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CHEESE!
Abondance
Tomme d'Abondance or Abondance is a medium-sized mountain cheese from the Haute Savoie region of France in the Rhone-Alps. For centuries, this deep golden cheese has been made in mountain chalets, near the border between France and Switzerland. It is made exclusively from unpasteurised milk produced by the Abondance breed of cattle. Since 1990, the cheese has been enjoying the prestigious AOC designation. The handcrafted, wheel shaped cheese, is made using traditional methods only in the geographical area specified by AOC/PDO label.
It has a strong smell and an intensely fruity, buttery and hazelnut flavour, with balance of acidity and sweetness, followed by a lingering aftertaste. Unearth an aroma of nutty vegetation as you slice the cheese. However, remember the crust including the gray layer beneath, should be removed before eating. Firm but supple and slightly grainy, the texture of the ivory-yellow pâté is creamy and velvety. Its rind is smooth with an amber colour showing canvas marks. The affinage takes at least 100 days, so all the subtle aromas are realized.
Abondance can be eaten straight off, or added to salads or melted in Berthoud. A very special cheese, it pairs well with Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Ardrahan
Ardrahan is a semi-soft cheese made from pasteurised cow's milk by Eugene and Mary Burns in Duhallow - a County Cork town located south of Ireland. All the milk used in the cheese production comes from pedigree Friesians that graze on their beautiful farm. The brine washed rind glows with golden and earthy moulds. Its paste is deep yellow in colour with slightly chalky texture and earthy aroma. The cheese emits a flash of complex flavours emphasized by acidic, buttery and savory attributes. Tasting of Ardrahan is reminiscent of a young Gruyere. The cheese matures in four to eight weeks.
A smoked variety of Ardrahan has a brownish, smoked rind with semi-soft consistency and chalky texture. Its aroma resembles smoke, peanut butter with roasted coffee notes.
Ardrahan is a handmade cheese prepared using only traditional methods, whole milk and vegetarian rennet. This yellow colour cheese contains about 25% fat and is available in a large and small wheel of 1.5kg and 300g, respectively.
The cheese has won many awards including Irish Food Writers Guild annual Good Food award, British Cheese Awards and the World Cheese Awards. It pairs well with a Pinot Noir, Chianti and Sangiovese.
Appenzeller
There are two types of Appenzeller cheese: common (made with skim milk and brine-cured for 12 months and festive (full milk cured with brine as well as pepper and the sediment from the white wine-making process). The cheese originates in the north-eastern Swiss canton of the Appenzell near the Liechtenstein border but, today is also made in the canton of St Gallen (which is a siege of a special authority protecting a genuity of Appenzell).
Appenzeller is sold in three varieties
- "Classic". Aged 3-4 months (Silver label)
- "Surchoix". Aged 4-6 months(Gold label)
- "Extra". Aged 6+ months (Black label)
Banon à la Feuille
Coming from the market-town of Banon, just north of Aix in southern France, Banon is a soft unpasteurised cheese made from goat's milk. Granted AOC status in 2003, Banon is a very old, traditional cheese said to date back to the Gallo-Roman era.
The cheese is wrapped in a case of chestnut leaves, held in place with raffia. Cheese makers gather the leaves in autumn when they fall off the trees. Some of the producers dip the leaves and raffia in vinegar or eau-de-vie to impart a unique flavour to the cheese.
Banon is aged for a minimum of two weeks. As it ages further, the soft & sticky cheese develops blue and gray moulds on and under the leaves, leading to a strong and intense flavour. The casing of leaves protects the washed-rind disc and allows the young, slightly acidic cheese to remain moist. It also imparts a fresh vegetable flavour with a hint of wine. Banon cheeses range from firm, mild and lactic to soft, creamy and tart, with a nutty flavour.
The local expertise, Fromage Fort du Mont Ventoux, is manufactured by positioning a young Banon cheese (without chestnut leaves) in an earthenware crock, seasoning it with salt and pepper and pouring over vinegar or local eau-de-vie. The crock is often placed in a cool cellar and the cheese left to ferment, with just the sporadic stir. The longer it is left, the stronger it becomes.
Banon goes well with crusty baguette, fresh fruits and a glass of dry white wine.
Bavarian Bergkase
Bavarian Bergkase (Bawarii Bergkäse), also known as Allgauer Bergkase is a hard mountain cheese and the only "PDO" (Protected Designation of Origin) cheese from Germany. It is also famous as the smaller brother of the popular Allgauer Emmentaler. As required by PDO regulations, Allgauer Bergkase is a handmade, artisanal cheese made from raw, silage free milk of cows grazing in the Allgäu Mountains of southwest Germany.
The traditional cheese making process in copper vats, one wheel at time, produces a firm artisanal cheese that has a spicy flavour and characteristically strong aroma. Longer the ripening time of the cheese (at least 4 months) the more intense the flavour. A whole wheel weighing an average of 60 pounds can be identified by a dark yellow to brown rind. Wedges of Bergkase will display a flexible but firm pate, light yellow in colour with random pea-sized holes scattered throughout. A cross between Emmental, Gruyere and Appenzeller, Allgauer Bergkase is a high-fat cheese with 62% fat and is mainly consumed in slices, sandwiches, salads and casseroles.
Beenleigh Blue
Beenleigh Blue is a modern, farmhouse, unpasteurised, organic, vegetarian, blue cheese made from sheep's milk. Produced by Ben Harris of Ticklemore Cheese Company, the cheese is based on a Roquefort recipe invented by Robin Congden, the founder of the company.
Beenleigh Blue is one of the few blue sheep’s milk cheeses produced in Britain. It is made between January and July using the milk of Dorset-Friesland cross sheep from the farm of Terry Perkins, located in Cornwall.
Shaped into a cylinder, the cheese has a rough, crusty, natural rind which is slightly sticky with some patches of blue, gray and white moulds. It is moist, yet crumbly, with the blue appearing as bold blue-green streaks through the white interior. The flavour is steely blue, with the burnt caramel sweetness, characteristic of fine sheep's milk. It melts on the palate, disclosing its strong, spicy character. A wonderful companion to Mead, Port, Cabernet Merlot or Sweet Cider.
The cheese ripens in six months and has a fat content of 45 - 50 per cent.
Bel Paese
Bel Paese, meaning ‘beautiful country’ in Italian, is a semi-soft cheese from the Lombardy region. It was formulated by Egidio Galbani in 1906 who wanted to invent a product that would compete with French Alpine cheeses. The name is derived from a book by Abbot Antonio Stoppani "Il Bel Paese", published in 1873.
The cheese has a milky aroma infused with a mild buttery flavour. The taste can be compared with Mozzarella and St. Paulin. The pale yellow cheese may occasionally be riddled with “eyes”. The cheese is hard to spread but soft enough to slice. It is wrapped in a waxed, foil or plastic rind.
Bel Paese takes 6 to 8 weeks to mature and comes in several different sizes from small buttons to large 5lb wheels. An original Bel Paese can be identified by a map of Italy and a picture of Antonio Stoppani on the label of the cheese. The American version has a map of United States on the label.
The Italian cheese goes well with fruits like apples, pears and figs. As it has good melting capacity, it is often used in casseroles, hot Panini, focaccio or on a pizza. It can be eaten with fruity wines, such as dry red or white.
Berkswell
Berkswell cheese comes from England. Fletcher family at Ram Hall farm, near Berkswell, West Midlands is famous as an ace producer of Berkswell cheeses.
Unpasturised ewes' milk is used while preparing this cheese with a traditional method. The moulds of cheeses are left in plastic kitchen colanders which give the cheese its typical shape. Made in small vats, Berkswell cheese is left for maturation at least for 6 months.
Since animal rennet is added during cheese making process, the cheese is not suitable for vegetarians.
Bleu d'Auvergne
Bleu d'Auvergne is a French blue cheese named after its place of origin in the Auvergne region of south-central France. The cheese can be made from raw or pasteurised milk and is sometimes attributed as cow’s milk version of Roquefort (although it is much creamier and buttery). It was awarded AOC status in 1975 and is available in both artisanal and industrial versions.
Bleu d'Auvergne is creamy ivory colour, dotted with blue-green mould due to the Penicillium roqueforti which gives the cheese its typical bluish-green veins. It is aged for minimum 4 weeks, by which time the cheese showcases its assertive flavours and smooth texture. The rind is moist and sticky unveiling a soft paste with a grassy, herbaceous, and (with age) spicy, peppery, salty, pungent taste. The strong aroma and full flavoured characteristics of the cheese are at its optimum when served with sweet dessert wines such as riesling and sauvignon blanc or strong, robust red wines. The cheese is often used in salad dressings, pastas and also is a good cheese for snacking.
Boursault
Originating in the French region of Val-de-Marne, Boursault is a popular triple-cream cheese made from cow's milk. A goat variant of Boursault is available as Boursault Chevre. Alternatively, Boursault is also known as Lucullus. The cheese invented in 1953 by Henri Boursault has a very high fat content which lends it a melt-in-the-mouth, creamy soft consistency. With fat percent tipping the scales at nearly 75%, the ultra rich buttery taste and very creamy texture of Boursault makes it a favorite dessert cheese. The cheese has a thin, bloomy rind due to a coating of light penicillin mold.
Affinage of Boursault takes about two months with one more month in packaging. As the cheese ages, it acquires a mushroomy and a refreshing citrusy taste. The cheese sold in small cylinder shaped rounds should be consumed within a week of purchase. Try pairing this cheese with grapes or pears and light, fruity wines like Vouvray.
Boursin
Boursin is a creamy, spreadable brand of Gournay cheese invented by Francois Boursin in 1957. When it was first developed in Normandy, Boursin named it after his small hometown of Gournay and limited the production to Croisy-sur-Eure in France. After the acquisition of the company by Groupe Bel, production started in United States for North American distribution. Even though Boursin is available today in more than 30 countries, it has achieved maximum popularity in France.
Boursin is a fresh cream and soft cheese, flavoured with herbs and spices. Although, it is just an herb-flavoured French cream cheese that can be easily imitated, only Boursin with its buttery flavour and slightly crumbly texture can be labeled as an “All natural Gournay cheese”.
Today, the cheese is available in various flavours whose availability varies from country to country. In most cases, Boursin is spiced up with herbs like tomato, onion, chive, fig, nuts, garlic, pepper, shallot, cranberry, fine herbs & cinnamon. A favorite member from the Boursin family is a low fat version with only 21% fat and is flavoured with garlic & herbs.
