Saxony, Wisconsin Proud

Another notable cheese from the Badger State, love the nickname, Saxony is a cheddar-esq table cheese that proves American cheeses can still have some of the mojo of the Old World. This is a cheese that tastes decidedly of Europe, thanks in part to it's being made of raw milk and in part to the history of the dairy, Saxon Homestead Creamery. 

5 generations ago, in 1848, a family moved from the Saxony region of Germany to America in search of new opportunities. It was an exciting time in still-young America; Wisconsin had just become a state, we were at war with Mexico, and soon there'd be both a president named Zachary and a gold rush in California. This particular family, however, understood that the true gold lay not in the ground, but in the grass. Not in the dirt but in the delectables. Not in that which shines but in that which satisfies! 

The first cheeses started being made, if perhaps not commercially sold, in 1870, and now look at them. Officially entering the cheese scene in 2007, their raw milk selection soon won them considerable acclaim. Also, they have a website. We should all start dairies. I want a website.

Origin: Wisconsin, USA

Milk: Cow, unpasteurized

Rennet: Microbial

Affinage: 90-150 days

Notes: The rind is embossed with the name of the cheese and the logo of Saxony Homestead Creamery, which is all great sure but if Gordon Ramsey was cooking me a steak I wouldn't want his face branded on top. Yeah?

Thoughts: Like a tart cheddar, drawing heavily on the influence of Saxon and French style aged raw cow milk cheeses, Saxony starts quiet but has a rich and nuanced flavor from the very beginning. The raw milk really features here in all its flavor-giving goodness, relatively unbothered by either an overpowering creaminess or competing tones. A grassy undertone does, however, permeate the flavor and the mild bitterness builds up strongly for a rich finish. Not what I'd call a powerful or sharp cheese, but it manages to be sophisticated and delicious in all its mildness. Impressive.

Caution Random Thought To Burden You Further With

The alt-text to the last sentence in paragraph 2 reads "... which solidifies into curd which can then be molded into wheels, salted, and aged for consumption". A different kind of poetry, really.

Beemster, Because Gouda Actually Is Underrepresented

It is a sad day, to be sure, but though the cheese-a-day program is no more do not fear, good cheese is still out there and I'm still reviewing it. Today especially because I've found a good cheese that you can actually find in the US (if you happen to be reading from the US) rather than some fancy local curd that isn't shipped more than a couple miles from where it's made. 

Beemster is a Gouda that takes being a Gouda seriously. That's about all I've got for you in the way of silly introductions today. 

Origin: Holland

Milk: Cow, pasteurized

Rennet: Animal

Affinage: No less than 18 months

Notes: Made with milk from cows that graze below sea level. Deep stuff, man. Deep stuff.

Thoughts: Although mass produced, this is not a half bad gouda. It is sweet and nutty, with a flavor just dark enough to perfectly usher in the savory aftertaste. If anything this cheese is too gouda, to the point where no one characteristic stands out or is exemplary, just intense. The creaminess works with the flavor and texture, and just enough of that casein crunch to keep things interesting. A solid aged Gouda which should also be easy to come by on supermarket shelves in the US make for the cheese equivalent of Sour Patch Kids. Available all over, strong in flavor but addictive so you'll almost certainly get sick eating it, and I've brought it into a movie theater as a snack hidden in my jacket. 

Caution

You've got to ask yourself one question: "Does he love cheese that much?" 

The End of an Era

Dear reader,
I regret to inform you that the cheese-a-day program will be ending with today's post, to be replaced at least for the time being with a Mondays and Fridays schedule. This must break your heart, I'm sure, but it's a decision made after much consideration and with my own mixed feelings. You see, dear reader, today is the 100th cheese I've blogged in as many days, and while I would love to keep that pace up for another hundred there are a couple of other factors at work here. For one thing I have not tried 100 cheeses since I started writing this blog, so the old cheese list is getting rather busy with tick-marks. Do not fear, though, as I write this I'm passing the 200 cheeses documented mark and will contine blogging them, albeit at a more relaxed pace, for as long as I can find new cheeses to try and write about.
More importantly I am reaching the last precious days of my study abroad program and, though I do thoroughly enjoy blogging, I feel I would be doing myself a disservice if I didn't make the very most of every minute out here in Germany. The Mondays and Fridays schedule will continue for the foreseeable future as I return to regular classes in the US and make the adjustments necessary to give my final year at University the what-for. Thank you for your patience.
Hopefully the library I've already compiled up to this point has allowed you to duly wow your friends and host lavish cheese parties, and I'd imagine most folks who read this haven't read each and every post meaning there's lots of fresh cheese material just a click away already. I hope to up the posting frequency again when it becomes feasible but sadly this blog has yet to land me a job or a degree so I must continue my efforts towards the latter in the hopes of one day finding the former.
Sincerely,
The Functioning Cheese Addict

Chimay, You've Tried the Beer Now Try the Cheese

Or if you're underage you've not tried either and you're at square one. Still not a bad place to be, though there aren't many pop-infused cheeses out there. Good thing too, I don't want orange drink anywhere near my dairy.
Chimay is a rather bizarre cheese, a washed rind product created by Trappist monks in Belgium that I've found to blur the lines between designations. It's not a brie, sure, but then it's similar in ways and different in others. It's rubbed down with none other than Chimay beer and the result is really rather striking.

