomes hard.
• Emmental cheese: This Swiss cheese is made from unpasteurized cow's milk. It has a thin rind wrapped in paper, and its flavor is sweet and fruity. It is characterized by the holes in its interior, created during the fermentation process.
• Gouda cheese: This cheese is one of the most popular in the world for being flavorful and semi-hard. It is made with cow's milk, although artisanal varieties use sheep or goat's milk.
• Parmesan cheese: This Italian cheese is consumed worldwide, with a crumbly texture and a strong nutty flavor, used in soups, pastas, and risottos. It is made from pasteurized cow's milk.
• Blue cheese: Blue cheese can be made from cow, goat, or sheep's milk. Its color ranges from blue to gray-green due to the presence of molds derived from a fungus. This type of cheese has a strong flavor and smell, and its texture is creamy, often spread on bread or used to make sauces to accompany meats.
• Brie cheese: This famous dessert cheese is originally from the Brie region in France. Made from pasteurized cow's milk, its texture is soft and pale in color.
• Roquefort cheese: Roquefort is another classic French cheese made from coagulated sheep's milk, with a semi-soft texture and greenish spots due to molds. Its salty and complex flavor softens when spread on bread.
• Feta cheese: Feta is a Greek cheese made from a mixture of goat and sheep milk. Its texture varies depending on its age or region, and it has a strong, salty flavor.
• Mascarpone cheese: Mascarpone is an Italian cheese used in Italian desserts such as tiramisu and cheesecakes. It is a soft cheese with a very creamy texture.

Types of Spanish online cheeses

Do you love cheese? Spain is a cheese-loving country, and so are we! There are so many varieties to choose from that it’s almost impossible to make a decision. That’s why, in this part of our cheese shop, we want to offer you a list of the most typical cheeses of Spain.

Manchego Cheese

Originating from Castilla La Mancha and made with manchega sheep's milk, it is one of the most well-known cheeses in Spain.

A cheese weighing 1.5 kg or less requires at least 30 days to produce and a maximum of 2 years to cure. This creates a hard rind and a slightly acidic, strong, and flavorful taste that becomes spicier in very cured cheeses.

Torta del Casar

Torta del Casar is a cheese from Cáceres, made from raw sheep's milk from controlled livestock, vegetable rennet, and salt. It is known for having a light, thin, semi-hard rind with a very creamy texture and an intense, developed flavor.

Idiazábal Cheese

Idiazábal cheese is made in Navarra and the Basque Country from Latxa and Carranzana sheep's milk, without mixing or pasteurizing.
It is a matured cheese with an intense, full, and balanced flavor that requires a minimum of two months of aging and weighs between 1 and 3 kg. It is also available smoked or unsmoked.

Cabrales Cheese

This Asturian cheese is one of the best-known and most popular in northern Spain, made artisanally by local farmers using raw cow's milk or a mixture of two or three types of milk: cow, sheep, and goat.
Once made, the cheese is aged for between two and four months in natural mountain caves, where Penicillium molds develop, giving it its characteristic slightly spicy flavor.

Mahón Cheese

Mahón cheese is a type of cheese from Menorca made with cow's milk, characterized by its intense and distinctive flavor derived from the environmental characteristics of the region, such as wind, humidity, and light.

Simón da Costa Cheese

Typical of northern Spain, this smoked cheese is made from cow's milk from the Rubia Gallega, Parda Alpina, Frisona, and crossbreeds. It has a distinctive shape, resembling a spinning top or bullet, with a mild, balanced flavor, slightly salty, with a bit of spice and generally low fat content.

Picón Bejes-Tresviso Cheese

Also from northern Spain, specifically Cantabria, this cheese is made from cow, sheep, and goat's milk. Traditionally known as Picón de Tresviso and Picón de Bejes, it is similar to other cheeses produced in different parts of the Picos de Europa region, such as Cabrales (Asturias), as they are all aged similarly in caves located in the mountains of the Picos de Europa.
It has a thin rind, grey in color with yellowish-green patches, and a slightly spicy flavor like other blue cheeses, due to the Penicillium mold cultures that give it its distinctive color and flavor.

Why buy artisanal online cheeses?

Buying cheeses online is easier than ever, fresh and at the best price, perfect to pair with other delicious products available in our online store. You can find whole cheeses as usual, but we have included portions, half cheeses, and wedges to cater to all tastes, so it’s not a hassle to purchase a large quantity of cheese.

The easiest way to enjoy artisanal products directly from the producer, just as if you were to find them in the heart of the villages, cheeses with all their flavor, made in a traditional, artisanal way.

The online cheese sales that AnchoasDeluxe offers guarantee the highest quality for the products, especially dairy, as we use refrigerated transport to ensure that, regardless of delays or unforeseen events, the product arrives in perfect condition. The quality of these cheeses requires special transportation, and we are committed to that. Now the only problem left is deciding—there are so many cheeses, and all of them are excellent.

Designations of Origin in Spain

Spain has a long tradition of cheese-making. For this reason, there are 26 cheeses with Designation of Origin status, meaning they are made with milk from livestock adapted to each region, as well as from endemic species.

The list is as follows:

1. AFUEGA'L PITU
2. CABRALES
3. CASIN
4. CEBREIRO
5. GAMONEU or GAMONEDO
6. IDIAZÁBAL
7. MANCHEGO
8. MAHÓN-MENORCA
9. PICÓN-BEJES-TRESVISO
10. RONCAL
11. SAN SIMÓN DA COSTA
12. TORTA DEL CASAR

How to store cheese

There are many doubts when it comes to storing food, especially how to preserve cheese without it going bad and being wasted. Several factors can help preserve cheese for longer, so you don’t miss out on any flavor.

