Valencay

Valencay is a storied goat's milk cheese from Valencay, France.  It has an aggressive look about it, with its pyramidal shape and intensely moldy rind, but it is really quite a friendly and accessible cheese.

Cutting into that brilliant mold reveals a snow white, thick, sweet-smelling goat cheese paste.  I was really struck by the texture of this cheese - it is SO very dense that it has the texture of refrigerated butter, almost.  Very smooth, very rich, soft and yet almost firm.

The flavor is a delightful mix of the mildest aspects of goat cheese plus a lemony sweetness that reminds me almost of dessert.  This is a real stunner of a cheese that will blow your guests away with its refined taste and bold look. 

The story of Valencay cheese, incidentally, is that Napoleon stopped at Valencay Castle on his way back from a failed Egyptian campaign and noticed the pyramid-shaped Valencay cheese.  To avoid the painful associations, he lopped off the top of the cheese, making it a topless pyramid.

A delicious cheese with a rich history - you can't beat that.  I cannot recommend this cheese enough!

Flada

Flada is a newer cheese from Switzerland.  It is very soft, very ripe, and ready to stink up your entire home.

The aroma of Flada is generally described as "barnyard", which is not, I suppose, too inaccurate - you definitely get a sense of filthy animals and general unwashed reek from this little fellow.  But is it lovely! Oh, that reddish, ripply rind, cracking open to reveal a round expanse of yellow, runny goo - it makes a pretty picture, that's for sure.

But what of the taste?  I have to say, I wasn't as blown away as I thought I'd be, but it is good and quite interesting.  It is salty, meaty, milky, heady, stinky... a cheese only a cheese lover could love.  It begs merely to be spooned (yes, a spoon would work better) onto crusty bread.   Be sure to bring it to room temperature before eating. 

Herbs De Humboldt

Another instant winner from Cypress Grove Chevre, Herbs De Humboldt hits hard with a bold, exuberant flavor that will light up your mouth.  Its flavor is a pure, fresh, super-tangy goat cheese mixed with a subtle combination of mellowing herbs.  It is wonderful on its own but be careful of it overwhelming other cheeses on your plate.  It will stand out in a salad or used in any recipe calling for fresh goat cheese.

Cablanca

Cablanca is a lovely Dutch goat cheese with a firm texture and mild, nutty aroma.  Much less tangy and pungent than the average goat cheese, Cablanca reminds me of a subtle Spanish cheese like Iberico, but with a touch of goaty flavor added in. 

It is semi-firm but will melt well, making it perfect for burgers, pasta or pizza.  It is also delicious on its own and pairs very well with softer cheeses.  Its brilliant white color makes it an attractive addition to your cheese plate. 

Alta Langa La Tur

La Tur is a lovely, gooey cheese made in Alta Langa, Piedmont, Italy.  It is very white and buttery in appearance, and after being left to sit out at room temperature, it begins to get very attractively runny.  It has a mild but complex flavor, buttery and purely elegant.  Paired with a crispy companion like endive or crusty bread, it will impress your guests. 

A mix of cow, goat and sheep's milk, La Tur has a uniquely rich taste and is very intensely creamy.  A little goes a long way! 

Great Cheeses Revisited

I had a kind of shocking amount of new visitors to the blog this afternoon.  I was very pleased, of course, and I hope that you enjoy reading my cheese reviews!

I went grocery shopping tonight and, since I hadn't eaten dinner, ended up hungrily scouring the cheese section in the hope of picking out something new to write about.  However, I noticed that the store I was at carried both Beecher's Flagship and Cypress Grove Purple Haze - two of my very favorite cheeses of all time.  I couldn't resist grabbing both of them.  So, if you haven't seen them before, check out my entries on these two truly great cheeses:

Beecher's Flagship

Cypress Grove Purple Haze

Please eat them immediately.  They'll light up your life.

Barely Buzzed

The final cheese in my Exotic & Rare cheese collection from Artisancheese.com is Barely Buzzed from Beehive Cheese Co. in Utah.

Barely Buzzed at Beehive Cheese Co. Website

This is a rich, creamy cow cheese rubbed with a mixture of ground espresso and lavender.  It's very unusual, and really, really good.  The aroma is divine - the espresso they use is of incredible quality.  It has a smooth, semi-firm yet melt-in-your-mouth texture, and a flavor of rich, satisfying espresso followed by sweet cream, salty, nutty cheese, and finishes with the light, floral kiss of lavender. 

It would go wonderfully with espresso and chocolate as a dessert.  Or honey!  I drizzled some honey on mine and it was so delicious.  The honey really brightened the taste of the cheese and mingled perfectly with the lavender.  I was very pleased with this cheese and I plan on trying more Beehive cheeses if I can find them.

RATING: 4 out of 5 stars

Testun Al Barolo

Testun Al Barolo is a semi-firm goat/cow cheese from the Piedmont region of Italy.  It looks luscious, no?  Almost like a pie.  It is aged under crushed Nebbolio grapes, which are used to make Barolo wine.  The grapes impart a very winey flavor to the cheese. 

The texture is wet and slightly crumbly, and it has a very sweet and creamy aroma.  The taste is smooth and rich - it tastes of fresh milk, grass, and wine.  It's tangy and sweet and goes wonderfully with salty foods.  Eat it with red wine - Barolo would be the best choice, obviously - mild fruits, olives, and salty cured meats.  It's a very classy cheese that will impress you and your friends both with its dramatic appearance and complex, sweet flavor.

