It occurred to me that, as a native English speaker and not a native Spanish, Italian, French, Catalan, Basque, Sardinian, Bavarian, German, Norwegian, etc speaker, I very often find myself destroying the proud names of these proud cheeses. This will not do.
Today's cheese exemplifies the difficulties surrounding putting words to a love of cheese, as even within countries the exact origin of a cheese can alter drastically how the name is pronounced. Thank you, Catalan.
Garrotxa is a goat's milk cheese from Catalonia in the northeast of Spain, and fortunately enough it is both pasteurized and delightful, meaning cheese-lovers in the USA and elsewhere have absolutely no excuse not to have it on their table.
Origin: Catalonia, Spain
Milk: Goat, pasteurized
Rennet: Animal
Affinage: 3 weeks to 3 months
Notes: Yes dear reader your eyes are not deceiving you, this cheese is both pasteurized and great. Rather than look the proverbial gift horse in the proverbial mouth, suffice to say you should hunt it down and partake of a hearty piece.
Thoughts: The initial flavor of this cheese is typical for mild aged goat cheeses, tangy but muted. The full flavor quickly comes through, though, and proves to be decadently creamy and savory. Even the smallest serving of this cheese carries the full flavor and is sure to please. Notes of floral and clean grassy goodness weave in themselves throughout the taste and make for a truly delicious semi-aged goat's milk cheese. What a good thing!
Caution
If you find yourself one day leisurely enjoying some roasted, salted Spanish almonds, a thin slice of jamón Iberico, and a few flavor-packed chunks of one of these to-die-for Spanish cheeses, here is my advice: take a moment to take account of your life and count your blessings, for surely this must be among them.
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