Origin: Belgium
Milk: Cow, pasteurized
Rennet: Animal
Affinage: On the scale of weeks
Notes: On the soft end of semi-soft thanks to the regular beer baths, and yes that also means it's a bit of a stinker.
Thoughts: A tasty cheese with a hard to place texture, this particular “drunk cheese” does not have an especially strong resemblance to the beer’s flavor but makes up for it in a big way. The effect of the washing process is hugely evident in the meaty, rich, creamy paste and it breaks down so easily on the palate you wouldn't even know you were eating anything at all. This salty and hearty cheese, while perhaps not refined, is rustic and bold in the best of ways and is mouth watering at room temperature. Eat it with a Belgium beer, perhaps even a Chimay, and say thanks to the monks who made it by hand for you.


Caution
Unlike Belgian beer glasses, not every Belgian cheese has it's own special serving plate. Just think how cool it would be if they did, though. 

Coupole, Because Goat Cheese is Underrepresented on this Blog

In fact there're about twice as many cow cheeses as goat cheeses here, but then about twice as many goat cheeses as sheep cheeses. A grave injustice for another day. 

Vermont Butter and Cheese Creamery has featured once or so before with their surface ripened goat cheese creations and today we see another, bigger example; Coupole. 

Origin: Vermont, USA

Milk: Goat, pasteurized

Rennet: Vegetable

Affinage: 45 days

Notes: The rind is sprinkled with ash, it has 21% fat per solid content, and no that mold is not dangerous. It's delicious. 

Thoughts: The first impression from this cheese is the pure smooth creaminess and the strong but not harsh goaty flavor. The entire bite, rind and all, has just enough difference in texture to be complex and interesting without ever being disconcerting, instead a strong unified flavor grows over the course. The cheese melts in the mouth midway through and is almost sweet towards the end, leaving a very pleasant and buttery aftertaste.

Caution

It doesn't hurt to ask the stout yeoman behind the counter if mold should or shouldn't be on a cheese. Just don't go crazy and try to get the place condemned, cheese will mold as surely as dogs will bark or haters will hate. Fact o' life. 

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.   

Carre du Berry, Gross to Cut, Delicious to Eat

There are always a few cheeses (I'm looking at you, Delice du Jura) that are just seriously unpleasant to cut and prepare for customers. Today's may not be as great an offender as Delice is but, with the consistency of a softer spongier cream cheese, it made for some very cheesy smelling fingers. But that's boring and sounds like complaining, and who has time to complain when there's a cheese to review!
Carre du Berry is a soft goat cheese made in the Berry region of Poitou, France. It is rindless, though not quite your usual chevre consistency, and covered in herbs, peppercorn, and juniper berries. Yum.

Origin: Poitou, France
Milk: Goat, pasteurized
Rennet: Animal
Affinage: Hardly
Notes: A flat. F sharp minor. Gsus7.
Thoughts: Perhaps one of the softest goat cheeses coming out of France, it is so fresh that it weeps constantly. The mix of toppings makes it truly unlike any other fresh goat cheese that I’ve tried, and gives insight as to why so many small American dairies try to liven up their chevre with “herbs de provence”, though never as successfully as this. The paste is almost salty, which works perfectly with the topping of herbs and the balanced bite of the peppercorn. The occasional Juniper Berry in the mix is delightful and the whole experience is fruity, grassy, sweet, and salty; a complete package of flavors.


Caution
Why are you reading this caution section? Why aren't you going out and buying cheese? 

Soignon Goat Brie, More Marketing Madness

Here again we find a cheese that owes its existence to the mighty power of the Dollar. Or actually the Euro. Made by French cheese giant Soignon, this cheese is just what it says it is, a brie style cheese that uses goat milk. It practically reviews itself.

Origin: France
Milk: Goat, pasteurized
Rennet: Vegetarian
Affinage: ~2 weeks
Notes: 30% fat content and a burning jealousy of all the attention Brie de Meaux receives.
Thoughts: But not really. On the one hand this cheese is pretty blatantly not trying to compete with real-deal Brie, and on the other it actually is a massively popular seller. Stack it up on a shelf with a sample in front of it and it'll sell like foil hats at a Tea Party convention. Why? It actually tastes decently good and sticks to its strengths. Goat's milk is by nature very sweet, so what better than to make a creamy sweet brie out of it? Undertones of that clean grassy tang come through now and again adding depth but the dominant impression is the rich sweetness. Not altogether bad for a corporate ploy.


Caution
If you or your friends are disgusted by the thought of goat cheese and would rather stay stuck in your ways than branch out, avoid this cheese. 

Appenzeller, A Sub-par Swiss

Today's is a tale of a mighty mountain Swiss cheese that has fallen victim to mass production and export. Appenzeller, or Appenzell, gains its name from the canton of Appenzell in easternmost Switzerland. It has a lot going for it; washed in a secret brine concoction giving it fruity and spicy notes, made from raw milk, with the flavor-giving power of the Alps behind it, yet with quality comes popularity, with popularity comes demand, and with demands comes supply. Sadly most of the supply that reaches the fair shores of import countries is nowhere near the high standard that made it famous, so we find pieces like the one I bought.