Add the original Boursin cheese to salads, pasta or serve it as a typical appetizer. It can be spread on crackers and bread or used on raw vegetables such as carrots, celery and peppers. Also, the cheese melts well to create a smooth sauce for pasta and chicken. This cheese is a favorite brand amongst top chefs. Confidently pair, dry white wine or fruity red wine such as Beaujolais with Boursin.
Brie
Brie is the best known French cheese and has a nickname "The Queen of Cheeses". Brie is a soft cheese named after the French region Brie, where it was originally created. Several hundred years ago, Brie was one of the tributes which had to be paid to the French kings.
In France, Brie is very different from the cheese exported to the United States. "Real" French Brie is unstabilized and the flavour is complex when the surface turns slightly brown. When the cheese is still pure-white, it is not matured. If the cheese is cut before the maturing process, it will never develop properly. Exported Brie, however, is stabilized and never matures. Stabilized Brie has a much longer shelf life and is not susceptible to bacteriological infections.
Brie is produced from the whole or semi-skimmed cow's milk. Rennet is added in to raw milk and heated to a temperature of 37°C to obtain the curd. The cheese is then cast into molds, several layers of cheese are filled into mold and then kept for around 18 hours. After this the cheese is salted and aged for minimum four weeks.
Brie cheese is slightly pale in colour with a greyish tinge under a rind. Its flavour varies depending upon the ingredients added while producing the cheese.
Brie, one of the great dessert cheeses, comes as either a 1 or 2 kilogram wheel and is packed in a wooden box. In order to enjoy the taste fully, Brie must be served at room temperature.
Brillat-Savarin
Brillat-Savarin is a triple cream dessert cheese that was created by cheese-maker Henri Androuët in the 1930s. It is named after 19th century gastronome and epicure, Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin.
It is an industrial cheese produced by three dairies situated in the Ile de France region. Since classified as a triple cream cheese, Brillat-Savarin has a fat content of at least 75% achieved by adding rich, luscious cream to whole milk.
Young cheeses taste similar to fresh cheese but usually they are matured for about four to five weeks to develop more complex flavours.
A matured Brillat-Savarin has a typical white, bloomy rind with an interior paste that is buttery-white in colour. The texture is dense, moist, and slightly chalky with enough lusciousness and creaminess for a triple cream cheese. Flavours are of butter, salt and cream with hints of mushroom, nuts and truffles.
Brillat-Savarin pairs well with Pale Ale and Champagne and sometimes with a Domaine Chandon Rosé or a Viognier.
Brin d'Amour
Brin d’Amour meaning “a birth of love” is a Corsican cheese made from the milk of the Lacaune ewes. It is also known by its other name; Fleur de Maquis. This semi-soft cheese has a creamy, firm and a moist textured pate, which is covered by a natural, flavoured rind. It takes between 2 weeks to 2-3 months for the cheese to fully ripen.
During the making process, the cheese is covered with aromatic coating of rosemary, fennel seeds, juniper berries and the occasional bird's eye chili. It has a sour, citrusy taste and feels a bit mild in the mouth. With age, the cheese is dotted with blue-grey molds as the pate absorbs the herbal flavours of the rind. The strong characteristic flavours of the cheese are balanced by the delicate herbs. Because of its musty and nutty aroma, the cheese smells great too. Brin d’Amour matches nicely with Albarino, Riesling and Tempranillo.
Bruder Basil
Bruder Basil is a smoked Bavarian cheese, originally produced by the Trappist monks in the Abbey of Rotthalmunster. In 1902, Basil Weixler of Bergader Private Cheese Dairy learnt the art of making the cheese from the monks and today, it still continues to be made at his dairy in Waging am See.
Made from partially skimmed cow’s milk, this mild, smokey cheese is recognized by the large, uneven distribution of tiny holes. The semi-soft, smooth yellow paste is ideal with sandwiches, raclette, gratins or just for snacking with a dark German beer or dry white wine.
Cabecou
Cabécou is a soft goat milk cheese from the Midi-Pyrenees region of southern France. Dipped in plum brandy, it is sprinkled with coarse black pepper before it is wrapped in two chestnut leaves for maturation. It has a thin striped rind that acquires a blue mold after 2 weeks. The cheese has a smooth and creamy texture, and a calm cream colour. It has a bit tangy flavour, and tastes like a brandy. It pairs well with Chardonnay, and can be used in recipes.
Caboc
Said to be Scotland’s 'oldest cheese, Caboc is a rich double cream cheese, which is allowed to age naturally without the addition of rennet. The cheese is shaped into small logs and rolled in toasted pinhead oatmeal. It is pale primrose yellow with a very buttery and smooth texture. The texture is slightly thicker than clotted cream, comparable to cream cheeses such as a mascarpone. Caboc has a mild, sour tang with all the all buttery creaminess and a nutty, chewy edge. It has a fat content of 67%.
The recipe for Caboc dates back to the 15th century in the Scottish Highlands. It was a cheese for the wealthy, as only the rich had access to rich, soft cheeses called 'White Meats'. Mariota de Ile, the daughter of the chieftain MacDonald of the Isles developed the recipe of Caboc and passed it to her daughter who in due course handed it over to the future generations. The recipe is still kept a secret and is only known by Suzannah Stone of Tain, who makes the cheese under her Highland Fine Cheeses Ltd label
Cabrales
Cabrales, also known as Quesu Cabrales, Queso de Cabrales or Cabraliego, is a PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) awarded, Spanish semi-hard, fatty blue cheese, prepared within the administrative region of Cabrales Council and some towns in the Upper Peñamerella region. Both these areas are located at the foot of the Picos de Europa Mountains in Asturias.
The cheese is a mixture of raw cows, goats and sheep's milk aged for between two and four months in natural formed limestone caves. Chilly and humid conditions in the caves facilitate the growth of bluish-green penicillium mould on this highly prized cheese. Unlike other blue cheeses injected with penicillium, Cabrales cures from the outside of the cheese to the inward.
A finished Cabrales can be characterized by its strong, penetrating aroma and sharp, acidic, slightly salty taste. It pairs well with red wine, fresh figs, salami, sweet sherry and dry sausages. The cheese is treasured as a base for sauces, for melting over grilled or roasted meats and goes well along with baguette slices, crackers, or fruit.
Earlier, a traditional Cabrales was sold wrapped in moist leaves of Acer pseudoplatanus. But today regulation requires the cheese be sold in a dark-green-coloured aluminum foil with the stamp of the PDO Queso de Cabrales
Caciotta
Caciotta describes a wide range of simple, rural cheeses from central Italy that can be made with either ewe's, cow's, goat's, or buffalo's milk. The cheese is aged for a brief period. Beneath the soft, yellow rind is a white or yellowish body which has a soft texture and mild flavour. Both artisanal and industrial produces of Caciotta are available.
Caerphilly
Caerphilly is a hard, white cheese originating from a town of the same name in South Wales. It was first made in Caerphilly in about 1830. Its texture and flavour bears resemblance to cheddar, which is the most popular type of cheese in the United Kingdom. This cheese is known as "the crumblies".
The recipe for Caerphilly has been inspired from other crumbly cheeses like Cheshire, young Lancashire and Wensleydale. It is said that the cheese was specially made for coal-miners as its tough texture and shallow height made it easy for them to eat with bare hands while the salty, moist curd helped to replenish the lost minerals.
Caerphilly is made from unpasteurised cows' milk and matured anywhere from 8 to 10 to 14 days. Some variants are often kept for up to a year to develop a harder texture and stronger taste. Inside the pale ivory rind of the cheese, young Caerphilly has a fresh and pleasant taste alongside a moist yet supple texture. With maturity, the edges become creamy and the flavour becomes more rounded. It usually has a wheel-shape with ivory-white rind dusted with fine flour. As the cheese ages in a moist cellar, the white and gray moulds become thicker and more leathery. The cheese can be vegetarian depending upon the brand.
A basic white burgundy would go well with this cheese. It is normally grated or melted onto dishes.
Camembert
Marie Harel created the original Camembert cheese from raw milk in Normandy, France in 1791. Today, however, a very small percentage of producers make cheese from raw milk with the same process as Marie Harel would have used. Those who produce cheese using Marie Harel's method, can legally call their cheese Camembert Normandie under the AOC guidelines. However, the production of Camembert cheese has now transcended the AOC designation. Very good varieties of Camembert cheese made from pasteurised milk can be found in Normandy today. The best of them is the Camembert Le Châtelain.
The fresh Camembert cheese is bland, hard and crumbly in texture. Young Camembert has a milky and sweet taste. As the cheese matures it forms a smooth, runny interior and a white bloomy rind that is typical to Camenbert cheese. It has a rich, buttery flavour. The rind is bloomy white caused by a white fungus, called penicillium candidum.The rind is meant to be eaten with the cheese.
This cheese is best paired with a light red wine such as Beaujolais, Chenin Blanc, St Emilion, St Estephe or traditionally a glass of Normandy cider.
Cantal
Cantal AOC is one of the oldest cheeses in France dating to the times of the Gaul’s rule. It received an Appellation d'Origine (AOC) status from the administrative region of Cantal in the Auvergne region in 1956. This has ensured that the semi-hard, uncooked, pressed cheese has the features and characteristics attributable to the area of origin.
There are three types of Cantal cheese, grouped according to age and texture. Cantal jeune, a young cheese is aged at 30 to 60 days during which it develops a thin gray-ivory crust and a smooth, pale yellow, close-textured paste. It is fresh, sweet, milky in flavour with a light hint of hazelnut, and vanilla.
Cantal Entre-deux, an aged Cantal has the flavours of the green pastures and aromas of butter and cream. From 3 months of ripening, Cantal cheese starts to come into its own.
A well-aged Cantal Vieux has a thick crust and is a cheese connoisseur’s delight. Due to the lengthy ripening period, the cheese has become more strongly flavoured and is a typical hard cheese with a firm, brittle and crumbly paste. The 8-month stay inside the cellars let Cantal develop a peppery and spicy aroma.
The cheese is additionally grouped as “fremier” and “laitier”, wherein fermier is a farmhouse cheese made of raw milk while laitier is the commercial, mass-produced version from pasteurised milk.
Cantal works well with nuts, grapes and apples as well can be used in salads, soups, cheese fondue or gratins. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are a few wines that pair nicely with Cantal.
