Navarre · Spain
Roncal.
Roncal is a hard, crystalline sheep's cheese with a sharp bite that softens into nutty, buttery warmth—the taste of mountain pasture and hay dried under Navarrese sun. Its natural rind crackles between your teeth before the paste breaks into grainy, mineral-rich fragments that coat your palate with piquant, almost peppery intensity. This is an aged cheese that demands attention, not indulgence.
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The story
How it's made.
Why it tastes that way.
Roncal was the first Spanish cheese to receive PDO protection in 1981.
Made from raw milk of Rasa Aragonesa and Lacha sheep in seven villages of the Roncal valley in Navarre, it has been produced since at least the medieval period. The valley's shepherds historically practiced transhumance to the Bardenas Reales desert.
Production · spec
- Milk
- Sheep · raw
- Family
- Hard
- Rind
- natural
- Age
- 4–12 mo
- Protected
Tasting profile
What it tastes like.
Caseo's flavour axes are calibrated against reference cheeses. This is Roncal's fingerprint.
Aroma
Nutrition · per 100g serving
What's in a wedge.
A 100g serving — about a finger-thick wedge. Daily values use the FDA 2020 reference of 2,000 kcal. Expect ±5% variation between wheels.
Estimated values — based on similar cheese family data
Pairings · Caseo curated
What goes with Roncal.
23 pairings across 9 categories.
Wine
Beer & Cider
Where to find it
Cheese counters.
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