Origin: Appenzell, Switzerland
Milk: Cow, unpasteurized whole milk
Rennet: Animal
Affinage: About 3 months
Notes: Some ingredients in the brine wash include: herbs, pepper, white wine, cider, water, salt. In proper operations this mixture will be tirelessly rubbed over the rind on repeat during the aging process to impart a strong essence into the cheese.
Thoughts: This piece struck me as being mildly  tangy and a little bitter, on account of the raw milk, but what got to me most of all was the rubbery, spongy texture. So elastic was it, in fact, and so forgettable were the carelessly arranged flavors, that I didn't even finish the small piece I bought, it just wasn't appetizing. Where does this leave us. In the spirit of objectivity I'd recommend finding and trying some if you can, it is an interesting cheese at the very least and couldn't do much harm to your next fondue. I wouldn't include it on a cheese platter, at the very least because there are such better Swiss cheeses to be had. Perhaps one day I'll find myself in Appenzell and I'll have a revelation, but so far I'm not impressed.


Question
Including the wrapper in pictures of food is really cool, right guys? 

Area and Name Protection

One of the columns on the lovely cheese spreadsheet to your right is labeled "Area Protected", but what does that mean?

With cheese being such a profitable industry there are big names and there are small names. Roquefort, for example, will be known by any cheese buyer/importer/connoisseur instantly, and associated with that name comes both a great deal of respect and a willingness to pay top dollar. The next question, then, is what's stopping just any old dairy, or more likely soulless dairy conglomerate, from calling their pathetic creation Roquefort and making an easy buck? 

In the case of Roquefort the French  Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) system mandates that any cheese calling itself Roquefort must be made in a certain region and in a certain manner. The rules for each cheese are different but even the breed of sheep used is specified for Roquefort in order to protect the quality and reputation of such a beloved national product. 

Spain has a similar system, the protection of which is granted to products after an application process of sorts, called Denominación de Origen (DO), Italy has Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC), and Portugal has Denominação de Origem Controlada (DOC). Other countries have similar programs, but the question here of course is "so what?". These are all domestic laws and only keep food from being plagiarized within their borders. Enter the EU!

 

In 1992 the Protected Geographical Status (PGS) legislation came into force and introduced a whole new alphabet soup on top of and alongside the existing national level laws. Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), and Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG) refer to, well the names say it pretty well. These laws further protect items within the EU and abroad thanks to bi-lateral agreements with non-EU members, ensuring the high quality foods, wines, and other goods remain high quality. 

It's not a perfect system and some producers of name controlled cheeses still make a better product than others, but it's a start and it does have real benefits for those with a tradition to protect. Cheddar, for example, is an English cheese that you can find a hundred bad examples of in the US. What you won't find, however, is a bad West Country Farmhouse Cheddar Cheese because that name is protected by PDO status. Take a look at poor Brie. The unspeakable crimes against this cheese boggle the mind, but find a wheel of Brie de Meaux (AOC) and you're in for a treat. 

Most cheeses with this protected status are going to be proud of it and display some sort of seal on a label or even on the rind itself, look for any combination of acronyms and go from there. Although name controlled status is not a guarantee that you'll like a particular cheese you can at least take comfort in the fact that you're getting a premium product that's been made according to very high standards. Of course, you can still buy those "Armani" sunglasses off the street vendor in NYC but if you're serious then you're going to dish out for the real deal.  

Beecher's Flagship Cheddar, My Number One Cheddar

That's right, click on that 'Favorites' near the bottom of this post and you'll see that Beecher's Flagship Cheddar is among the select few cheeses for which I'd openly announce my love over the internet. Made in Seattle Washington by a one Kurt Beecher Dammeier and his master cheesemaker Brad Sinko, Beecher's Flagship is no ordinary cheese. It's more than that. You might even say it's extraordinary. I would.

Origin: Washington, USA
Milk: local rBST cow milk, pasteurized
Rennet: Animal
Affinage: Roughly 6 months I'd imagine
Notes: No genetically modified or unnatural products of processes used, just honest high quality ingredients. After being sold first in 2003 it was voted the Best Semi-Hard Cow's Milk Cheese in the 2007 American Cheesemaker Awards. Kind of a big deal.
Thoughts: This unassuming looking block of cheddar has a serious punch. From the instant it enters your mouth a complex mix of nutty, savory, and tangy hits your tastebuds. A smoky aftertaste enters while you’re still chewing and stays for the rest of the ride. Just a hint of that characteristic cheddar crunch in what is otherwise a soft cheddar, but the intensely rich creaminess means that you’re wanting more as soon as you’re done. The complexity of flavor, the nutty and grassy and sweet and savory tangy bold reserved aaaaahhhhhh. Everything is there, but more importantly everything is balanced and not drowned out by some misguided search for the sharpest cheddar flavor possible. This cheese is incredible at room temperature, it melts in the mouth and is just one of a kind.


Caution
Not your Favorite? That's ok, you probably wouldn't like my taste in music either. Bluegrass is coming back, just you wait.  

