It's not very often that one gets to try a truly bizarre cheese. Even the wildest concoctions from Europe's shores are subject to some sort of regulation and, as such, come with the promise that a stuffy old man or woman somewhere has given it their seal of approval.
It's for the birds, if you ask me.
A friend who shall remain nameless was recently living the life of a modern adventurer and was so good as to bring me back a few specimens of cheese from wildest inner Mongolia. This cheese hasn't seen stainless steel anything, much less a pasteurization machine, and in fact almost everything about it is exceptional. The rennet has been swapped out for kefir, previously fermented milk, the aging process has been swapped for being dried in the sun atop the roofs of houses. Oh, it's also made from primarily Yak's milk. Details beyond this are fuzzy, but fortune favors the bold and if it's good enough for the folks in Mongolia then who am I to turn my nose up at Byaslag.
Origin: Mongolia
Milk: Yak (and possibly cow?)
Rennet: Kefir is used as an alternative coagulating agent.
Affinage: Not aged but dried.
Notes: My piece was still relatively moist, but word has it that the extra-dry pieces are soaked in tea before eating. Add that to the bucket list.
Thoughts: So when I mentioned that almost everything about this cheese was exceptional, I was perhaps bending the truth. For all that makes this cheese truly unique it actually has a very familiar, ordinary even, flavor. A rough balance of creamy and salty start the taste out, building up gently to a sweeter note midway through. Towards the end a marked tang appears and carries on into the aftertaste, but even that has a grassy and sweet flavor that would be easily recognizable as cheese to anyone brought up on a cheddar diet. I would like to say that this cheese makes you imagine you're riding horseback and pillaging the ancient world, but no such bold or unique flavor appears. It was tasty and next time I happen to find myself in Mongolia I'll be sure to pick some up, as should you, but there is a reason exporters are not tripping over themselves to get Byaslag on your local grocer's shelves.
Caution
The USFDA isn't too crazy about you privately bringing foreign agriculture products into the US. Something about invasive species, unidentified bacteria, and T-virus scenarios. Nonsense.
It's for the birds, if you ask me.
A friend who shall remain nameless was recently living the life of a modern adventurer and was so good as to bring me back a few specimens of cheese from wildest inner Mongolia. This cheese hasn't seen stainless steel anything, much less a pasteurization machine, and in fact almost everything about it is exceptional. The rennet has been swapped out for kefir, previously fermented milk, the aging process has been swapped for being dried in the sun atop the roofs of houses. Oh, it's also made from primarily Yak's milk. Details beyond this are fuzzy, but fortune favors the bold and if it's good enough for the folks in Mongolia then who am I to turn my nose up at Byaslag.
Milk: Yak (and possibly cow?)
Rennet: Kefir is used as an alternative coagulating agent.
Affinage: Not aged but dried.
Notes: My piece was still relatively moist, but word has it that the extra-dry pieces are soaked in tea before eating. Add that to the bucket list.
Thoughts: So when I mentioned that almost everything about this cheese was exceptional, I was perhaps bending the truth. For all that makes this cheese truly unique it actually has a very familiar, ordinary even, flavor. A rough balance of creamy and salty start the taste out, building up gently to a sweeter note midway through. Towards the end a marked tang appears and carries on into the aftertaste, but even that has a grassy and sweet flavor that would be easily recognizable as cheese to anyone brought up on a cheddar diet. I would like to say that this cheese makes you imagine you're riding horseback and pillaging the ancient world, but no such bold or unique flavor appears. It was tasty and next time I happen to find myself in Mongolia I'll be sure to pick some up, as should you, but there is a reason exporters are not tripping over themselves to get Byaslag on your local grocer's shelves.
Caution
The USFDA isn't too crazy about you privately bringing foreign agriculture products into the US. Something about invasive species, unidentified bacteria, and T-virus scenarios. Nonsense.
Hi, I work for an infographic agency called NeoMam Studios and we're currently producing a piece called 'Around the World in 29 Cheeses'. We'd love to include your photo of Byaslag. We would reference the image back to you and include a link to your blog.
ReplyDeletePlease let me know if we have your permission to use the photo under the above conditions.
Thanks!
Lizzie