Carré de l'Est
Carré de l'Est is a French cheese that originated from Lorraine, Eastern France. Its name is not only derived from this eastern region but also from its square shape! Carré de l'Est literally means 'square of the East'.
Produced from cow's milk, Carré de l'Est is aged for five weeks and has a smokey bacon flavour. It is pale yellow in colour and comes wrapped in silver foil or paper.
Cashel Blue
Jane and Louis Grubb have been making the Cashel Blue cheese on their farms since 1984. It is Ireland’s original, farmhouse blue cheese as till then there was no blue cheese made on Irish farms. Nearly 50% of the pasteurised milk used in the cheese comes from Grubb’s selected Holstein-Friesians cows while the remaining comes from local herds. The rennet used in making in this cheese makes it suitable for vegetarians.
Depending on the age, Cashel Blue texture varies from chalky to soft yellow paste and a characteristic bluish green mould. Young cheeses taste & smell chalky, lactic and mildly blue while the older ones are rich & buttery with a well-formed blue colour. Over 18 weeks of maturing, the cheese takes on a robust flavour and is granular in texture. It is one of the finest blue cheeses that relies on it's balance in taste, texture and aroma
Young Cashel Blue pairs well with Gewurztraminer while medium aged wheels favor Sauternes and New World Botrytis Semillion. The aged cheeses are good with LBV Port. Pick the scrumptious cheese to crumble onto salads or snack on with grapes.
Celtic Promise
Celtic Promise is an award-winning, Caerphilly type washed-rind cheese made by John Savage of Teifi Farmhouse Cheese in Ceredigion, Wales. After the cheese is hand made by John Savage on his farmhouse, it is matured at Eastside in East Sussex by Pat Jackson. Because the cheese is hand-made by the Teifi cheesemaker, each batch will vary slightly from the next. An unpasteurised, semi-soft cheese made from cows' milk, it is shaped like a dumpling and has a fat content of 48%. It has previously been a champion at the British Cheese Awards in 2005.
During the process, the cheese is ripened in cider to get the slightly moist, sticky orange-red rind and fruity smell. As this cheese ripens in about eight weeks, the soft buttery texture develops a pungent aroma and a delicate, mild flavour. The cheese is suitable for vegetarians.
Celtic Promise is best enjoyed on a cheeseboard and goes well with cider.
Chabis
This soft cheese from France builds up all its taste and aroma in the ripening process. As the cheese matures, it becomes firmer and taste pungent. During the cheesemaking, Chabis is not heated or pressed like all other regular cheeses are. So, it is completely natural for the cheese discs to develop a whitish edible mold. The cheese is sprinkled with with pepper, herbs or ash for that extra kick in texture and flavour.
It is recommended that Chabis de Gatine be consumed when it is semi-dry, i.e. the outer layer should be dry, stained grayish blue and the inner pate should be firm yet at the same time smooth. The flavour and aroma is the cheese is typical goaty.
Chaource
Chaource is a soft cheese made from cow’s milk in the village of Chaoruce, France. It has a soft-ripened, creamy and a little bit crumbly texture. Surrounded by a white Penicillium candidum rind, it takes 2-3 months to ripen completely. Many people like to eat young Chaource, when its rind is hardly formed whereas others eat after it attains full maturation.
During its ageing time, the cheese has a bit salty, buttery and fruity taste. Together with 50% fat, it also contains animal rennet. Paired with wines like Chablis, Champagne, Sancerre and White.
Cheddar
During olden days, England was the only place where Cheddar cheeses were made. However, many countries all over the world manufacture Cheddar today.
Any cheese producing company or any of the artisan manufacturers in any corner of the world can label the cheese produced by them as 'Cheddar' since it is not protected like other cheese names or brands.
Cheddar cheese, the most widely purchased and eaten cheese in the world is always made from cow's milk. It is a hard and natural cheese that has a slightly crumbly texture if properly cured and if it is too young, the texture is smooth. It gets a sharper taste as it matures, over a period of time between 9 to 24 months. Shaped like a drum, 15 inches in diameter, Cheddar cheese is natural rind bound in cloth while its colour generally ranges from white to pale yellow. However, some Cheddars may have a manually added yellow-orange colour.
Joseph Harding, the "father of Cheddar cheese" who invented modern cheese making techniques described the ideal quality of original Somerset Cheddar as "close and firm in texture, mellow in character or quality, rich with a tendency to melt in the mouth and has full and fine flavour somewhat like hazelnut!"
Cheshire
Cheshire is a British cheese produced in the English counties of Cheshire and the neighboring four counties of Denbighshire, Flintshire, Shropshire and Staffordshire. Reputed to have been made since Roman times, the cheese is also mentioned in the Domesday Book of the 11th century.
Dense and crumbly, Cheshire is made using vegetarian rennet and pasteurised cow’s milk. The taste and flavour of cheese develops with ripening. Young Cheshire is firm, crumbly and white in colour. It is mild, milky and aromatic leaving behind a slightly tangy aftertaste on the palette.
Sometimes, to add a different dimension to the cheese, annatto is added to the milk, which gives Red Cheshire a deep shade of red orange. However, there is no difference in the flavour and texture in both cousins. Another variant is a Blue Cheshire ripened with Penicillium culture molds.
An aged Cheshire becomes more firm and darkens considerably. It is now a full-flavoured cheese yet with no hint of bitterness. Though still crumbly, the cheese turns dry with maturity.
Cheshire with its lower salt content makes for a perfect crumble on fruits, chutney, and vegetable and baked dishes.
Chèvre
Chevre is French for Goat’s cheese i.e. cheeses made out of goat’s milk. They are popular among elderly and children who are more likely to show low tolerance to cow’s milk. Also, goat cheeses are lower in fat, and higher in vitamin A and potassium. They serve as a perfect substitute for many dieters. A majority of goat cheeses come from France, the most famous among them being Bucheron, Chabis and Crottin de Chavignol.
Goat cheeses have a unique, tart, earthy flavour that sets them apart from cow cheeses. This distinctive tang and aroma grows robust and bold as it ages. Milk production of goats, unlike of cow’s, is seasonal from mid-March through October. Only a few cheeses are aged beyond four months and they cannot be frozen without loss of quality. Considering the availability of limited milk production, experiments are on to make cheeses from frozen goat milk curd.
The flavour and aroma of goat cheese relies upon its moisture, density, aging and flavouring. It can feature a soft, semisoft, firm, or hard texture that indicates its moisture content. They come in many sizes and shapes, such as round patties, log-shapes, drum-shapes, pyramids, round loaves, long loaves etc. Chevres are excellent dessert cheeses, often served as snacks or before dinner drinks.
Comte
Comté (also called Gruyère de Comté or Comte Fort Saint Antoine) is a French cheese produced in the Jura Massif region of Eastern France. The unpasteurised cow's milk used is mainly from Montbeliarde Cattle or French simmental (or cross breeds of the two). This hard mountain cheese is matured to perfection in the silence and darkness of special caves where the cheese gets its unique taste, texture and colour. There are several maturing cellars in the region where Comté is ripened for a minimum of 4 months to 18 or 24 months. A few times, Comté gets its name from the cellar where it has ripened such as Comté Fort Saint-Antoine.
Comté was one of the first few cheeses to receive an AOC (Appellation d'origine controlee) status in 1958. It is one of the most popular AOC cheeses in France with around 40,000 tones of annual production.
Considered one of the finest cheeses in the world, a wedge of Comte reveals a paleyellow interior and a texture that can vary from silky, flabby to crystalline.
There are practically 83 flavours, which can be savored while tasting Comté. But the main aromatic flavours that delicately linger on the palate are a balance of brown-butter and roasted-nut aromas and a sweet finish.
Its ability to melt easily means Comté goes well with many recipes right from fondues to Croque Monsieur. The cheese pairs well with Rhone reds, a Palo Cortado or off-dry Amontillado sherry from Spain.
Fromageries Arnaud, the winner of Super Gold medal at the 2014 World Cheese Awards, is one of the top-notch groups in the world to make French certified-origin cheeses. Today, the Fromagerie counts for roughly 12% of the total Comté production. The cheese is distributed worldwide by British supplier Anthony Rowcliffe & Son. This celebrated cheese has been judged as one of the world's 62 best cheeses.
In addition, Comte produced by Entremont also won a silver medal for its great taste and impeccable texture. Entremont makes Comte in three varieties – 1 year matured Prestige, fruity flavoured Fruité and Vieille Reserve made using traditional methods in 50 small village cheese dairies.
Coolea
Coolea is a cow's milk cheese produced on the farm of Dick and Sinead Willems in Coolea Co. Cork. Made since 1979, this Gouda style cheese has a yellow / orange wax with firm, closed texture and smooth pate. As the cheese matures, the pate becomes drier and finally the protein crystals are visible at 18 months of maturity.
Young Coolea is mild and buttery developing sweeter and caramel notes by 12 months. With further ripening, the flavours deepen and intensify which gives the cheese its characteristic toffee taste. The cheese is sold in three stages: Young Coolea available from 3 months, Mature Coolea available from 12 months and extra mature from 18 months.
Coolea has won several awards including Best Matured Gouda in the World Cheese Awards 2008 and Supreme Champion at the Listowel Food Fair in 2008 and 2009. It pairs well with Alsace Pinot Gris.
Cooleney
The recipe for Cooleeney Farmhouse Cheese was invented by Breda Maher at their premises near Thurles in County Tipperary, Ireland. This is a vegetarian cheese made with both, raw and pasteurised cow’s milk from their own pedigree Friesian dairy herd.
Cooleeney is covered with a white mould rind underneath which the pale yellow pate is creamy and buttery with some chalkiness. When fully mature, the pate is soft and smooth with note of white mushroom and pleasant bitterness. Affinage takes 8-10 weeks and has a fat content of 45 per cent. Pair the cheese with sparkling wines like Beaujolais.
Cornish Yarg
Cornish Yarg is supposed to have been discovered by cheese-making couple, Allan and Jenny Gray from a 13th century recipe. Its unusual name is simply the couple's surname spelled backwards.