Ilchester Stilton, Not Created Equally

I have a confession to make. There was a time, somewhere before my transition to full blown addict, when I just bought cheeses at random and tried them with little to no regard for where they came from. They were dark days.
They were actually pretty decent days and that practice led me to begin this great cheese adventure so I can't knock it too hard, still though today's cheese is an example of the pitfalls that such a reckless lifestyle leads to. Stilton is the king of English cheeses, some would say the King of all Blue cheeses, but while it is a name controlled cheese there are good Stiltons and there are 'meh' Stiltons. I bought a meh. Here it is, Ilchester Stilton.

Origin: England
Milk: Cow, pasteurized
Rennet: Not sure, but almost certainly vegetarian
Affinage: A few months
Notes: Penicillium Roqueforti is again at work here, this time injected into the wheels with huge stainless steel needles. Positively barbaric, really.
Thoughts: Full flavored and complex without being harsh at all, it shows a marked minerality but stops short of an unpleasant saltiness. A very bold creaminess features prominently and the texture varies noticeably with the rich and thorough veining. This is not a bad cheese. This might even be a very good cheese. But Stilton should be more, it should be life-changing, it should bring tears to a grown man's eyes and instill fear into the eyes of the unbelieving. A review of a proper Stilton is to come, though I've tired quite a few I never thought to buy them and bring them home to document, it is after all not a cheap curd. Even this example is certainly worth it though and will add sophistication to any cheese plate, enjoy it with a glass of port or just a bit of crusty bread and some hearty dried meat.


Caution
Be prepared to either sacrifice other expensive hobbies for the pursuit of cheese or to start working another job, it can get pretty dear. 

Chevre mit Kräuter, It's All in the Name

But if you can't read German I'll break it down for you and even throw in a review to boot. Why not.
Basically this is a young lightly ripened goat's cheese with Herbs de Provence on the rind for flair and flavor. Made in France but without any brand name to speak of it's cheap to come by here in Germany and actually quite good. Rejoice!

Origin: France
Milk: Goat, pasteurized
Rennet: Animal
Affinage: About a month
Notes: The French love them some Herbs de Provence, and not without good reason. Toss that on some goat cheese? Bam: Chevre de Provence. Value added.
Thoughts: Fresh and milky, the paste of this cheese has a complicated garlic flavor, earthy, and bold, but not overpowering. The rich paste is very creamy by itself and when eaten along with the creamline and rind makes for a delightful combination of textures and flavors. With the Herbs de Provence taking a definite backseat for once, the dominant flavors here are garlic and milk. The paste is not chalky but characteristically bone-white and just crumbly enough, and the grassy/milky freshness keeps you coming back for more.


Caution
The big names in cheese may get the most oohs and aaahs at the cheese counter but sometimes you can find gems for half the price by being a careful and bold buyer. I bought something that looked like a Bucheron style goat cheese though the stout Yeowoman behind the counter had no information on it other than that it was from goat's milk, and it was a delight with fresh strawberries.  

Cambozola, They Did What?

Imagine the old Reese's Pieces commercials. "You got your chocolate in my peanut butter!" exclaims little Freddy. "You got your peanut butter in my chocolate!" exclaims little Frankie. Then they throw both away and go and buy a Reese's Cup, roll jingle. 

This is kind of like that. Imagine one Bavarian says "Du hast deine Camembert mit meine Gorgonzola gemischt!"[translation: I say old chap you seem to have sullied my Gorgonzola with a piece of your fromage de Camembert, what about that then]. The other replies "Du hast deine Gorgonzola mit meine Camembert gemischt!" [translation: Is that so my dear sir? A thousand pardons but I fear I must inform you that you as well have most certainly introduced an alien portion of your Gorgonzola to my honest fromage de Camembert]. Then they throw both away and go start a cheese company, enter Cambozola. 

Truly a mix of cheese and clever marketing campaigns it is one a select group of cheeses; the Blue-veined Bries. Sound Frankenstinian? It is. Sound terrible? It's not actually, in fact for being a factory lovechild of a market gap and some bloke with a business degree it's not bad at all. Though to be fair that's kind of like saying that, for being pumped full of more drugs than the world may ever fully understand, Charlie Scheen is fairly coherent. 

A little back-handed? Maybe. But the producers of Cambozola aren't looking to dethrone Camembert, Gorgonzola, or any established cheese, they're looking to make a buck. And I'd imagine they've made a few. 

Origin: Bavaria, Germany

Milk: Cow, pasteurized

Rennet: Animal

Affinage: 5-8 weeks

Notes: There's a double crème version as well, but this one has the full honest 75% fat content. 

Thoughts: While definitely veined with Penicillium, the triple crème of the Camembert both balances and compliments the sharpness of the blue nicely. A delicious mix that is great for spreading and pairing, the concept works surprisingly well when played out in curd form. There is nothing delicate or refined about this cheese, and it even lacks the honest rusticity of other hearty cheese, but for some reason it's still a huge hit at parties and sells like pizzas in a town that didn't formerly have anyone selling pizzas. 