RATING: 4 stars

Majorero Pimentón

My Exotic & Rare cheese collection from Artisancheese.com arrived. I opened the box to find another box:

 I opened this attractively designed box to find these inside:

Oh! How lovely.  From left to right: Testun Al Barolo, Barely Buzzed, Majorero Pimentón, and Vervacious Cinque Terre Apricot Mostarda.  (not pictured: a small package of artisan crackers.)


Well, you can just imagine how excited I was.  I was very impressed with the packaging and attention to presentation shown by Artisan Cheese.  They also included a pamphlet with detailed descriptions of all of my cheeses, and suggested wine pairings.  I definitely got my money's worth, and I'll be ordering from them again in the future.  Now, on to the first cheese:

Majorero Pimentón
This is a raw milk goat cheese made in Fuerteventura, one of the Canary Islands.  Its rind is liberally coated in pimentón pepper, which is also known as smoked paprika - but the Spanish version seems both smokier and spicier.


Majorero is a hard, dry cheese with a mildly buttery aroma (once you cut past the smoky, spicy rind).  The taste is really out of this world.  I couldn't get enough.  It's salty and vibrantly milky-tasting, but the peppered rind imbues it with a warm, smoky fullness as well.  You can really get in touch with the goat's milk used to make it.  It's very "natural" tasting.  It also looks great, as you can sort-of see in the photo above (phone camera + bad lighting).


Majorero Pimentón is a truly impressive and exotic cheese that is still accessible to anyone's palate.  I can't recommend it enough.  Serve it with Spanish accompaniments like ham, almonds, fig jam, and such.  It'll blow your mind.


RATING: 5 Stars

iPhone App: Fromage

iPhone/iPod Touch users: There's a really cool app you should get right now. It's called "Fromage". It's a pocket guide to over 750 cheeses from around the world. Each cheese has a photo, brief description, and list of wine pairings. You can also add notes to all the cheeses you have tried, or add your own cheeses and photos. If you want to share the joy of cheese with all your friends, there's a handy option to email-a-cheese. It's fun and useful, and costs $2.99.

Fromage at the App Store

Cheese On the Horizon... Plus, Fontina

I'm in a celebratory mood, so I bought myself a present: The "Exotic & Rare" cheese collection from ArtisanalCheese.com. I had a terrible time picking out a gift for myself on that site. It reminded me of when I was little and my mom would take me to Toys 'R' Us. As soon as I entered the Barbie aisle, I began to suffer sensory + greed overload and usually had a nervous breakdown because I wanted all of the Barbies in the store and - well, you know how that goes. I feel that way about gourmet cheese shopping now. No wonder I was thinner as a child...

My Exotic & Rare (i.e. probably very stinky) cheeses should arrive later this week. I am very excited, and hungry. Maybe there will be a yak cheese in there? Oh, I dare to dream! Stay tuned for in-depth blogging once cheese is consumed.

And finally, I ate some delicious Fontina cheese over the weekend. You've probably tried Fontina, but maybe it hasn't made a lasting impression on you yet. I know it didn't on me, because I couldn't exactly remember what it tasted like until I bought some a few days ago.

I have to say, I think everyone should eat Fontina on at least a semi-regular basis. It's mild and nutty, as many cheeses are, but what I think sets it apart is its springy, kind-of-soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture. It melts really well - I recommend using it in grilled cheese. Or on pizza, or by itself or with fruit, nuts, olives etc. Yep, it's versatile. I do love a versatile cheese.

(Fontina Rating) 3 out of 5 stars

Cheese News

For anyone out there who might actually read this blog, I know my cheese posts have been nonexistent lately. I haven't really been trying any new cheeses. I plan on delving into my memory and reviewing cheeses I've eaten in the past, but for now, here is some interesting cheese news for you:

Yak Cheese: Exotic, But Healthy?

It doesn't surprise me a bit that yak cheese could be healthier than cow cheese. It just sounds right, doesn't it? I'd love to try yak cheese sometime. If anyone knows where I can find some, let me know!

Reggianito

Reggianito at Cheese.com

You know Parmigiano Reggiano, yes? Reggianito is its Argentinian cousin. Its name is a diminutive of the original, because it is made in smaller (much smaller) wheels. The story of Reggianito is simple: From what I have read, Italians living in Argentina invented it in an attempt to recreate the magic of one of their homeland's greatest cheeses.

They did succeed, I think - and Italy must have thought so too, since after World War I, they made some regulatory moves to prevent Reggianito from replacing their famous cheese in the hearts and pantries of pasta-loving cooks everywhere. (Reggianito on Wikipedia)

If you're interested in some more cheese history, further info about the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium can be found here.

And now, on to the eating of the cheese. Reggianito is very similar to Parmigiano Reggiano, very similar indeed. The taste is a bit saltier and a bit milder, which I like very much. The texture, while hard, has more give to it than the Parmigiano as well. Due to its milder flavor, I feel it is a more versatile cheese than Parmigiano, and could be used in many different food applications - even sandwiches. Of course, on pasta it is divine.

I won't say that Reggianito has replaced Parmigiano Reggiano in my heart and pantry, for P.R. is much harder and therefore easier to grate finely upon a pasta, pizza, etc. But where flavor is concerned, I think the diminutive Argentinian cousin is a clear winner. Give it a try sometime.

RATING: 4 out of 5 stars