Friday, July 22, 2011

Montagnolo, The Other Cambozola

I'll save you, dear reader, the drawn out rant about quality control and corporate greed and instead dive right on into the review. Same company, same concept, let's see if it's the same cheese. 
Origin: Bavaria, Germany
Milk: Cow, pasteurized
Rennet: Animal
Affinage: 4-5 weeks
Notes: Uses Penicillium Camemberti and Roqueforti 
Thoughts: The flavor of this blue-brie is not too far different from that of the Cambozola, both start with a very creamy and rich texture of the brie and the tang of the blue only comes in later. This one, however, has a distinctly meaty flavor that develops towards the end and finishes with the characteristic aftertaste of brie that bites at the roof of the mouth. In this respect alone it is worth trying even if you've already tried Cambozola, but don't go looking for miracles. To be quite honest both cheeses fall short of a good slab of Gorgonzola Dolce which, in my mind, fulfills the same requirements but infinitely better. 


Cambozola
Being a cheese hipster does not make you cool. Actually, being an anything hipster does not make you cool, yes this means you on your fixed gear bike. The difference here is that trying to be a cheese hipster will find you relatively hidden cheeses like Montagnolo that may or many not be good while you miss the masterpieces like Gorgonzola. Being a fixie hipster just gets you glared at.   

2 comments:

  1. In my opinion Montagnolo has more defined taste than cambozola. Is gorgonzola dolce much different than standard one?(I've never liked it too much).

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  2. Hi Robert, Gorgonzola Dolce is a longer name for what is most commonly just called Gorgonzola. The two most common varieties of Gorgonzola are Gorgonzola Dolce (also sometimes just called Gorgonzola or Stracchino di Gorgonzola) and a more aged variety known as Gorgonzola Piccante, Gorgonzola Naturale, Gorgonzola di Monte (or Mountain Gorgonzola) or Gorgonzola Stagionato. The aged version, as its name implies, has quite a bit more bite to it, is more minerally and less sweet, and has a different texture as well. If you like I believe I've reviewed both here at the Functioning Cheese Addict, maybe you'd like the aged one more. Either way thanks for the comment!

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