It is a vegetarian, semi-hard cheese made from pasteurised milk of Friesian cows, by Lynher Dairies Cheese Company near Truro. Cornish Yarg adopts the Wensleydale style recipe but differs in many ways from a traditional Wensleydale. The hand-made cheese is wrapped in stinging nettle leaves, brined for 18 hours, then dried for 2 days and allowed to age for about 6 weeks before being sold in the market. The cheese is sold still wrapped in the leaves, under which the natural rind of the cheese is green with grey, white or green mould. The pale yellow cheese beneath the crust is creamy under its natural rind and slightly crumbly in the core. The crust is edible. The cheese has a slightly delicate, creamy lemony flavour with hints of mushroom. A variant, wrapped in wild garlic leaves is also available.
The tangy taste of the cheese goes well with a Domaine Du Grand Chemin, Burgundy or Mature Red Bordeaux.
This artisan cheese is a celebrated gold medal winner at the 2014 World Cheese awards.
Cotherstone
Created by Joan and Alwin Cross in Teesdale, Cotherstone cheese is related to Wensleydale and Swaledale, and named after a village and parish in County Durham in England.
Suitable for vegetarians, this semi-hard, farmhouse cheese is made from unpasteurised, full-fat Jersey cow’s milk. Cotherstone belongs to a group called ‘Dale style’ cheeses which are soft and crumby in texture, lemony and slightly tangy to taste and tend to be eaten younger.
There are two versions of Cotherstone - a white version and blue-veined version which is sometimes referred to as "Yorkshire Stilton".
Cotherstone is normally used in the preparation of tarts and pastry dishes. It teams well with a Sauvignon.
Cottage Cheese
Cottage cheese has a mild flavour and is a cheese curd product. The curd is drained but not pressed, so some whey remains and retains moisture. The curd is generally washed to remove the acidity and leave a sweet taste. It is made from different types of milk with different fat levels.
The term 'cottage cheese' is believed to have originated because the cheese was generally made in cottages from milk left over, after making butter. Cottage cheese can be eaten by itself, with fruits, toast or even used in salads. The cheese is creamy, lumpy and sold in pots.
Coulommiers
Coulommiers cheese is named after 'Coulommiers' commune in the Seine-et-Marne department from France, as this is the place where it was produced for the first time!
Though the cheese is very similar to Brie and has every characteristic of Brie, it is not as popular as Brie.
Coulommiers cheese, smaller but thicker than Brie, is made from cow's milk. It has bloomy edible rind. It is usually produced in the shape of a disc, which can either be farm-made or produced in industries. The cheese produced in industries lacks the depth of an unpasteurised cheese. When made from pasteurised milk it takes 4 - 6 weeks to fully mature.
Coulommiers tastes the best when served with apples, pears or fresh berries at the end of the meal.
Coverdale
Coverdale is an English cheese made by Wensleydale Dairy Products in North Yorkshire. It is hard cheese with a pale yellow rind and a mild, buttery taste. The texture is firm and open. It is sharper and smoother than Wensleydale, an ideal choice if you prefer creamy cheeses. Made with pasteurised cow’s milk, the cheese is suitable for vegetarians.
It is available 1kg truckles and sits superbly as a table cheese.
Cream Cheese
Cream cheese is a fresh, soft mild tasting cheese produced from unskimmed cow’s milk. Given that it is made from a combination cream and milk, the cheese has a high fat content. In the US, cream cheese need to contain at least 33% fat content while in Britain it should be a minimum of 45-65%. Anything above is considered double or triple cream cheese. In German, it is also called Doppelrhamstufel meaning cheese made with "double cream". The cheese has a mildly lactic aroma and a slightly salty taste.
Cream cheese is firmed with the use of lactic acid and so needs to be consumed fresh. It has a relatively short life even when refrigerated. Cream cheeses made using traditional methods tend to be more crumbly than spreadable while those with stabilizers like guar gum are more firm. The taste, texture and production are similar to Boursin and Mascarpone. Cream cheese is suitable for vegetarians since it uses acid, such as citric acid to coagulate the milk.
Cream cheese has a mild, sweet taste with a pleasant slight tang. It is a smooth, spreadable cheese at room temperature and comes in various flavoured varieties including those with herbs, fruits blended in. The cheese is widely consumed in United States where it used to enrich cheesecakes, frostings, dips, toppings, sweet & savory dishes and desserts. It is also used to make flavourful desserts with colourful fruit combinations such as blueberries, raspeberries and kiwis.
Criffel
Criffel is a Scottish cheese made from unpasteurized cow's milk, produced by the Loch Arthur Creamery in Dumfriesshire, Scotland. Criffel is vegetarian, organic cheese with a creamy and smooth texture. This semi-soft, washed rind cheese having pink-orange rind offers pungent, strong flavour.
Crottin de Chavignol
Crottin de Chavignol cheese originates from Loire, Chavignol in France. It is produced from raw milk of the alpine goats which can be easily recognized by their brown thick coats.
It is one of those rarest cheeses that can be eaten at various stages of its maturity. It is often eaten clothed in fine herbs when fresh from the cheese vat. At this stage of maturing process, it has a creamy, nutty taste. After about six weeks, while its smell starts getting stronger, its pâté becomes dry and brittle. Moreover, a harder texture with a pronounced flavour starts to develop. Hereafter, the cheese continues to mature and the robust taste increases, but never gets sour. Its rind develops into a rough and hard layer over a period of time.
Crowdie
Crowdie is a low-fat, vegetarian Scottish cheese made from cow's milk. The cheese is made by curdling skimmed milk with rennet. Sometimes, it is also flavoured with herbs. It is said that Crowdie has been introduced into Scotland by the Vikings in the eighth century.
It is a sour tasting cheese, very similar to cottage cheese. A fresh cheese by nature, its texture is very creamy and crumbly. Crowdie versions are available as Black Crowdie, Gruth Dhu, Crannog and Hramsa. Often they are accentuated with flavours of toasted oats and crushed black peppercorns. The cheese develops a grey coloured rind on aging.
Crowdie goes well with a dry white wine such as a French Sauvignon Blanc or a New York State Riesling.
Cheese Curds
Cheese curds are bite-size solid parts of soured milk either eaten alone or used in regional dishes, especially in Canada and United States. They are sometimes referred to as Squeaky Cheese as the fresh curds squeak against your teeth when bitten into. They lose their squeaky texture after twelve hours or so, even if they are refrigerated.
Cheese curds are mild, salty to taste, but the flavour can differ depending on how it is made. They display the same firmness as cheese but with an added springy or rubbery texture. Most varieties are naturally uncoloured, as it doesn’t require artificial colouring.
Fresh Cheese curds are eaten as snack, appetizer or served with an additional flavour such as jalapeño peppers, garlic, various herbs, and spice blends such as Cajun. Fried Cheese curds are a popular local delicacy in Wisconsin and eastern Minnesota where they are deep fried covered in batter and served with a side of ranch dressing as quick, casual fast food. They are also known as cheeseballs in some areas.
Cheese curds form the main ingredient in Poutine, a Canadian dish made with French fries, topped with a light brown gravy-like sauce and Cheese curds. Fresh Cheese curds are also known as Paneer in India where it is widely used as a main ingredient in gravies, starters, biryanis and appetizers.
Danish Blue
Danablu (Danish Blue) is a semi-soft blue veined cheese, made from cow's milk. Produced by Rosenborg at Denmark, it has creamy and crumbly texture. The cheese belongs to blue cheese family. In eight to twelve months, it matures with a yellowish edible rind. It is sharp and salty in taste with 25-30% fat. Suitable for non-vegetarians, it can be paired with Cabernet.
Derby
Derby is a traditional British cheese made in Derbyshire, England since the 16th century. Hard to find these days, it is England’s oldest and most famous cheeses made in several varieties including sage and port wine.
Made with cow’s milk, Derby is a semi-hard cheese with a mild flavour and creamy ivory to a rich yellow pate. It is sometimes compared to mild cheddar because of the texture but Derby is more mild with a buttery, creamy flavour and strong melting ability.
Only a few farms in England make Derby cheese the time-honored way. Traditional Derby matured for nine months has an open texture with smooth creamy body and a nutty flavour. It has smooth melting characteristics that pairs with everything from fresh fruits, vegetables to poultry dishes. Couple the cheese with a nice Chenin Blanc or Sauvignon Blanc.
Devon Blue
Made by Ben Harris & Robin Congden of the Ticklemore Cheese Co. Devon Blue is a semi-hard blue cheese made using vegetarian rennet and unpasteurised milk from the farm's own herd of Ayreshire cows.
The cheese is matured for six to eight months for the blue mould to develop fully. By the time, it is ready to be sold; Devon Blue is pale, creamy yellow in colour dotted with pockets of blue moulds and veins. The texture is dense and slightly crumbly. It emanates an earthy aroma along with a smooth, rich, complex and buttery taste.
It is best enjoyed on a cheeseboard with a glass of Farmhouse cider or Côtes du Rhône.
Dolcelatte
Dolcelatte literally translated name means "sweet milk". For the first time, it was made by the Galbani Company, which is a part of Groupe Lactalis at present. This cheese is made from cow's milk developed for the British market as an option to famous Italian blue cheese, Gorgonzola. It is also a blue veined Italian soft cheese sometimes referred to as Gorgonzola Dolce. Its production involves the same process used to make Gorgonzola with a difference that it is made from the curd of only one milking. The maturation involves about two to three months with sweet and a bit milder taste. The fat content in Dolcelatte is higher than Gorgonzola at about 50%. Suitable for vegetarians, it is served with grapes, used in a rich pasta sauce, and paired with Rose or Juicy Red, Port wine, and Venetian Merlot wines.
Dorset Blue Vinney
Dorset Blue Vinny is a British cheese made in Dorset from unpasteurised cow's milk. Only cheese made in Dorset can be claimed as a Dorset blue cheese. This cheese has been made in Dorset since historical times. Traditionally, it was a byproduct of making butter, which was a lucrative market at that time. Skimmed milk was used to make Dorset Vinny cheese. This cheese was out of production for a long while, but has now again been revived by Mike Davies.
The aging process takes from 12 to 18 months. This crumbly textured cheese having strong flavour has very high fat content ranging from 40% to 46%. It is best paired with a red wine or port.
Double Gloucester
Double Gloucester is a traditional, full fat, hard cheese made from pasteurised or unpasteurised cow's milk. The cheese, made from the milk of once nearly extinct Old Gloucester cows, traces its origins to 1498 in the City of Gloucester.
