Tetilla cheese

Tetilla is a regional cow's-milk cheese made in Galicia, in north-western Spain. It is a common element in Galician cuisine, often used as a dessert. It has had Denominación de Origen certification since 1993 and European DOP certification since 1996.[1]

Tetilla
Other names	Perilla, Queixo da Illana
Country of origin	Spain
Region	Galicia
Source of milk	Cows' milk
Pasteurised	Yes
Texture	Soft, creamy
Fat content	>50%
Dimensions	90 to 150 mm
Weight	0.5 to 1.5 kg (1.1 to 3.3 lb)
Certification	DO 1993 DOP 1996
Related media on Wikimedia Commons

It was originally produced in small towns such as Arzúa, Melide, Curtis or Sobrado dos Monxes, near the border between the provinces of A Coruña and Pontevedra; it is now produced throughout Galicia.[1] It is made with milk from three breeds of cattle: imported Friesian and Parda Alpina (Braunvieh), and the local Rubia Gallega of Galicia.[1]

The name tetilla (Spanish for small breast; the word is also the official name in Galician) describes the shape of the cheese, a sort of cone topped by a nipple, or a half pear – hence its other name, perilla. It weighs from 0.5 to 1.5 kg, with a diameter and height ranging from 90 to 150 mm.

This cheese is matured between a minimum of 8 days and 30 days.

This cheese is soft, creamy, uniform, with few holes, ivory-white and yellowish in colour. It is very creamy in the mouth and has a very natural, milky, slightly acidulous and mildly salty flavour, suitable for all tastes. A cheese for daily and continuous consumption, at all times, with good culinary applications, especially for stuffing and breading, due to its melting character with a heat stroke.

It is the most traditional cheese consumed in Galicia, although it is also known and appreciated in the rest of Spain. According to Tetilla Cheese´s Regulatory Council (C.R.D.O.P. “Queixo Tetilla), about 2 million units of Tetilla cheese are produced annually. The highest volume was produced in 2010 with 2,8 million units.[2]