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| French
Cheeses |
Bleu d'Auvergne
This blue from southeastern
France is creamier than Roquefort owing to the fact that
it is made from cow's milk rather than sheep's. The terrain
near Auvergne is craggy and desolate and thus better suited
to raising sheep than cows. Even so, the region manages
to produce enough cow's milk to eke out its small annual
production of Bleu d'Auvergne. Bleu d'Auvergne is great
crumbled on a tossed salad. You should also try a small
piece on a slice of apple for a beautiful, healthy midday
snack.
Roucoulons
We can't decide if this cheese
is more like Camembert or Pont l'Eveque. Like Camembert,
it claims to be a soft-ripened variety, but like Pont l'Eveque,
its predominantly red rind has only a dusting of white mold.
Its flavor is somewhere in the middle as well. Alas, we
will simply agree to enjoy this cheese, made in the heart
of the Franche-Comte region. Roucolons is an excellent cheese
made by Milleret. Its wrapper has a big red heart on it,
making this cheese a nice gift for a loved one.
Saint Nectaire
Saint Nectaire is an ancient,
natural-rinded, soft-textured monastery cheese with a mild
and fruity flavor. Its smooth, buttery texture and pungent
aroma are characteristic of many good French cheeses. Produced
at altitudes exceeding 1,000 meters, where the air and water
are clean and pure, it is still made using traditional methods.
Its milk is taken from cows that graze outside on mountain
grasses peppered with wild flowers. After its initial production,
each wheel is placed on a handmade straw mat, then aged
in an underground cellar for at least two months.
Livarot
Named after a village in
Normandy, Livarot is a very strong smelling cheese. For
those of us who can withstand the smell however, it is one
of the world's great eating cheeses with a smooth, ripe,
slightly spicy flavor. Its rind is encircled with straps
of paper that prevent the cheese from collapsing during
maturing. The straps are reminiscent of a colonel's stripes,
giving the cheese its nickname "The Colonel". A young, soft
cheese that becomes runny at room temperature, Livarot is
a true gourmet item in the French tradition.
Coulommiers
It is said that Coulommiers
is the ancestor of all Brie cheeses. That would be an amazing
heritage given the immense, world-wide popularity of this
genre of cheese. Pronounced "KOO-lohm-yay" and named after
the town of the same name, this soft-ripened cheese is made
from rich cow's milk. Beneath its bloomy, edible white rind
it has an extra-rich, creamy body. Not for those who are
counting calories, Coulommiers has an allure you will find
irresistable. Don't blame us for those midnight trips to
the fridge! This cheese is best when eaten at room temperature.
Saint Albray
Invented in 1976, Saint Albray
comes from the Aquitaine region of France. A soft, creamy
Camembert-like cheese, it has the same attributes, but is
not quite as strong. Made with pasteurized cow's milk, this
popular cheese is ripened for two weeks and formed into
a shape not unlike the head of a flower with each "petal"
forming a half pound of cheese. The "petals" are formed
around a disk, when removed, it creates a hollow center
giving the impression of the center of the flower. Saint
Albray slices beautifully and when the whole wheel is displayed,
this cheese makes an attractive centerpiece to a table.
Saint Albray is mild and moist, but still retains it's body
despite its creamy nature.
Gruyere de Comte
Made from a centuries-old
recipe, 70-pound wheels of Gruyere de Comte (Comte, for
short) have been produced since the reign of Charlemagne,
when there were no separate entities named France and Switzerland.
Although Swiss Gruyere may be better known, the French variety
is no less special. Created by local villagers in alpine
dairies called "Fruiteries", its milk comes only from Montbeliarde
and Tachete de L'est cows. Contributing to Comte's unique
flavor, morning and evening milkings are mingled before
the cheesemaking process. The wheels are aged for six months,
resulting in a sweet and nutty masterpiece with less bite
than its twin from Switzerland. Comte has a satiny, ivory-colored
body and a scattering of holes the size of a hazlenut.
Chaubier
Our Chaubier comes from Nantes,
France. This washed rind, Saint Nectaire-like cheese is
made from 50/50 blend of cow and goat's milk. The pasteurized
milk is cooked and curded then pressed, resulting in a semi-firm
yet creamy textured cheese. Aged for six months, this tomme
style cheese has a distinctive, slightly piquant and nutty
flavor with a lightly aromatic character. Enjoy Chaubier
as a table cheese with fruit. The firmer texture of this
cheese allows it to melt well too.