Gloucester comes in both single and double varieties. While Single Gloucester is made from skimmed milk, Double Gloucester uses full fat milk. In addition, Double Gloucester is twice the height of Single Gloucester and more flavourful. It is also said that Double Gloucester uses the whole milk taken from two milking or a mixture of milk and cream.
The double variety has a smooth and buttery texture, rich and nutty yet mellow flavour and apricot colour thanks to the addition of annatto plant extract. Vegetarian rennet is used and the cheese is aged for at least 4 months. If the cheese is allowed to age further, it will develop more complex and nutty flavours. Moreover, the texture tends to become very hard and flaky.
Double Gloucester participates every year in the Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake where buyers jump on the cheese to evaluate its quality and sustainability. A traditional British Ale or red like Syrah will perfectly complement a Double Gloucester.
Double Gloucester A has won many international awards including Silver medal at 2014 World Cheese Awards.
Dunlop
Dunlop is a traditional hard Scottish cheese made from pasteurised cow's milk of Ayrshire breed. Named after the village of Dunlop in East Ayrshire, Scotland, the cheese is made using vegetarian rennet, which makes it suitable for vegetarians. A sweet milk cheese, its popularity drizzled in the Second World War but now it is appreciated for its pairings with whisky, recipes or eating on its own.
Developed by Barbara Gilmour in the 1700s, the cheese shares similarities with Cheddar cheese but is softer. When young, the cheese develops a nutty flavour and smooth, close texture. As it matures, the texture becomes firm and builds up sharp flavours. It is matured for a minimum of 6 months.
A variant of Dunlop is smoked over beechwood to add an extra layer of flavour.
Dunsyre Blue
Dunsyre Blue is a mould ripened, handmade cheese from H.J. Errington farms in Lanarkshire, Scotland. Made using unpasteurised milk of Ayrshire cows, it is named after a small village near Lanark in the Clyde Valley.
An aged Dunsyre Blue has chunky blue-green moulds intercepting the smooth, creamy coloured interior. When fully developed the cheese imparts a complex flavour that is slightly rich, a little salty, sweet, sharp and spicy. Each flavour has a character of its own and leaves behind a strikingly long aftertaste. The farm has been making this traditional cheese for the last 25 years. Dunsyre Blue is great with either Whisky or a Rhone wine.
Durrus
Durrus is an Irish cheese of round shape with powdery pink-orange colour rind. This semi-soft, washed rind cheese produced in Jeffa Gill's dairy is very famous in West Cork as one of the finest artisanal farmhouse cheeses. Made with raw, unpasteurised milk, Durrus smells of hay and wet soil and tastes buttery, mild and slightly acidic. Only milk from Friesian herds of two local farmers is used to prepare this deep-flavoured cheese. When mature, the rind of Durrus develops blue grey moulds that do not affect the flavour the cheese. Just rub them off to enjoy the fuller flavour with notes of moss and hay.
The cheese is available in two varieties: the original 1979 recipe aged at 5-8 weeks old and a young Durrus aged for only 10 days. Durrus pairs well with Pinot Gris, beer, champagne and prosecco and medium bodied reds.
Edam
Made from partially-skimmed milk, by Emmi Roth USA in Wisconsin, US. This mild cheese has a sweet, creamy flavour with a pleasant salty taste which gives it a nice balanced taste. Tailor made for snacking, this cheese can be used with a variety of everyday food items like sandwiches, pasta, wraps, casseroles omelets etc. It pairs well with Amber Ale and Pinot Noir.
Edelpilz
Edelpilz is a German blue vein cheese made from cow’s milk similar to Danish Blue. It’s a semi-hard cheese with a soft rind, sometimes known as German Blue. It has a subtle spiciness, and tastes strong when consumed a big bite. It has a fat content of 22%, and made of 100% natural production process with no preservatives.
Emlett
It is soft-white, smooth and cream cheese produced by Mary Holbrook of Sleight Farm. The cheese has a disc shape with penicillin rind dotted with reddish-brown ferments. As it ages, the cheese softens like ice-cream and has the sweet acidity and characteristic nuttiness. Affinage takes four to six weeks. Another very famous cheese by Mary Holbook is Little Rydings. This cheese is made from the same curd, but the period of maturing is different.
Emmenthal
This cheese is produced in the central cantons of Switzerland. It is a traditional, unpasteurised, hard cheese made from cow's milk. It's hard, thin rind is covered by paper with producer's name on it. The aroma is sweet with tones of fresh-cut hay. The flavour is very fruity, not without a tone of acidity. Emmental has walnut-sized holes. It is considered to be one of the most difficult cheeses to be produced because of it's complicated hole-forming fermentation process. The cheese tastes delicious with a glass of wine, for example Jura Blanc.
Epoisses
Epoisses de Bourgogne is a soft cow’s milk cheese produced by Jacques Hennart in the village Époisses, France. Commonly called as Epoisses, the cheese has creamy, chewy and firm texture. With a distinctive soft red-orange colour, it is categoried as a smear-ripened cheese washed in marc de Bourgogne. It takes at least 6 weeks to mature fully.
Despite its pungent smell, the cheese has a spicy, sweet and salty flavour. It goes well with Trappist beer and Sauternes.
Feta
Feta is undoubtedly one of the most famous Greek cheeses. In fact, Feta occupies 70% stake in Greek cheese consumption. The cheese is protected by EU legislations and only those cheeses manufactured in Macedonia, Thrace, Thessaly, Central Mainland Greece, the Peloponnese and Lesvos can be called ‘feta’. Similar cheeses produced elsewhere in the eastern Mediterranean and around the Black Sea, outside the EU, are often called ‘white cheese’.
To create traditional feta, 30 percent goat's milk is mixed with sheep's milk of animals grazing on pastures in the specific appellation of origin regions. Now-a-days, many stores sell goat and cow’s milk feta as well. The firmness, texture and flavour differ from region to region, but in general, cheese from Macedonia and Thrace is mild, softer and creamier, less salty with fewer holes. Feta made in Thessaly and Central Greece has a more intense, robust flavour. Peloponnese feta is dryer in texture, full flavoured and more open. Local environment, animal breeds, cultures all have an impact on the texture, flavour and aroma of feta.
On the whole, Feta is a pickled curd cheese that has a salty and tangy taste enhanced by the brine solution. The texture depends on the age which can be extremely creamy, or crumbly dry. Upon maturation of 2 months, feta is sold in blocks submerged in brine. The cheese can be used a table cheese or melted on a traditional Greek salad, spanakopita, pizza or pie. It tastes delicious with olive oil, roasted red peppers and nuts. If required, it can be washed under water to remove the extra saltiness. The salty flavour of Feta pairs well with beer, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc and Zinfandel.
Finn
Finn is an unpasteurised, soft-white cheese produced by Charlie Westhead of Neal's Yard Creamery. It is the only triple cream cheese made in England. Firm with a rich, double creamy texture, the mild cheese is fresh and lactic when young taking on a mushroomy and nutty taste as it matures. Like other French cream cheeses, 10% additional cream is added before the actual process of cheesemaking starts. Ripened for 2-3 weeks, it is sold as a 200 gms cheese cylinder.
Flower Marie
Made by Kevin and Alison Blunt of the Golden Cross Cheese at their Greenacres Farm, Flower Marie is a delicate little artisanal cheese made from sheep’s milk. The name Flower Marie is inspired from the Corsican sheep cheese, 'Fleur de Maquis'. Makers of the cheese have formulated the produce suitable for vegetarians by using vegetable rennet to coagulate the milk.
Soft in texture, the milk is sourced from a herd of Friesland-Dorset sheep. It is matured for a minimum of three weeks at the end of which the square molds develop a bloomy, pinkish rind. The paste is ivory white in colour, resembling a whipped ice cream. This aromatic cheese is mushroomy, sweet and slightly citrusy in flavour. As it ages, Flower Marie develops more intense flavours but also softens down.
Fontina
Fontina is a swedish style cheese made by Emmi Roth USA. Fontina is a hard cheese which has a creamy texture and a subtle tart flavour characterized by a mild yeasty finish. It melts beautifully which makes it ideal for Pizzas, flatbreads, lasagnas, quesadillas.
It serves best in combination with Chardonnay, Riesling, Wheat Beer.
Fourme d'Ambert
Produced in the Auvergne region, Fourme d'Ambert (or simply Ambert) is one of France's oldest cheeses, dating back to the Roman occupation nearly 1,000 years ago. It is said that the Druids and the Gauls had developed the art of making this unique cheese. In 2002 it was separated from the Fourme de Montbrison, an identical cheese, to receive an individual AOC status.
The cheese is a traditional, farmhouse blue cheese that can be either co-operative or artisanal. Fourme d'Ambert is more supple and dense than most blues. Milk from cows grazing on either lower or higher mountain pastures is used to produce the cheese. Although, the cheese matures in 40 days, it is cave-aged for two-three months for optimum quality. During the aging time, it is injected with Vouvray moelleux, a sweet white wine. It is easily recognizable by its unusually tall cylindrical shape.
The pâté is cream coloured with prominent blue veining. The cheese is inoculated with Penicillium roqueforti spores for the growth of blue veins. Slightly tangy, savory flavour infused by the bacteria, beautiful complements the distinct notes of butter and cream.
Wine connoisseurs can enjoy the cheese with Sauternes and other dessert wines as well as full bodied reds such as Rhone’s, Pinot Noirs and Syrah. Similar cheeses include Fourme de Montbrison, Bleu de Montbrison, Bleu de Gex and Bleu de Septmoncel. Try the cheese as a snack with bread and fruit or crumble it on salads.
Fromage Frais
Fromage Frais is a soft, unaged, creamy fresh cheese made out of whole or skimmed milk and cream. A French specialty, traditionally this cheese is made with unpasteurised cream. Many a times, the term Fromage Frais is used interchangeably with Fromage Blanc but according to French legislation - "The denomination fromage frais is reserved for unripened cheese that underwent a mostly lactic fermentation. Fermented white cheese marketed under the terms fresh or fresh cheese must contain live flora at the time of sale to the consumer." In simple language, Fromage Frais must contain live cultures when sold, whereas with fromage blanc fermentation has been stopped.
The cheese in its original form is very bland to taste but also extremely low in fat. Savory spices, sweet berries and cream are added to improve the flavour which also increases the fat content, sometimes as much as eight percent.
