Mahon in Spain

One of my favorite dishes we had during a recent trip to Barcelona was a beautiful fresh tomato salad featuring little else but a cheese called Mahon.  At the time we hadn't known this cheese, but later found it at the famous and oldest food market in Barcelona called La Boqueria.  I took this picture to remember it when I came back to the U.S. 

Mahon is a cow's milk cheese from the small island of Minorca, which is a popular vacation spot located in the Western Mediterranean off of Spain.  After looking at the different kinds of Mahon in this picture, I have learned that Mahon fresco comes aged only ten days, while Mahon tierno is aged about 1-2 months.  The oldest seem to be about 10-12 months and apparently achieves a hard consistency with flavors becoming more intense.  Based on this info, the Mahon we had must have been the tierno, as I remember it to be soft, creamy and just a touch pungent. The dark red rind is traditionally made from paprika and oil.  Fellow NYC readers can find it here.