Behind the Manchego Shortage: Shepherding in Peril
As Spain’s best known cheeese, Manchego has become a staple of cheese shops and even supermarkets, known for its versatile, nutty flavor profile. As recognition grows every year, so does demand. We are in the midst of a serious Manchego shortage right now in the U.S. and beyond. Although the pandemic has certainly exacerbated the problem, the lack of cheese goes much deeper than that. Behind the scenes there is a reckoning going on in Castilla La Mancha and the implications for cheese lovers have us concerned. Let us break down the situation and get into what caused this, what’s being done to help, and what we can expect for Manchego in the future.
Recently, sales of Manchego have grown astronomically. Over 35 million pounds of Manchego were sold worldwide last year. Thirty-three percent of that is exported to the U.S; our country gets the most Manchego beyond Spain itself. The cheese we import ages anywhere from 3 to 14 months, it takes a long time to build stock back up once it has been sold out. Because of the growth, cheesemakers have depleted their reserves of aged cheese and started aging more at the beginning of this year. Though the cheese’s high profile continues to grow, there are other factors beyond our control that continue to limit production.
In addition to simple supply and demand, some issues have been brewing under the surface for many years. Being a DOP cheese, the production of Manchego is heavily regulated. It can only be made from the milk of the Manchega sheep, a breed native to Castilla La Mancha. The number of farmers and shepherds of Manchega sheep has decreased by half in the past few decades. Fewer farms lead to less milk. To make enough cheese to supply demand, more herds are needed, and more people ready to devote their lives to their care.
This is the problem, however. It is extremely difficult to convince people to take on shepherding as a career (and a lifestyle). Historically, if your family raised sheep, you were expected to continue with the family tradition. But today, children are abandoning the work; it’s a seemingly thankless job that is intensely demanding, time consuming, and low paying. Although Manchega sheep’s milk now brings in tremendously high prices, shepherds typically see very little profit and sell to whomever will pay the most money. Huge industrial makers of Manchego are able to pay more, outbidding the smaller companies and driving up the prices of milk. Cheesemakers must also offer additional incentives, including better health care for shepherds and their families. In this unprecedented climate, the price of the cheese continues to rise, and Manchego suffers as small and medium producers cannot keep up with the largest corporations to get milk. According to our co-owner Michele Buster, “it’s the wild west out there right now.”
The loss of shepherds in Spain has significant economic, environmental, and societal consequences. As people leave rural areas to pursue careers in the city, entire villages can lose their inhabitants and the rural economy suffers. Like here, there has been some reverse movement spurred by the pandemic from urban centers to the country, but it’s clear these people are not coming for the farming opportunities. Even if they were, communication about these opportunities is lacking. Environmentally, sheep that move from pasture to pasture clear land that would be susceptible to devastating forest fires were it not cleared. One thing is obvious: in order to slow the extinction of shepherds, action must be taken.
Right now, there are some regional programs that offer classes to those interested in learning shepherding, with plans for more. To become a shepherd requires a huge amount of knowledge of the land and the needs of the animals, from breeding to milking. As if it weren’t already difficult to convince people to make such a commitment, the public perception of shepherds in Spain is not comparable to the amount of work they do. Many folks wouldn’t willingly go into a profession that is seen as low-class by the public. To counteract this, the consejo regulador (regulating board) behind the Manchego DOP has created a video showing the role of shepherd in a new light, rightly elevating it as an integral part of the economy of Spain, but it is just one step; changing long-held beliefs will take time.
Right now, the effort to recruit and train more shepherds is the work of each regional government, but some people, Michele included, think this is a much more widespread problem that should be addressed and supported by the national government. Spanish cheesemaking would lose its soul without the milk of these native breeds that give character, distinction, and terroir to every wheel. We can’t imagine a world without Manchego, and so we must take action – talking about these issues where we can, and using our connections in Spain to elevate the cause. As a major importer of Manchego in the U.S., we will do everything in our power, but it will take many people getting loud and getting creative. For the sake of this cheese, we must do it and invite you to do the same! If you have ideas or want to lend your voice, please reach out.
This problem is widespread throughout Spain, but because of the demand for Manchego, these issues are compounded in Castilla La Mancha. Manchego makes up nearly one third of the cheese made in Spain today. It may be many months before supply catches up to demand, if at all. In the meantime, as we wait for depleted stocks of aged Manchego to be replenished, there are lots of other aged Spanish sheep’s milk cheeses that deserve your attention and a spot in your refrigerator. Here’s a quick guide if you need a refresher:
Roncal DOP
Roncal, from Navarra, was the first cheese in Spain to receive DOP status. Like Manchego, it requires milk from a specific breed of sheep: the Latxa. It’s a rugged type of sheep whose natural diet is grass that grows in the surrounding mountains of the region. Though their milk production is limited, the milk is high in fat and protein, and subsequently, flavor. Just five producers make the raw milk cheese, and our producer’s version, under the brand Puente del Esca, is aged six months and has a classic butteriness balanced by piquancy. The result is an intensely flavored cheese that doesn’t overwhelm the palate but lingers with a long finish.
El Abuelo
An artisan sheep’s milk cheese from a tiny cheesemaker in Murcia, El Abuelo is the brainchild of Llorema, who was inspired by her family’s tradition of sheep farming (for six generations!) and decided to make cheese in 2017 from the milk from their herd of Lacaune sheep. Each step of the cheesemaking process is carefully controlled; it is a closed circle operation. Her raw sheep’s milk cheese, aged six months, is semi-firm with a natural suede-like rind. Medium intensity, it has a prominent acidity with notes of pineapple and a surprisingly sweet finish.
Zamorano DOP
If you weren’t looking carefully, you might mistake a wheel of Zamorano for Manchego. This cheese, named after the town of Zamora in Castilla y León, has a similar painted zigzag rind. But unique factors like climate and breed of sheep make this cheese stand out. Extreme temperature changes in winter and summer characterize the region where Zamorano is made; it is also very dry. Almost 2% of the region is natural pasture, and sheep graze on nutrient-rich leftovers from the harvest of wheat and other crops. The cheese is made from raw milk from the Churra and Castellana breeds, which gives it a balanced savory flavor with toasted notes of brown butter. We sell it at the sweet spot of aging – at six months, when it has a semi-firm bite and a hint of piquancy.
Oveja Añejo
For those who pine for long-aged cheeses, Oveja Añejo is an inspired choice. It is made by Los Cameros, based in La Rioja, from the milk of one specially chosen herd of sheep. Production is limited; only 5,000 wheels are made each year. Firm and slightly crumbly, it gains aromas of damp cave after its one year stint in the aging rooms. Up front, it is very buttery, then becomes deeply savory with an almost smoky flavor. This cheese is a great way to show off the terroir of an underrepresented region in the cheese world.
Fraud is a big problem that the regulating board of Manchego continually seeks to combat. To make sure you’re getting the real thing, look for the casein plaque that reads “Manchego” on the rind of wheels and wedges, as well as the sticker on the label with a wheel and an image of Don Quixote. If it’s a prepack wedge, the right corner of the sticker will have a diagonal green line.