Fromage Frais is used similar to sour cream or cream by removing the dish off the heat, stirring in the cheese completely and then putting it back on heat. Mixing in the cheese while the dish is cooking on direct heat can cause it to curdle.
The cheese is used as a savory appetizer or a rich creamy dessert by combining it with herbs, fruits and spices. Fromage Frais with a loose consistency, ranging between heavy cream and sour cream is often employed to thicken and richen sauces. It is a traditional accompaniment to caviar since the milky goodness of the cheese reduces the saltiness of the eggs.
Fresh, creamy cheese like Fromage Frais pairs well with sparkling white wine, zinfandel and fortified wines.
Gjetost
Gjeitost cheese, also spelled as ‘Geitost’ and pronounced as ‘Yay-Toast’, is a farmhouse and creamery, semi-hard cheese. It is so popular in Norays that it is also called as Norway’s national cheese!
During old times, Gjeitost or Geitost used to be entirely of goat milk but now-a-days it is made with a blend of goat’s and cow’s milk. During its making process, liquid whey is used instead of the curd. It is available in various versions and the classification depends on different proportions of cow and goat milk.
Dark brown or honey-brown or golden orange in colour, the cheese is non-perishable, dessert cheese sold in blocks. It has sweet and caramel-like taste and comes with an unusual, aromatic quality. Kids in Norway eat it as a breakfast as well. It is sliced paper-thin and placed on Norwegian flat bread. Its sweet, fishy, caramel flavour is simply irresistible!
Golden Cross
Golden Cross is a vegetarian, soft, log-shaped cheese made by Kevin and Alison Blunt at their farm at Whitesmith, East Sussex. The name of the cheese has been inspired from a cross on the roof of a local village pub. It has a dense, silky texture, which makes it excellent for grilling. The cheese ranges in flavour from subtle, floral, and grassy to more complex and intense as it becomes denser, creamier and full-flavoured with maturity. Each log is lightly charcoaled before the bloomy white rind develops. Try the cheese with sparkling wine like Chapel Down Brut.
Gorgonzola
Gorgonzola is one of the world's oldest blue-veined cheeses. The Cheese is mainly produced in the northern Italian regions of Piedmont and Lombardy, Gorgonzola. Unskimmed cow's milk is used while preparing the cheese. Generally it takes three to four months to attain full ripeness.
This cheese has crumbly and soft texture with nutty aroma. It can have a mild to sharp taste depending on its age. Gorgonzola Dolce (also called Sweet Gorgonzola) and Gorgonzola Piccante (also called Gorgonzola Naturale, Gorgonzola Montagna, or Mountain Gorgonzola) are its two varieties, which vary in their age.
Gorgonzola can be consumed in many ways. It is served with wines like Bordeaux Blend (Red), Zinfandel and Sauternes.
Gouda
Gouda, or "How-da" as the locals say, is a Dutch cheese named after the city of Gouda in the Netherlands. If truth be told, it is one of the most popular cheeses in the world, accounting for 50 to 60 percent of the world's cheese consumption. It is a semi-hard cheese celebrated for its rich, unique flavour and smooth texture. The original cheese markets in Gouda is one of the last standing commercial cheese markets in the Netherlands. Since the name is not protected, it has become a generic classification for all cheeses produced and sold under the name Gouda.
Gouda is typically made from pasteurised cow’s milk although some artisan varieties use sheep’s or goat’s milk to produce cheeses that are going to be aged for a long time. Boerenkaas is a typical variety of unpasteurised Gouda cheese produced by the farmers from milk of cow's grazing on the natural, low pastures of Netherlands. There are seven different types of Gouda cheese, categorized depending on age. Graskaas is young Gouda ready to be consumed within weeks of production. On the other hand, is the extra aged, Overjarig cheese which has a full-flavoured, hard, golden interior and salty flavour reminiscent of a toffee. Between the spectrums is a variety of Dutch Gouda’s classified as per the texture and age - Jong, Jong belegen, Belegen, Extra belegen, and Oud. Each cheese gets increasingly firmer in texture and richer in flavour than earlier classification. The waxed rind of the cheese also changes by the age as soft, younger Dutch Gouda cheese are identified by yellow, orange, or red wax rinds white mature cheese have black wax coverings.
In America, smoother and less flavourful commercial Gouda is popular than Dutch Gouda. Artisans in Netherlands may produce Dutch Gouda using raw milk as well as pasteurised. To enhance the flavour of the cheese, herbs, seasonings, and nuts may be blended. In Netherlands, aged Gouda is commonly used to richen soups, sauces.
Young Goudas are best paired with beer while medium cheeses taste best when paired with a fruity Riesling or Chenin Blanc. A well aged Gouda complements wines that are deeply flavoured such as a rich Merlot or Shiraz. Gouda cheese may be grated, sliced, cubed or melted. It may be used as a table cheese or dessert cheese.
Gouda is available in large wheels with each weighing between 10 and 25 pounds.
Grana Padano
Grana Padano, granted DOP on 12 June 1996, is one of the few cheeses that can possibly compete with the King of Cheeses; Parmigiano-Reggiano. Created by the Cistercian monks of Chiaravalle in the 12th century, it is still made throughout the Po River Valley in northeastern Italy.
The cheese is made from unpasteurised, semi-skimmed cow’s milk from two milking and generally aged for two years. At the end of the cheese making process, Grana Padano develops a firm, thick and deeply straw-coloured rind protecting the fragrant, dry, flaking interior. Grana means “grainy” in Italian which is reflected in the fine granular texture with an intensely sweet flavour. As Grana Padano ages, the flavours become pronounced, savory and complex and the texture becomes more crumbly.
Though similar to Parmigiano Reggiano Grana Padano is inexpensive because areas producing the cheese are bigger. Moreover, Grana is less crumbly, milder and less complex than its long-aged sibling.
Grana Padano is manufactured in cylindrical wheels measuring 35 to 45 cm in diameter, and 15 to 18 cm in height. It is sold at different ripening stages: Grana Padano (9 to 16 months), Grana Padano oltre 16 mesi (over 16 months) and Grana Padano Riserva (over 20 months).
Try pairing the cheese with a Barolo, Zinfandel or Gavi white wine.
Gruyère
Gruyere is named after a Swiss village. It is traditional, creamery, unpasteurised, semi-soft cheese. The natural, rusty brown rind is hard, dry and pitted with tiny holes. The cheese is darker yellow than Emmental but the texture is more dense and compact. Slightly grainy, the cheese has a wonderful complexity of flavours - at first fruity, later becomes more earthy and nutty. To make Gruyere, raw milk is heated to 93 degrees F and liquid rennet is added for curdling. The resulting curd is cut into small pieces which release whey while being stirred. Curd is cooked at 110 degrees F and raised quickly to 130 degrees F. The pieces become shriveled which is the cue to place the curd in molds for pressing. The cheese is salted in brine for 8 days and ripened for two months at room temperature or a quick method: 10 days at 50 degrees F. Curing lasts from 3 to 10 months (the longer the curing period the better the cheese).
Gubbeen
Gubbeen is a semi-soft, washed-rind cheese produced by Tom and Gina Ferguson at their Gubbeen Farmhouse in Cork, Ireland. Their cheese twice won silver medals at the British Cheese Award.
Made using pasteurised cow’s milk, the cheese has a pinkish white rind with a white bloom. The rind is a triple layered bloom of different inoculations which include yeast, white wine and white candidum.
A young Gubbeen reveals a real buttery milky taste with scents of meadow flowers and hazelnuts. As it matures, the bouncy and soft cheese develops notes of mushrooms, nuts, bog and forest floor. Extra maturity allows the rind culture to move through the pasture and allow it to build up a full-bodied, rich and savory taste.
Gubbeen is excellent with burnt onions, grilled cheese and pairs well with aromatic whites and beer.
Hallomi
Halloumi is a Cypriot firm, brined, slightly springy white cheese, traditionally made from a mixture of goat and sheep milk, although these days cow’s milk is also used. Its texture is similar to that of mozzarella or thick feta, except that it has a strong, salty flavour imbibed from the brine preserve. Cooking the Halloumi removes all its saltiness and empowers it with a creamy texture.
Since the cheese has a high melting point, it can be easily fried or grilled. Its unusualness lies in the preparation of the cheese where no acid or acid-producing bacterium is required.
Halloumi is generally served during the warmer months with watermelon, due to its refreshing qualities. It is an essential part of a Cyprus Meze and many a times it is offered as an accompaniment with cold beer. The cheese also tastes lovely when grilled, pan-fried or thinly sliced on a salad.
Harbourne Blue
Harbourne Blue is a semi-soft cheese made from pasteurised goat’s milk. For the first time, it was made by Robin Congdon and later on, it is produced by Ticklemore Cheese in Devon. For maturation, the cheese takes around 10 weeks and forms a crumbly, dense and melting texture.
As it is made by hands, therefore, the cheese retains its sweet, spicy taste and aromatic smell. It is suitable for vegetarians and contains 48% fat. Being a milder cheese, it can be served with wines like Sauternes, Port and Bordeaux.
Hereford Hop
Hereford Hop is a British cheese, handmade by Charles Martell, maker of the famous Stinking Bishop. He invented the cheese in 1990 on the Hunts Court Farm which is a few miles away from the Herefordshire border.
The hard cheese is made using natural rennet and full fat pasteurised cows’ milk. Coated with toasted hops, Hereford Hop produces citrusy, buttery and sharp flavours together with slight bitterness of the hops. A version made with raw milk is also available.
Idiazabal
Idiazabal (also known as Queso Idiazabal La Vasco Navarra) is a traditional, farmhouse, hard cheese made from raw milk of Latxa or Carranza sheep in the Basque and Navarra regions of northern Spain. Named after the village of Idiazabal, the cheese received Spanish D.O. (Denominacion de Origen) in 1987.
In summer, the sheep migrate to higher pastures to graze on the blossoming, new grass. During this time, the artisanal cheese makers milk the sheep, make the cheese and leave it in the rafters to mature for a minimum ripening of 2 months. At the end of summer when the cheese makers return back to the lowlands with their sheep, the cheese has ripened and is ready for sale.
Idiazabal is produced in the shape of a cylinder, with a smooth and hard natural rind that is pale yellow to amber in colour. The cheese has a compact texture, with a few pinprick holes. It is dry, but not crumbly, and feels pleasantly oily in the mouth. The rind carries the marks of the wooden moulds in which it was drained. The characteristic, smoky flavour is the result of the cheeses having been stored near the fireplaces. There were no chimneys in the simple mountain huts, so the cheeses absorbed the sweet, aromatic smoke. The taste of the cheese is reminiscent of burnt caramel and bacon. It pairs well with red wine and cider.
