In order to be able to carry the name Manchego, the cheese must be firm and dry, although buttery and creamy, made exclusively with “Merina” sheep’s milk. The waxed bark should be engraved on the side with the typical zigzag of the old esparto belt;; The color of the wax denotes the age of the cheese. The paste should be ivory, with small, irregular eyes. The complexity of its taste depends on the aging.