Caution

Beware of funky names like Cambozola, not every producer is fortunate enough to have found a combination and recipe that works. In fact, if you want truly high quality product just buy Camembert and Gorgonzola and eat them separately, or maybe alternate. Easy as that. 

Brie Bellerive, French Brie for the Masses

Some time ago I reviewed Camembert Bellerive, and after much general babbling I got around to reviewing what is actually a fairly decent cheese, with the reservation that it's not what it would be in France. Not that that should be surprising. 

Today then you can guess what is to become of Brie Bellerive, the brie analogue made by the same folks. Still from France. Still pasteurized. Maybe a little more disappointing than it's brother Camembert.

Origin: France

Milk: Cow, pastuerized

Rennet: Animal

Affinage: A few weeks

Notes: One of the more interesting and, to be honest more telling, alterations they made was to take the usual Brie size and, well, give it the old Shrink-ray. In fact it's the same size as the Camembert, which is supposed to be small. This shouldn't affect the flavor in any significant way but I will say it fills you the customer in on what angle they're going for. Money money money money. Money. 

Thoughts: This Brie is on the more pungent end of your staple bries, with a rind that gives a defined tangy bite but nothing unpleasant or overpowering. The paste itself is rather mild and on the whole is a solid cheese but nothing special. Those are my exact words from my tasting notes and especially now that I've tried true French Bries I wouldn't put it any differently. 


Caution
Once you've tried the true French stuff there's no going back. I'm doomed to not eat French Brie after I leave this exchange program until I make it back to Europe. The horror.   

Zamorano, The Ever So Much More So Manchego

There are few treasures as pure as some roasted Spanish almonds and a slice of well aged Manchego, but this might be one. Zamorano is effectively a much more intense and flavor-packed Manchego with a twist here or there to keep things interesting. It hails from the Castile Leon region where it is handmade from raw sheep's milk of the highest quality and, together with a rich tradition, that makes for one deluxe cheese.

Origin: Castile Leon, Spain
Milk: Sheep, unpasteurized
Rennet: Animal
Affinage: Over six months
Notes: 35% fat content. Awwww yeah.
Thoughts: Immediately a darker and nuttier flavor than Manchego, more complex and yet every bit as nutty and oily. That same oily goodness definitely features here and lends itself somehow to an even darker flavor, more mysterious and rich even than Manchego. Very heavy but creamy enough to match and carry the experience though, it makes for a mouth-watering treat and could be eaten just as easily out of hand as it could on a platter surrounded by fig jam and Spanish almonds. A Consistent flavor all the way through and smooth like butter texture make for an unforgettable cheese.

Caution

If you've not ever read  Robert McCloskey's Homer Price series then you really should check them out. Pretty much like Harry Potter but from the 1940s and not at all like Harry Potter.  

MouCo Camembert, From Dear Old Colorado

Once upon a time there were two people working in the brewing industry and then they decided they would try to make cheese. And they were good at it! Robert and Birgit met at the brewery and realized they could turn their passion for quality local food to into a winning cheese recipe, so in 2000 the MouCo Cheese Company was formed. They have a number of quirky takes on classics that are winning hearts and minds one fresh market at a time, including today's MouCo Camembert. 

Origin: Colorado, USA

Milk: Cow, pasteurized

Rennet: Not sure, but it is proudly 100% natural and without any GMOs. Rejoice!

Affinage: Anywhere from 1 to 8 weeks

Notes: A handmade cheese from a still very small operation, great pride is taken on the freshness of the ingredients and the attention paid to the art involved.

Thoughts: The first impression of this cheese is the beautifully snowy white exterior and the flavor follows suite. The sweet and airy interior is very mild and pleasant, although the rind actually ends up being a bit too tough in texture and, mild as it is, too strong in flavor for the delicate cheese within. A good mild Camembert that does not try to be its French ancestor but instead makes a solid way for itself.  


Caution
Always be on the lookout for local small dairies, there might be a gem in your backyard without you even knowing it!  

Affinage

Affinage describes the aging process that cheeses go though and an Affineur is the brave man or woman responsible for aging each cheese to perfection. You see, good cheese is a dynamic and alive thing; always changing from week to week and with near endless possibilities of texture and flavor. As much as anything else, the Affinage of the cheese impacts the flavor that the end consumer, you dear reader, gets to enjoy. 

Roquefort Caves

First let us clear up that 'aging' a cheese does not mean simply tossing it in the cupboard or refrigerator for a couple of months or a year and coming back to find a masterpiece. A note here regarding purchasing cheeses and then attempting to age them in your home refrigerator: go forth boldly but do not be fooled. You are not aging your cheese, you are at best holding onto it for longer and at worse ruining it altogether. Refrigerators have the wrong temperature and humidity settings, yes even in the vegetable drawer, to mimic a cheese cave. The temperature in a fridge is too low as is the humidity, you want 80% and up for relative humidity and 45-58ºF (7-14ºC) to begin with, though each recipe is different.

