It really is just amazing how many different varieties and sorts of cheeses there are to be tried, and every time I have a moment of weakness and lose faith in there being more cheeses out there to try I take comfort in cheeses like today's. Condio is a cheese I've only encountered at work in Longmont, CO, but if it made it to the middle of the US all the way from Italy then surely it has lots of as-of-yet untasted friends waiting at home.
The Italians seem to love their mixed milk cheeses, and this time around we get an extra kick from the raw nature of the got and cow's milk used. The rind is a mix of oregano, marjoram, parsley, and sesame, and the combination of these herbs and the rich milk makes for a truly delicious cheese.
Origin: Veneto, Italy
Milk: Cow and Goat, raw
Rennet: Animal
Affinage: 3 months
Notes: Don't be afraid to try those otherwise unheard of cheeses that sit on the shelves passed over by the typical shopper, after all by purchasing strange cheeses some have purchased truly angelic curd!
Thoughts: Light on the palate, this cheese has undertones of milk and mushrooms, with a nicely sweet overtone. The rind is what really clinches the flavor, however, and the mix of herbs add the perfect rich grassiness to compliment the sweetness of the cheese. The whole tone of the flavor is floral but the mixed milk gives a solid base and a measured creaminess carries throughout. I'd never heard of Condio before finding it on the shelves at Cheese Importers, and indeed it doesn't feature in any of the cheese books (yes, "books" plural. Live hard, cheese hard) I own, but it is well worth asking for and is a great example of the range in flavors possible with cheese. Caution
"Live hard, cheese hard" is not actually my catchphrase. I don't think I have a catchphrase.
PS: There is some very exciting news/tips to be released with an appropriate post later this week, get eager!
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