Tomme De Savoie
The word tomme implies that
a cheese is made from the milk of more than one herd. Tomme
de Savoie is made by an expert cheesemaker and is always
of exceptional quality. It has a beautifully rustic, gray-brown,
fuzzy, inedible thick crust. The cheese inside is robust
with slight overtones of salt and an unmistakably raw flavor.
This French, unpasteurized cow’s milk cheese has a charming
simplicity. It is absolutely wonderful paired with sausages,
fruit, bread, and wine. All the good things in life!
Abbaye de Belloc
We're happy to bring you
this cheese from the Pays Basque region of Aquitaine (French
Pyrenees). It’s milk comes from red-nosed Manech ewes raised
on farms adjacent to the Abbaye de Notre Dame de Belloc.
The Abbey has profited from milder climates and the rise
of pastoral civilizations. Monks of this Benedictine Monastery
continue to teach the art of cheese-making to local shepherds.
Its rind is naturally gray with patches of red, orange,
and yellow. This cheese has a fine, closed texture and is
is rich with butter-fat. The lingering flavor, like caramelized
brown sugar, is the result of six months of maturation.
Buche de Chevre
This wonderful goat's milk
cheese from Poitou in the Loire Valley comes to us in handcrafted
wooden crates containing two four pound logs of the most
exquisite chevre we have ever tasted! Each Buche de Chevre
is aged for two months, during which time it develops a
hard, edible crust complete with a bloomy white mold coating.
It is sharp and tangy near the rind and gets progressively
richer and creamier toward the center. When enjoying this
cheese, you savor a delightful combination of flavors and
textures in each bite. Buche de Chevre is a true delicacy
that begs for a warm, crusty French baguette and a glass
of robust red wine from neighboring Bordeaux
Pont L’Eveque
One of the world’s ancient
cheeses, Pont L'Eveque dates back to the Thirteenth Century.
Made on the coast of Normandy on small farms that use rich
salt milk, Pont L'Eveque is a small cheese that is formed
into a square shape. Pale yellow in color with a white-orange
rind, it is a very rich and soft cheese with a supple yet
firm consistency. It is well known for its delicate bouquet,
which is said to be reminiscent of the Norman countryside,
however it does tend to have a strong, pungent aroma that
is not for the timid. The flavor is creamy and full-bodied,
especially if you choose to eat the rind (some prefer to
trim it). Packed in its own little wooden box and aged for
45 days, Pont L'Eveque is a cheese the French are very proud
to call their own.
Beaufort d'Alpage
Named after a small rural
town in the French Alps, a whole wheel of this cheese weighs
over 80 pounds. We found it to be creamier and richer than
other Alpine cheeses like Emmental, Gruyere, and Comte.
The term D'Alpage indicates that this Beaufort is made from
milk taken from Tarines (a breed of mountain cows) that
graze naturally. Due to harsh winters, the cows can only
graze in the summer, making this "Prince of Gruyeres" a
seasonal treat. Aging of up to eight months takes place
in the cooler months in rural Alpine cellars.
Chabichou du Poitou
Chabichou du Poitou was first
created way back in the eighth century, and has a long and
interesting history. One of the most popular cheeses in
Arabia, its name is derived from the Arabic word "chebli",
which means goat. Today, Poitou-Charentes, situated in the
Loire Valley, is the most important goat cheese region of
France. This cylindrical cheese, with a hard yet edible
rind and a subtle goat's milk flavor, pairs perfectly with
Loire wines such as Sancerre or Pouilly-Fume. Enjoy it as
a dessert cheese or as part of the meal shaved into salads
or heated and served atop crusty French bread as an hors
d'oeuvre.
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| Italian
Cheeses |
Asiago d'Allevo
Northwest of Venice, tucked
beneath the Dolomite Mountains, artisan cheesemakers produce
Asiago using traditional methods: no computer-operated machinery
or temperature-controlled rooms, just cows and grass, men
and women, and an abundance of Asiago. A light beige cheese
peppered with small holes, Asiago d'Allevo has a slightly
fruity appeal and an engaging aroma. Aged for up to five
months, it is firm enough to shave or shred.
Parmigiano Reggiano
The Italians are horrified
by our usage of this, the world's most famous hard cheese.
Here in the States it is thought of as purely a grating
cheese. The rest of the world savours Parmigiano-Reggiano
as a delicious, full-flavored eating cheese. It began life
seven centuries ago in the Italian provinces of Parma, Reggio
Emilia, Modena, part of Bologna and part of Mantua. Nature
blessed this zone with the most idealistic cattle grazing
land to create the unique milk from the "Zone Tripica".
