Mini Retorta

Producer: Finca Pascualete Origin: Extremadura, Spain

Torta-style cheeses are among the most unique cheeses in Spain and perhaps even the world. This is a handcrafted cheese made from the exceptional and pure raw milk from Finca Pascualete’s own flock of Extremadura Merino sheep. They graze on a variety of arboreal species, natural grasses, wild flowers and indigenous herbs that grow naturally in the pastures on their magnificent estate (of 4,000 hectares in southeastern Spain). The name Retorta comes from this cheese’s shape, a rounded disc that resembles a cake (torta in Spanish); it has a thin rind that encases a soft, creamy center. Mini Retorta is made with vegetable rennet using cardoon, a thistle that grows freely throughout the estate. The flavor is delicate and herbal, with a distinctive and persistent tang. It has hints of pistils of the wild thistle used in the curdling process. The consistency is like pudding; dig in with a spoon!

• Finca Pascualete La Retorta and Mini Retorta Sell Sheet

Flavor Profile

The mini torta’s flavor is delicate yet distinctive, well defined and persistent on the palate, with hints of the pistils of the blue wild flower used in the curdling. The torta’s extremely creamy texture is due to the continuous daily rotation of the cheese. To enjoy this first class cheese you must first remove the top portion of the rind and leave it at room temperature for 4 to 10 hours before consuming.