All Cheese Considered: Tronchón

Tronchón is a mixed-milk cheese from the El Maestrazgo district in the southern Aragón region of Spain. It is a pressed curd cheese made from a mixture of goat's and sheep's milk. While the curds are pressed, they are not cooked. Tronchón is a richly aromatic cheese with a buttery flavor.

Its texture is firm, but with tiny holes throughout. Tronchón is instantly recognizable by its unique shape, a smallish wheel (4 to 5 pounds) with a rounded top that is indented in the center. This crater top is the result of the particular mold used to make the cheese.