PDO Idiazabal smoked cheese has won a Super Gold medal at the 2014 World Cheese Awards. It is declared as one of the world's 62 best cheeses. It is also available in natural flavour.
Innes button
Innes Button is an artisanal unpasteurised goat’s cheese handcrafted at Highfields Farm Dairy using time-honored traditional craft methods. Prepared by Stella Bennett and her son Joe on a small, independent farm, Innes Button has received many awards at the British Cheese Awards in 1994 and 2002. Hugh Lillingston, who formerly owned the dairy, is said to have introduced the cheese.
Made using vegetable rennet, Innes Button is a small, light textured, round cheese measuring around 4 cms in diameter. It imparts a fresh, lemony and tangy flavour to salads and grilled dishes. A larger version of the Innes Button weighing 100 gms is available as Innes Clifton. Innes Button is sold in its natural form or can be bought coated with Pink Pepper, Salted Ash and Rosemary toppings. Being a fresh cheese sold at just 5 days old, it has to be consumed within a week. The cheese pairs perfectly with Sancerre.
Isle of Mull
Isle of Mull Cheese is a hard cow’s milk cheese produced by the company of the same name in the Inner Hebrides, off the West Coast of Scotland. It is considered to be the King of Scottish Cheddars and has won several awards including BBC Food and Farming Award, Best Scottish Cheese, British Cheese Awards Gold and World Cheese Awards.
It is a traditional cheese with an ivory and somewhat soft pate. After 18 months of maturation, the cheese develops a complex, sharp, tangy and fruity flavour. Available in cylindrical shapes, Isle of Mull pairs well with Merlot, because of its onions and garlic flavour.
Jarlsberg
Jarlsberg is a mild, semi-soft cow’s milk cheese of Norwegian origin. Created by Anders Larsen Bakke, it resembles a Swiss Emmental with distinctive, open and irregular ‘eyes’. Many a times Jarlsberg is marketed as a Swiss cheese because of its characteristics, though it tends to be sweeter and stronger than Emmentaler.
Beneath the yellow-wax rind of Jarlsberg is a semi-firm yellow interior that is buttery, rich in texture with a mild, nutty flavour. It is an all-purpose cheese, good for cooking as well eating as a snack. Since the cheese melts so well, Jarlsberg tastes delicious on sandwiches, fondues, quiches and on hot dishes. The versatility of the cheese is appreciated well beyond the Scandinavian world in US, UK and Europe.
Rinded and rindless Jarlsberg is available in wheels, slices, wedges, minis, and random weight pieces. A good Merlot and a nutty Jarlsberg will provide to be a fascinating mix.
Kefalotyri
Kefalotyri or kefalotiri is a traditional Greek-Cypriot cheese made from sheep milk and/or goat's milk. It is a very hard, light-yellow cheese with a sharp flavour and dry texture. Dating back to the Byzantine era, the cheese is believed to be the ancestor of most hard Greek cheeses.
Young cheeses are aged for a minimum of two to three months whereas aged Kefalotyri can be a year old or more with a dry, stronger flavour.
Kefalotyri tastes similar to Gruyere; however it is harder and saltier. The cheese is consumed as is or added to a wide variety of pasta, meat and cooked vegetable dishes. It is also traditionally served fried in strips or cubes for a dish called Saganaki. This cheese is especially suited for grating atop sauces, pizza, stews and salads. Ideal for cheeseboards, the tangy cheese is served with fresh seasonal fruit, such as pears, figs and grapes alongside red wine and sausages.
Lanark Blue
This Scottish blue cheese is produced by cheesemaker Humprey Errington. It has a shape of cylinder wrapped in foil. The taste is slightly sweet and green-blue veins spreading through the cheese are the result of mould having been sprinkled into the milk vat before the cheese is curdled. After that the cheese is molded by hand and allowed to mature for three months. It is one of the cheeses of Roquefort-style.
Lancashire
Cheese has been produced in Lacanshire for more than 700 years. There was hardly enough milk for farmers to make the cheese. Without the aid of refrigeration, it was best to turn any leftover milk to curd. Curd from the second day's milk was added to the first and even from the third. This is how Lancashire cheese is still made today from cow's milk.
When creamy Lancashire cheese further matures, the flavour of the cheese intensifies. This cheese can be aged for up to 24 months. This cheese is then classified as Tasty Lancashire cheese. Tasty Lancashire is rich, smooth with a nutty and buttery flavour.
The tasty Lancashire cheese is best had with bread, pickle, or a Real ale beer.
Langres
Langres is a French cow’s milk cheese that originated from the plateau of Langres in the region of the Champagne Ardenne, France. Since 1919, the cheese has been granted AOC designation. Surrounded by a white penicillium candidum rind, the central pate is a bit soft and crumbly, and appears creamy in colour. It is milder than Epoisses, but slightly salty with strong smell. The firm pate melts in the mouth, leaving a complex taste. After 5 weeks of maturation, it is consumed between May and August but it also tastes excellent from March through December. It looks great on the cheeseboard, and goes well with a salad, Red Wine from Burgundy, Marc de Bourgogne or Champagne.
Tesco Finest Langres 180g, produced by Rians has won silver award at the 2014 World Cheese Awards.
Leicester (Red Leicester)
Red Leicester, formerly known as Leicester or Leicestershire cheese is a traditional hard English cheese made from unpasteurised cow’s milk. The history of the cheese dates back to the 17th century when farmers recognized the need to make and look their cheeses apart from cheese made in other parts of the country. They decided that the colour of the cheese should denote its richness and creaminess. To set it apart from cheddar and highlight the quality of cheese, Leicester is coloured with a vegetable dye called annatto. The rind is reddish-orange with a powdery mould on it. The colour indicates that the milk used has a high cream content. Today, only a a couple of farms in Leicestershire makes the cheese using traditional methods and raw milk.
Red Leicester is a hard cheese, similar to Cheddar but much more moist, crumblier with a milder flavour. It matures faster than cheddar and can be sold as young as two months. A good Leicester cheese can be identified by a firm body and a close, flaky texture. Though the cheese can be consumed young, to reach it's optimum flavour, it should be allowed to mature for six to nine months. A good cheese tastes slightly sweet with an almost caramel flavour and builds up a more robust taste as it ages. The cheese suits a full-bodied white wine such as Muscadet, SancerreChenin Blanc and Vouvray.
Leyden
Leyden cheese (Leidse kaas in Dutch) is firm, yellow cumin spiced cheese made in the Netherlands. It is produced both in factories and traditionally on farms in this historic area of Leiden.
Made from pasteurised skimmed cow's milk, Leyden is very similar to Gouda in shape (round and flat), but has lower fat percentage, about 30 to 40%.
The addition of cumin seeds gives the cheese a distinctive dry, tangy and spicy flavour, very unlike of other Dutch cheeses. Cloves and Caraway seeds are also added occasionally for that extra boost. The wax-coated Leyden is a perfect addition to any cheese platter. Pairing it with an ice-cold beer or a Shiraz and dark malty bread will do wonders.
Limburger
Limburger is a semi-soft, washed rind cheese that originated in the historical Duchy of Limburg, now divided among three countries; Germany, Belgium and Netherlands. The cheese is popularly known for its stinky aroma which has been compared to foot odor. Today, most of the cheese is exclusively made in Germany, making them the sole producers in Europe.
Artisanal cheese makers prepare this cheese from pasteurised cow’s milk sourced from local, organic farms. As a result, the flavour of the cheese is mild despite the stinky aroma.
The exterior of the cheese is covered with a thin pale, orange-brown rind, an effect of regular washings.
In the initial month of ripening, Limburger is firmer and more crumbly, but starts to become chalky and soft at the end of six weeks. After two months, the cheese is much smoother and creamy. At three months, Limburger finally acquires the infamous aroma due to smear-ripening with solutions of bacteria.
The interior is a soft and yielding, straw-coloured pate that becomes runnier with age. This cheese has a significant grassy and mushroomy taste underlined by delicate tang at the end.
Limburger goes well with Belgian style ales and icy cold bock beer. It tastes best when it is served between two slices of dark rye bread along with a slice of onion.
Linconshire Poacher
Lincolnshire Poacher is an award-winning handmade cheese produced on a dairy farm nestling on the eastern edge of the beautiful Lincolnshire Wolds. It is made in a way that is similar to traditional West Country Cheddar using unpasteurised cow’s milk. The cheese was invented by Simon Jones from Lincolnshire, who decided to turn the spring milk from his herd of Holsteins into cheese.
Traditional Lincolnshire Poacher is available in a cylindrical shape, coated by a rind appearing similar to granite. It is a slow-maturing cheese that takes between 12-24 months to develop a golden, straw-coloured yellow pate and spotted brown and gray colour rind. One gets daily and seasonal variation in terms of both flavour and texture but all-in-all the cheese has both cheddar and gruyere-like qualities. It has a smooth texture and a strong taste. In summer, notes of pineapple, toasted nuts and grassy dominate the flavour profile while in winter the taste becomes savory and almost meaty. Lincolnshire Poacher pairs well with full bodied reds and whites and beer.
The company makes many other traditional cheeses such as Vintage Lincolnshire Poacher aged for 18 to 22 months, Smoked Lincolnshire Poacher, Double Barrel and Lincolnshire Red which is made using vegetarian rennet.
Little Rydings
Made of unpasteurised organic sheep's milk, Little Ryding is a soft hand-made cheese produced by Wooton Organic Dairy, Somerset, England. This mould-ripened cheese has a white rind with smooth and creamy texture when 4 weeks old. As it ages, it becomes softer and creamier.
With rich and sweet flavour, it works as an appetizer. Because of vegetarian rennet and 48% fat, it suites vegetarians. It can be served with Riesling.
Available in round shape - Little Ryding weighs about 220g.
Livarot
One of the oldest and greatest Normandy cheeses, Livarot is a monastic French cheese easily distinguished by its washed rind and pungent aroma. Originating in the commune of Livarot and protected by AOC since 1975, the cheese is also called "The Colonel" because of the five strips of raffia that encircle the cheese, similar to the one worn on a French army colonel's uniform.