Murray's "Cave"

Aging a cheese is a labor intensive process carried out in conditions controlled to fractions of a degree and tenths of a percentage of humidity in new high-tech operations and deep caves as old as the hills themselves where the character of the cheese is ingrained into the very rock in older operations. Cheeses must be turned, washed, rubbed, scraped, brined, turned some more, scraped some more, bathed, salted, probed, injected with mold and then maybe turned again during the aging process according to rules that are written nowhere as clearly as in the mind of the affineur. It is not at all uncommon for particular affineurs to gain notariety for the degree of perfection to which they age wheels of cheese, and indeed stores such as Murray's of NYC take great pride in having a dedicated cheese aging cave and affineur on staff, ensuring everything that goes in the glass case up front is at the peak of flavor and texture and ready to be sold. Tours are available, I've not had the pleasure yet but I plan on it!

All that hard work and intuition truly pays off in the small miracles of flavor that result. Here are some general guidelines of what to expect in terms of flavor and texture but keep in mind that everything can change depending on the cheese recipe and the cheesemaker, so there is no hard and fast rule. 

Baby goat

Goat: As a fresh cheese it'll be creamy and rich with milky sweetness, chevres are by far one of my favorites for their bight and popping flavor and spreadable softness. A surface ripened goat cheese, aged for a number of weeks, will be yet sharper and noticeably firmer, perhaps even crumbly, and should still be very creamy if not as milky as before. Here the sweetness may be more reserved and share the palate with other tones displaying the complexity of where the cheese came from. An aged goat cheese will be good and firm but is rarely aged to the 1 year mark and so will likely still be sliceable and creamy once it melts on the palate. Though the sweet tang will still be present it will be accompanied in equal measure by other notes as well. I'd look to Capricho de Cabra, Humboldt Fog, and Cabra Romero for excellent examples of the three age categories. 

Cow baby

Cow: The best examples of young cow cheeses must be French Bries, for while crème fraîche is delicious I'd not count it a cheese. The good Bries will be very rich and decadent while not heavy on the palate and should show a good deal of complexity, notably mushroom and garlic in this case. Slightly aged cow cheese will retain that same creaminess and especially an overall buttery feel but, in this Cheese Addict's opinion, tend to lack a depth of flavor (the soft-squishy texture doesn't win any favor either). Aged cow cheeses on the 8 months and up side of life come into their own with a good honest texture and a flavor (or at least sharpness) worth trying, and when you reach the 1 year and up crowd it just gets more intense. The best staple Cheddars usually fall into this category any cheddar or Gouda younger usually doesn't hold my interest. Going yet older and you enter Parmigiano Reggiano territory, where cheeses will become crumbly and (sometimes overly) dry but caramelly and chewy as well. Here I should note that most Parmigianos are in the 1-1.5 year range and are much drier than a similarly aged cheddar, a difference that comes down to the cheesemaking process and how much whey was made to leave the curds. That being said I've tried Parmigianos younger than 1 year and, while still good, it just isn't the same. Perhaps the best part of extra aged cow cheeses is the crunch of the casein clusters that appear and add a heavenly texture variation to the mix. I would be so bold as to say that, on the whole, cow cheeses simplify in term of flavor as they grow very old, trending either to salty or to sweet. Find a good Brie, an English Cheddar, and either Alpine Comte Reserve or an extra-aged Gouda to best see the transition.

Baby sheep

Sheep: Fresh sheep cheese, while available, is not my preferred fresh cheese medium. The oily nuttiness and the dark flavor lends itself better, I believe, to aged cheeses. A young sheep cheese will be alive with the grassy and earthy notes of the area it came from and will be far more tangy and tart than sweet, there are some brie-like sheep's milk cheeses that display this nicely. In the 5-9 month range they will be in what I would call the prime of the their lives, oily and nutty, firm enough to cut and also still moist but just bursting with salty and rich fatty flavor. There are some sheep's milk cheeses aged in the 1 year and up category but not many, a notable example being the sheep's milk Gouda Ewephoria. Fleur du Maquis, a 6 or 8 month Manchego, and Ewephoria display the aging of Sheep cheeses well. 
Blue: Younger blue cheeses will typically be less thoroughly veined and so creamier and milder, without as strong a kick. Gorgonzola Dolce is the younger than Gorgonzola Piccante, for example, and some Roqueforts that are truly exquisite are aged longer than others to bring even more kick out. 
Buffalo, Horse, and Yak: To my deepest disgrace I've yet to find enough data to generalize. I've had a buffalo Mozzarella and a Parmigiano Reggiano di Bufala that were both incredible, and I've yet to be turned off to Horse or Yak cheese of any age, but then chances are these are not the questions that are keeping you up at night: "Just how will that Yak cheese melt over my lasagna"?

Right, so there is something to clear up what Affinage is and why it's important, and if you have actually read through all this then I can only assume it's out of a love for cheese and cheese knowledge. Go forth and enjoy cheese!

Vern's Golden Nugget Curds, In Case Anyone from Wisconsin Reads This Blog

That is not to say I think Wisconsinites are incapable of appreciating more mature flavor profiles, it just seems that anyone who ever came into The Cheese Importers looking for cheese Curds had about a 75% chance of being from Wisconsin. I have heard many times, and I believe it to be true, that they just taste better there, that they squeak more there, that nothing compares to a Wisconsin cheese Curd. One day I'll go to this magical land of squeaky cheese Curds and see for myself, but until then have this review! Vern's Golden Nugget Curds come from the great state of the same name and are a hugely popular seller, with most people buying an extra bag just to eat on the drive home.

