Three cheeses in Alicante

Nearly  all taps bars will offer you queso (cheese) as one of their tapas options.  Normally sliced and presented on a small plate.  You can then add sea salt and olive oil and enjoy with your glass of vino tinto, then you know your in Spain.

Alicante from the Castle

Some tapas bars go as far as only selling queso and have a black board full for you to try.  

Sadly gone are the days in the UK when if you went into a pub you were offered a chunk of cheddar from the bowl on the bar, the second bowl pickled onions, free because it was Sunday and it was a treat. 

So we were meeting friends for dinner in Alicante one evening and I noticed a new bar just opened.  I suggested to meet here first and then move on.   On arrival we noticed he had set himself up as a small queso bar.  I observed three very large round cheeses and nothing else.   I asked about the cheeses "were they made from goats cheese perhaps or even ewes milk?   What region were they from ? ".  

"No" he replied "they are all the same manchego, one is young, one is mature and one is very old !".

I love the simplicity of this and yes we had all three !