Changes in chemical, sensory and rheological characteristics of Manchego cheeses during ripening

Manchego cheese is a high-fat pressed ewe's-milk cheese made in Castilla-La Mancha (Spain) and produced by enzymatic coagulation. The minimum ripening time before marketing required by the Regulatory Board of the Manchego Che ese Appellation of Origin is 60 days. This paper describes the physicochemical, proteolysis, sensory and texture characteristics of Manchego cheese, and the degree of homogeneity of cheese s made under the Manchego Appellation of Origin. ne data gathered in this s tudy indicate that sensory and instrumental analysis are useful tools for d etecting changes in Manchego cheese during ripening. These changes were fir st detected by the instrumental analysis (2 months). The panelists detected differences after 4 months' ripening in all the factories. With physicoche mical analysis, on the other hand, longer ripening times (6-8 months) are r equired before such changes become appreciated.