Temperature
When cheese is exposed to heat, it loses some of its natural fat due to sweating, which changes its texture and flavor. Therefore, it is essential to keep it in a cool place, such as the refrigerator. Generally, cheese should be stored between 4 and 12 degrees, but this varies depending on the type of cheese. For example, hard cheeses should be kept between 8 and 12 degrees, while soft cheeses should be kept between 4 and 8 degrees.
- Tip: Vegetable drawers in refrigerators often have less cold temperatures, making them the most recommended spots.

The Wrapping
Besides protecting cheese from heat, we must also be cautious with cold, as the dry cold of the fridge can dry out the cheese. Therefore, it's essential to wrap it properly. One option is to use the original cheese packaging or wax paper (like that used in butcher shops) or baking paper. Tupperware containers are another option, but be careful with fermenting white cheeses; to prevent spoilage, it's ideal to wrap cheese in a damp cotton cloth.

- Tip: Avoid wrapping cheese too tightly to prevent overheating and mold formation.

Does cheese spoil outside the fridge?

The answer is no. The shelf life may be shorter, but small-format cheese can last about 15–20 days outside the fridge, while blue cheeses and larger formats can last up to 2 months.
In fact, hard or dry cheeses like Cheddar, processed, and Parmesan cheeses should not be refrigerated to maintain their flavor and texture.
- Tip: If you think it won’t be consumed for a long time, apply oil to the cut surface. This way, it will stay fresh and juicy.

Vacuum-packed cheese outside the fridge?

Not all cheeses can be vacuum-packed. Fresh or soft cheeses are for immediate consumption and are not sold vacuum-packed because they should be eaten as soon as possible.
However, non-fresh cheeses can be vacuum-packed, and the more aged the cheese, the better it will preserve. Semi-cured or cured cheeses are the best for this:
- Whole Cheese: If you buy a whole cheese, it doesn’t need to be vacuum-packed, as the rind protects the cheese.
- Cheese Wedge: When purchasing a portion, it is preferable to vacuum-pack it since it has already been exposed to oxygen.

Our Asturian recommendations

Let me recommend 3 special Asturian cheeses for every occasion. You can buy all of them directly from us:

1.- Cabrales

This cheese is the most mentioned in the previous section, but it’s also one of the most famous, as it’s sold worldwide. It has a strong odor and a flavor that may be too intense for some. Its consistency is considered buttery, but in some cases, it is semi-hard, so it can be enjoyed in chunks.

It is made with raw cow's milk, which is combined with sheep and goat milk during June and July. Its maturation, in its original preparation, is 5 months. It is stored at a temperature of 10 degrees Celsius and with 90% humidity.

2.- Gamonéu

This cheese represents the Picos de Europa National Park. It is not as well-known as the previous one, but many world-class chefs are familiar with its slightly spicy flavor. This cheese is made with three types of milk and requires two months in a cave to achieve a smoky flavor with a moldy coating in reddish or greenish tones. A true spectacle.

3.- Afuega’l Pitu Cheese

This is one of the first cheeses made from fully pasteurized cow's milk, produced in the central and western parts of Asturias. This Asturian cheese, with a name that’s hard to pronounce, has the peculiarity of sticking to the palate to offer a creamy and firm product. It has a white-yellowish, almost orange tone, as paprika is added to enhance its flavor.

Our cheese section is one of the most important in our shop. Why? Because we have the best artisanal products. Our cheeses follow the oldest and most traditional recipes of our regions.

Why buy cheese online at AnchoasDeluxe?

Our philosophy stems from the passion for artisanal products like anchovies, and we continue with that same passion for the hundreds of gourmet products we currently offer. These are the reasons:

1. Our cheeses come directly from small producers, shortening the supply chain and increasing turnover. These cheeses are at their perfect point of maturation and curing.
2. You benefit from the best prices because by working directly with the cheese producers, the added margins are small, and these prices come directly from the producers, as they set the value of their product.
3. You have access to cheeses that are not mass-produced and therefore not available in large stores. These are artisanal cheeses, each unique and different, allowing you to explore and discover new flavors.
4. You can buy artisanal cheeses and complete your shopping basket with products from small producers, such as Santoña anchovies, Iberian ham, seafood preserves, or an infusion, and receive it at your home in just 24 hours.

Why is AnchoasDeluxe your online cheese store?

Buying cheese online and having it delivered to your home can be one of the best options today. In our online cheese section, you can find a wide variety of artisanal cheeses, different textures, types, flavors, and designations of origin, but they are all artisanal cheeses. Our online gourmet store features the best gastronomic experts and enthusiasts who work directly with the producers every day. That is why hundreds of customers trust our products daily for these reasons:

• We work directly with the best artisanal gourmet cheesemakers in Spain. Our extensive experience, visits to fairs, and continuous training lead us to support small productions from every corner of Spain. We visit their facilities and learn about their history, production methods, and roots.
• Our expert cheesemakers have first-hand knowledge of the producers, which is why these unique pieces are selected. They are gourmet cheeses whose qualities and particularities are well known, ensuring that you can buy the cheese in its best condition, with expert comments and suggestions from our cheesemakers. Every day in our online store, the cheeses are prepared and monitored in our special refrigeration chambers with temperature control.
• One of the main reasons is the reviews from our customers who visit us at our physical store in our warehouse in Guarnizo. That’s why they trust us as their preferred online cheese store, thanks to our personalized service, proximity, quality, and price. Our mission is to deliver artisanal cheese from the producers directly to your home.