Manchego cheese hails from the La Mancha region of Spain. This is a firm sheeps milk cheese with tangy, nutty, grassy flavors. Although the consistency is not creamy like brie, the lacy interior is high in butterfat, lending it a rich, decadent feel. Manchego has an inedible waxy herringbone rind that’s imprinted during the molding process.
Gouda is a semi-hard cows milk cheese originating in the Netherlands. With a nutty, buttery taste infused with notes of caramel, gouda cheese is an all-around crowd-pleaser that’s perfect for holiday cheese plates. This whole milk cheese can also be made with sheeps milk or goats milk and may be enriched with cream for a double cream gouda version. Young gouda has a mild flavor, and as it ages more, the flavor sharpens. It’s typically covered in a waxy coating with a red or yellow wax denoting a young gouda and a black wax identifying an aged gouda.