Origin: Wisconsin, USA

Milk: Cow, pasuteurized

Rennet: Animal

Affinage: Doesn't really apply here because...

Notes: So technically this is another post about something that is not quite cheese. You see, these are cheese curds, those lovely little bits of coagulated proteins and fats and other goodness that, in a cheesemaking process, would be put in forms and presses aged and so forth. Somewhere, sometime, someone realized that curds by themselves can taste pretty good and so this incredibly more-ish snack food was created. 

Thoughts: These make a great snack when brought to room temperature, not too salty to be distasteful but enough to make you keep wanting more. The flavor is very mild but they are perfect for the occasional bite, kind of like a very 1-dimensional cheddar that you strangely enough want to keep eating. The texture of satisfyingly soft but chewy, and although I could not tell if the famous Wisconsin curd squeak was there I had a hard time not eating these like popcorn. 

Caution

These things will literally be the death of you. Not even because they have the best flavor but because, somewhere between salty and chewy, you can't stop eating them. Also they're not great for your health... whoops.

Valdeon, The Spanish Don't Mess Around With Blue Cheese

But seriously. What with Valdeon and it's scary big brother Cabrales, I'd put money on the Spanish winning a sheer intensity battle between any Blue cheese from anywhere. Today's Blue is wrapped in Sycamore leaves and sent off to do battle with the likes of Stilton, but how does it hold up?

Origin: Leon, Spain

Milk: Cow and Goat, pastuerized

Rennet: Animal

Affinage: Less than a month

Notes: Has protected status in Spain and won the 2003 Spanish national cheese competition for best Blue Cheese. 

Thoughts: This blue cheese has an incredible bite that lasts throughout the taste and is both spicy and sharp. The intense veining actually has a bit of a crunch to it, though I'd say some of the flavor of the cheese is actually lost in the intense harshness. Good if an intense blue is what you’re looking for, but lacks the complexity and richness of a Stilton or Roquefort. The mixed milk notes that I was most hoping to see were notably crushed by the blue flavor and that, dear reader, is a tragedy. 

Caution

If you're going to dive into a hobby 100% make sure you keep some sort of Inception-esq totem around to keep your perspective relatively level. I just called a cheese tragic. Red Flag, reach for the top.   

Capricho de Cabra, Spain's Answer to Chevre

And what an answer it is. Every time I get asked what country has the overall best cheeses I inevitably have a hard time imagining how any answer could exclude fresh French goat cheese. It is truly one of the simplest pleasures in the culinary world and is rarely challenged in its field of expertise. 

The Spanish are no strangers to goat's milk, however, and somewhere along the line they came up with today's cheese; Capricho de Cabra. Made with the milk of Murciana goats and benefiting from the high fat content thereof, Capricho de Cabra is a delight and, at the very least, gives French chevre a run for its money.

Origin: Near Murcia, Spain

Milk: Goat, pasteurized

Rennet: Animal

Affinage: Fresh!

Notes: There is another version that's covered in paprika, but I'll get to that later.

Thoughts: At room temperature this cheese simply melts in your mouth, instantly hitting you with a myriad of delightful flavor nuances. The creaminess comes through right off the bat and carries through the taste, as does a tangy sweetness. Distinguishing it from other fresh cherves is the darker, almost smoky flavor that lingers in the back of the throat and takes the flavor to a whole new level. The flavor interacts with the whole palate and really makes for a delightful fresh goat cheese. Perhaps it's a little different than French chevre, perhaps the two shouldn't be compared side by side, but I'd proudly put this on any cheese platter or tasting board with the fullest of confidence, it does not disappoint. 


Caution
Don't tell France I said that. You can keep a secret, right?  

Cave Aged Emmental, Have I Mentioned Age Matters?

Well it does, and today we are so fortunate as to have another example of why. 

Emmental, also Emmentaler or Emmenthaler, is the cheese everyone thinks of when they 

1) imagine Swiss cheese

2) imagine any cartoon-stylized cheese at all.

Some dork ruined my shot

Full of holes and looking almost as yellow as it does in the cartoons, Emmental is a cheese both reliable and versatile, and here we see how age comes into play. The gargantuan wheels are rolled down (or maybe carried down, but what kind of image is that?) from the mountains where a good deal go straight to the plates of the people, young, fresh, fully of sweet and fruity notes and of course that tart high mountain nuttiness. This is a perfectly acceptable cheese and the good people of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland go wild for it. Go to any big Volksfest and you'll see wheels and wheels of the stuff on display to be eaten with fresh baked pretzels and washed down with a liter of beer. Or apple juice, though that'll cost you extra. 

Though they buy this cheese by the 100s of grams with every pretzel they are fully aware that it's not the most flavor-packed cheese, and so they will typically add (I'd estimate) about 10g of salt for every 100g of cheese, just right on top. Seasoning cheese is not my preferred method of consumption so I'll usually brush most of it off, but though you can ask for it not to be salted the result of that would be almost worse; an overly mild cheese. 

