WHAT IS TETILLA?
Spain has several official languages and in one of them, Galician, tetilla means “small breast” (a description of the cheese’s shape and nipple top). This young cow’s milk cheese is aged less then 30 days, and has a young, creamy feel to it. Pasteurized, the paste is pretty dense and there are no eye holes to speak of. One article in the blog Reflections Enroute talks about the history of Galicia’s capital, Santiago de Compostela, Apparently when the city’s cathedral was being built, one of the statures was of a very buxom women. Conservative locals protested, and a breast reduction was performed. As a protest against what was done to the artist’s work, a cheese was made in the shape of a small breast and christened “tetilla.”
WHERE IS TETILLA MADE?
This P.D.O. (name controlled) queixo (cheese) is made in Galicia in north-western Spain. If you’re in Spain and need a break from Spain, Galicia is a great place to visit. Galician celebrity Ramon Otero Pedrayo once described his home as the “land of a thousand rivers.” Combine this with beautiful beaches and stunning seafood, and with the exception of lots and lots of rain, it’s paradise on Earth.
IS EVERY DAY IS HALLOWEEN IN GALICIA?
Galicia is also known as the “land of witches”. Despite the Catholic churces best efforts, this region had a stubborn pagan streak that persists to this day. Witches are rumored to still exists, its’ beaches used to be called the Coast of Death, and at every crossroad look both ways for a procession of the dead (Santa Compaña). Click here to read more!
WHAT CAN I PAIR TETILLA WITH?
Tetilla is a buttery, simple cheese so anything mild among red or white wines will go fine. It is used as a table cheese, but tends to be more popular for melting in fun recipes.