Livarot is considered to be one of the finest cheeses by aficionados who love its soft, golden paste with little holes and springy texture. The taste is nutty, melting in the mouth, to release flavours of a salty lemon and spiciness. The texture is creamy, smooth and quite runny at room temperature. Each wheel is washed in brine, coloured in annatto and matured for up to two months in warm, humid cellars to develop the above-mentioned delicious taste.
Livarot is best enjoyed with a full-bodied red wine, glass of Calvados, Normandy cider or even a traditional French hard cider. It tastes excellent with crusty bread and fruits or added to vegetable, fruit salads, soups and gratins.
Llangloffan
Introduced by Leon Downey in the 1970s on his farm near St Davids, Pembrokeshire, Llanglofan Farmhouse is a traditional Welsh artisan farmhouse cheese with a natural rind and vegetarian rennet. It is a full-fat, hard cheese with a slightly dry, crumbly texture that melts in the mouth. The maturation lasts from two to six months and the fat content is 45%. It is available in white, red, garlic, chive and smoked varieties.
Loch Arthur Organic Farmhouse cheese
Produced by Loch Arthur Creamery from cow's milk, Loch Arthur Farmhouse Cheese is a traditional cloth-bound cheddar cheese with firm texture. Bagged British Cheese Awards like '95-Silver, '96-Bronze, '01-Gold, '03 Bronze. It is available in three varieties - Mature (12 months), Vintage (18 months) or with Mixed Herbs or Caraway in cylindrical shape. The cheese is a bit dry and somewhat nutty in taste, with fat content of 48%. It can be served with Ruby port.
Mahon
Mahon, named after the port of Mahon on the Minorca island, Spain, is a cow's milk cheese, produced by various dairies. Mahon is soft to hard cheese with buttery, sharp, salty in taste. During maturation the cheese is hand rubbed with butter / paprika or oil. Mahon is sold at different ages ranging from 2 months to 10 months.
Artesano Mahon / Artisanal Mahon, made using raw milk is aged for 2 to 3 months that is superior in flavour than the aged version. The texture is close, dense with occasional hole throughout the paste which is ivory in colour.
Mahon Reserva / Aged Mahon is harder and drier in texture, more salty in taste.
Industrial version of Mahon is made using pasteurized milk what has milder flavour.
A traditional way of eating Mahon is by sprinkling it with black pepper, tarragon and olive oil. It pairs well with Madeira or Rioja.
Manchego
The Manchego is produced in the La Mancha region of Spain, which is also home to Don Quixote. It is made from unpasteurised sheep's milk. It is one of the popular cheeses from Spain, made from sheep's milk. It also comes under the PDO guidelines.
The traditional use of grass moulds leaves a distinctive, characteristic zigzag pattern on the Manchego cheese. Authentic Manchego is only made from the Manchego sheep's milk. Manchego cheese is made from both pasteurised and unpasteurised milk. The farmhouse version is produced from unpasteurised milk while the industrial version is produced from pasteurised milk.
The rind is inedible with a distinctive, traditional herringbone basket weave pattern, pressed on it. A typical ear wheat pattern is pressed onto the top and bottom wheels of the cheese. There are specific differences in Manchego cheeses, depending on their aging period.
Semi Curado - Young Manchego cheese is aged around 3 months are supple and moist. The flavour is fruity, grass, hay with a tangy note.
Curado - Manchego cheese aged for 6 months acquires a caramel and nutty flavour. It has distinct acidity.
Viejo - Manchego cheese aged for a year becomes crumbly in texture while the interior of the cheese acquires a butterscotch colour. It has a sweet, lingering taste.
Manchego cheeses are best paired with a sherry. Cheeses similar to Manchego are called 'Machego like cheeses', but the producers cannot legally name the cheese as Manchego.
This celebrated cheese has won gold and silver award at the 2014 World Cheese Awards.
Maroilles
Maroilles is French, AOC approved cow’s milk cheese made in the Picardy and Nord-Pas-de-Calais regions of Northern France. Also known as Marolles, the cheese gets its name from the village of Maroilles where it is still produced. It is also said that the cheese has been created in the 10th century by a monk, Maroilles in northern France.
While preparing Maroilles, the industrialized version uses pasteurised milk as opposed to the artisan cheese which is still depends on raw milk. It usually has a square shape with brick-red, smooth, washed and sticky rind. When young, the cheese is called “Maroille Blanc” because the cheese has still not developed the distinctive brick red rind and characteristic flavour.
It is matured from five weeks to four months during which it is regularly washed with salt and water. If eaten young, the cheese is still chalky in the center and has a bitter rind. As it ages and with the washing process, the rind changes its colour from yellow to orange and finally red.
At four months, the ivory pâte is soft and oily. It has a powerful, pungent aroma suggestive of fermenting fruit and the flavour reminds of smoky bacon. Earthy notes of walnuts and mushrooms contrasted by a strong, pungent aroma are very typical of an aged Maroilles. This cheese is produced in various sizes and the content of fat is about 29 per cent.
Mascarpone
Mascarpone is an Italian cheese from the Lombardy region, made by curdling milk cream with citric acid or acetic acid. It is a thick, double or triple cream, soft cheese with a very high fat content ranging from 60% to 75%. The resulting rich butterfat content makes the cheese an essential ingredient in Italian recipes like Tiramisu and cheesecakes.
The texture of Mascarpone ranges from smooth, creamy to buttery, depending on how it is processed during cheesemaking. The concise portrayal of Mascarpone really is just thickened cream that is on its way to becoming butter. Making the cheese is so simple that many people easily make their own Mascarpone at home.
Mascarpone is used in both sweet and savory dishes. It is added to enhance the flavour of the dish without overwhelming the original taste. The cheese tastes best with anchovies, mustard and spices, or mixed with cocoa or coffee. Tiramisu, a layered dish with espresso, brandy, chocolate and Mascarpone has brought the cheese to the forefront of Italian cooking. Another possible use of Mascarpone is to thicken puddings and dessert creams. It is also popular as a standalone dessert served with fruit or syrup.
Whether you buy Mascarpone or make it at home, it needs to be consumed within a few days or it can go bad.
Milleens
Milleens is one of Ireland's oldest farmhouse cheeses. It was first manufactured in 1976 by Veronica and Norman Steele on their farm at Milleens, on the Beara Peninsula, Co. Cork in 1976. Today, Norman and Veronica’s son, Quinlan looks after the day to day operations at the cheese farm.
The semi-soft Milleens is a washed-rind cheese made from the pasteurised whole milk of Friesian cows. It is available in 1.2kg rounds, Milleens 'O' 1kg, Milleens Dote 200g. The 'O' and 'Dotes' are different in both flavour and texture. The ‘O’ is more evocative of the original Milleens, with slight chalkiness at the centre of the pate and a particularly earthy aroma emitting from pungent, pink orangey rind. In contrast, the ‘Dotes’ are softer and more fragrant with an active orange rind. Both present a firm, creamy texture and herbal, mushroomy and floral taste intensified by the farmyard aromas.
A traditional washed-rind cheese, it pairs well with and off-dry Gewurztraminer and still cider. The cheese should be kept refrigerated and allowed to come to normal temperature before consuming. It continues to ripen and soften 3 months after being made.
Mimolette français
The name ‘Mimolette’ is derived from the French word molle, which means soft. In France, it is famous as Boule de Lille after the city of origin and vieux Hollande. Produced by Losfeld in Lille, it is a semi-hard cow’s milk cheese similar to Edam. The aging time varies from 2 months to 24 months.
Along with its orange colour, the cheese has a fruity aroma. Being a good choice for non-vegetarians, it tastes a bit buttery, salty and nutty with 40% fats.
It can be added to salads, omelets and other cooked dishes. It pairs well with Banyuls, Merlot and Sherry.
Morbier
Morbier is a semi-soft cow’s milk cheese named after the small village of Morbier in Franche-Comté. The cheese has an ivory colour, and it is a bit soft and fairly elastic. It gets immediately identified because of its black layer of tasteless ash, which separates horizontally in the middle. Earlier, Morbier was made by a layer of the morning and the evening milk, but these days it is made by a single milking, while ash is added to it to follow the tradition. The cheese takes about 45 days to 3 months for full maturation with yellowish, moist and leathery rind.
Together with 45% fat, it is protected by AOC designation. Morbier has a rich and creamy flavour with small eyes or holes. Sometimes, the cheese leaves a slightly bitter aftertaste and has strong aroma as well. Try this cheese with Gewurztraminer or Pinot Noir.
Mozzarella
Mozzarella cheese is a sliceable curd cheese originating in Italy. Traditional Mozzarella cheese is made from milk of water buffalos herded in very few countries such as Italy and Bulgaria. As a result, most of the Mozzarella cheeses available now are made from cow's milk.
An Italian Traditional Specialty Guaranteed (TSG) food product, Mozzarella cheese is not aged like most cheeses. It is eaten fresh and within few hours after it is made.
Fresh Mozzarella cheese is one of those easy-to-make-at-home cheeses used while making variety of recipes, including salads, meats, seafood, and vegetables.
Other types of Mozzarella:
Mozzarella di Bufala, also known as 'buffalo mozzarella', is made from domesticated water buffalo milk.
Mozzarella Fior di Latte is produced from fresh, pasteurised or unpasteurised cow milk, while Low-moisture mozzarella is made from whole or part skimmed milk. And last, but not least, Mozzarella affumicata is a smoked variety of Mozzarella.
Munster
Munster, also known as Munster Géromé is a soft washed rind cheese made from milk produced by cows living in the regions between Alsace, Lorraine and Franche-Comté in France. The name Munster is derived from the little town of Munster where Vosgian abbeys and monasteries used to make this cheese since the Middle Ages.
Traditional Munster is protected by an Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) which requires the cheese be made from unpasteurised cow's milk called crude milk. The soft and creamy cheese also comes flavoured with cumin and tastes best when accompanied with a good beer. As with washed rind cheeses, Munster have a red coating on the rind that is slightly humid due to repeated washings. Other than protecting the cheese, the rind is also responsible for a strong, penetrating aroma and tangy taste.
The best Munster cheeses are produced in the summer and autumn when the cows graze on the 'high stubble' of the Vosges. This cheese has a very high fat content of 45-50%. Gewurztraminer or full-bodied red wines nicely complement Munster. If you're a potato and cheese lover try Munster with potatoes, salad and finely chopped onions.
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