Now, Emmental of any age is as honest and worthy a cheese as comes from the Alps, and the beer and pretzels may have something to do with the flavor getting lost, but no one would claim that young Emmental is a party cheese, a display cheese, even a table cheese. You either slice it up and give it to hard-partying Bavarians with salted pretzels and more salt or you ship it abroad so it can be sliced up and put in sandwiches. 

However. 

Today's review is titled "Cave Aged Emmental", and so let's get on to that. As the name so eloquently puts it, this variety has been aged. In caves. Whelp! Let's have a picture!

Origin: Bern, Switzerland

Milk: Cow, unpasteurized

Rennet: Animal

Affinage: I'd estimate around the 1 year mark

Notes: There is some confusion over the name Emmental, understandable given its different spellings, pronunciations, and also that the French make their own variety. This one is name controlled within Switzerland, so we'll see who's left after the great cheese naming war to come.

Thoughts: The first flavors to hit the palate are very grassy and light, and as the taste develops there is a hint of meatiness. The whole experience, though complex with definite fruity and nutty notes, remains very light-handed and never really gives the punch of the typical aged cheese, especially made from raw milk. The raw characteristics are definitely there, showcased mostly towards the end of the taste, and the texture, while good, borders on grainy towards the end with a mild creaminess. A grassy-neutral aftertaste finishes things up, and while the aging process here didn't give the sharpness that one might seek in an aged cheddar it did give it a more grounded and fully formed, if reserved, flavor.


Caution
Dorkers going to dork.   

Asiago D'Allevo Mezzano, With Age Comes Wisdom

Which, for a cheese, roughly translates into deliciousness.
This is the aged variety of Asiago, the trademark Italian cheese which has become so well known in recent years that even frozen pizzas are boasting it on their 4-cheese selections. Pro tip: that asiago is about as closely related to real Asiago as Gordon Brown is to Charlie Brown.
Asiago is perfect as an Italian table cheese, and here in its semi-aged state one can see just how important the affinage process is.

Origin: Po River Valley, Italy
Milk: Cow, unpasteurized
Rennet: Animal
Affinage: 5 months
Notes: A couple of things here. First of all let us address the name, where Aisago is self explanatory, D'Allevo distinguishes it as the more traditional and cooked curd variety of Asiago, and Mezzano distinguishes it further as the medium-aged variety of D'Allevo Asiagos. The important words here are Fresco, Mezzano, and Vecchio, covering the range from youngest at 2ish months to oldest at over a year respectively. Also that it's a cooked curd cheese, meaning the transition from milk to cheese involved the heating of the curd more than otherwise necessary in order to force it to release more whey.
Thoughts: The flavor is spot on, but sadly something else is amiss. The deep, rich creaminess and the sweet, nutty notes that make Asiago so good both for folks just starting to branch out from cheddar and also as a reliable table cheese carries Asiago D'Allevo Mezzano pretty far but is cut short by a failure of the texture. Somehow the texture falls between the chewy, crumbly goodness of aged Goudas or Cheddars and the soft give of a Pecorino Fresco. Even similarly aged cheeses from Spain, such as some varieties of Manchego, pull off the flavor/texture combination better, whereas here I was left hoping either for a sharper flavor and more of a fight or simply a moister paste. By all means try this cheese if you come across it but also be on the lookout for its differently aged brother and sister (my lawyer has advised me against assigning genders to cheese so I'll let you do it instead).


Caution
Making your own real-deal "quattro formaggio" pizza could get expensive if you're holding out for the true imported stuff. So deliciously expensive.  

Blauschimmelkäse, A Swiss Gem From the Bad Tölz Festival

Actually, Blauschimmelkäse just means blue (mold) cheese in German, and so the name applies to countless Blue cheeses and not just today's. However, in my excitement to have bought it and having learned the bare facts about how it was made I promptly ran off like a kid on Christmas and forgot to ask the name of the dairy or the name of the cheese. Hopefully this will be fixed soon. In the meantime: cheese!

Origin: Switzerland

Milk: Cow, unpasteurized

Rennet: Animal

Affinage: 8 months

Notes: Uses Penicillium Roqueforti to achieve it's intense veining, bathed in cherry schnapps during the aging process. 

Thoughts: Despite the frankly rather frightening lookings molding; few and spaced apart but ferocious in their intensity and coloring, this is not a tastebud-annihilating Blue. The flavor comes on slowly and builds throughout the course of the bite, but more like my favorite Rogue River, it has chosen to go for complexity of flavor with a solid bite rather than pushing the boundaries of spicy blue burns. The nutty, sweet, salty paste carries through with a very strong but reserved creaminess while the sharp blue notes pierce through now and again to remind the eater that mold has been at work. On top of that an extra sweetness from the schnapps bath adds yet another layer of delicious complexity. A really smooth flavor with a perfectly measured crunch from the veining and an aftertaste that drops by for one more kick from the blue, burning feeling make for an outstanding blue, one I would recommend to anyone and am fortunate to have gotten a hold of.

Caution

If you find yourself with a newly purchased piece of truly delicious cheese and your first thought is not "when can I eat this" but rather "I wonder what kind of rennet they used..." then you might be a cheese addict.