Mahón, a cheese with DO (Denomination of Origin) status, comes from the Spanish island of Menorca. It's a hard cow's milk cheese, typically aged anywhere between 20 days and 5 months (although some are aged up to 10 months, which causes it to become similar to a Parmesan in texture), depending on what the afinador, or ripener is wanting to achieve or bring out through aging in underground caves. The bright yellow-orange color of the rind is from being rubbed with butter, olive oil and paprika.While not completely sure, I believe the Mahón I tried was semi-cured, or aged between 2 and 5 months. The texture was firm, but not hard. There were some small, irregular holes scattered in the wedge, a result of fermentation during aging. The taste was buttery and had hints of warm grass, making it a perfect cheese to simply eat and enjoy.