The local cheese craftsmen took it from there, utilizing
a totally natural process that has not changed for 700 years.
No additives, no machinery, no gimmicks. Just sweet, fresh
milk in its pristine state, the artisan's ancient skills
and then nature's own good time (aged from 18 to 36 months).
What you see today is just what the knights, serfs, saints
and kings of old ate!
Crescenza
Crescenza is a rich, creamy,
fresh cheese that is also known as Stracchino. It is produced
in the northern Italian provinces of Lombardy, Piedmont
and Veneto. Crescenza's texture and flavor are similiar
to that of a Gorgonzola without the blue, and it becomes
very soft and spreadable at room temperature. Made from
cow's milk, we fly this cheese in every week to assure that
you get the freshest possible product. It is best fresh,
so eat it quickly!
Piacentinu
A rare cheese that is produced
exclusively in Sicily, Piacentinu is most noted for its
striking yellow color which results from the addition of
saffron during the cheesemaking process. In typical Sicilian
fashion, this sheep's milk cheese from Enna is flavored
with whole black peppercorns. Still made by hand using ancient
traditions, Piacentinu is crafted using antique tools and
wooden vats. Aged for three months, it has a mellow yet
distinct flavor and a springy texture.
Provolone Dolce
Our Provolone Dolce is produced
from selected cow's milk in Italy. It is aged for only a
short period of time, allowing it to maintain the delicacy
of the milk taste in the cheese. This prized cheese is ideal
as a cooking ingredient, especially on pizza, melted on
meat or sliced in toasted sandwiches.
Pecorino Toscano
Pecorino Toscano is a young
100% sheep's milk cheese, only about 40 days old when it
arrives on our shores. Because it is a young cheese it is
somewhat discreet, almost shy. As the cheese first hits
your tongue, you detect a hint of Tuscan herbs, grass and
wildflowers. The aftertaste it leaves on your palate is
a wonderfully complex flavor that is hard to describe but
easy to enjoy. Authentic Pecorino Toscano is name-controlled
by the Italian Government, meaning that in order for a cheese
to bear the name it must be made to exact specifications
and only in defined locales. This one is truly a special
item.
Provolette
Northwest of Venice, tucked
beneath the Dolomite Mountains, artisan cheesemakers produce
Asiago using traditional methods: no computer-operated machinery
or temperature-controlled rooms, just cows and grass, men
and women, and an abundance of Asiago. A light beige cheese
peppered with small holes, Asiago d'Allevo has a slightly
fruity appeal and an engaging aroma. Aged for up to five
months, it is firm enough to shave or shred. It's often
used for cooking and in salads, but also makes a tasty cracker
cheese.
Roccolo
Roccolo, which takes its
name from a cylindrical stone building located in Valle,
is the result of a complicated cheesemaking process. This
unpasteurized, handmade cheese has a soft texture near the
rind and gets slightly harder toward the core. Made only
from fresh milk taken from brown alpine cows that graze
on Valtaleggio's pristine pastures, it is known for its
extraordinary complexity, in both flavor and aroma. Ripened
on wooden boards in a cellar that is rich in molds, Roccolo's
rind develops a variety of colors and fragrances.
Conciato al Pepe Nero
Made from sheep’s milk and
aged for six months, this pecorino is certainly firm enough
to grate but is also great as a table cheese. Conciato al
Pepe Nero translates to "dressed in black pepper" and is
the perfect description for this fine selection from Venice.
This cheese is entirely coated with coarse black pepper
that offers a distinct bite with a little heat.
Gorgonzola Dolce
From Italy's Lombardy region
comes the most imitated blue cheese in the world. Many cheeses
falsely claim to be gorgonzola, but they always leave you
singing the blues. Authentic Italian Gorgonzola comes in
two varieties; Dolce - meaning sweet, and Mountain - the
sharper and firmer version. Dating back to ancient times,
this member of the stracchino family is one of the world's
classic cheeses. Almost spreadable, Gorgonzola Dolce is
supple and luxurious with an unmistakable tangy creaminess.
Its pale white interior is laced with streaks of blue, giving
Gorgonzola Dolce a striking appearance to match its piquant
flavor. Enjoy Gorgonzola Dolce as a table cheese, spread
thickly on a piece of crusty baguette, or as an ingredient
in your favorite salad dressing.
Oro Antico Riserva
Each Oro Antico Riserva is
handmade by the master cheese-maker at Il Forteto by taking
a select, young, delicious, authentic Pecorino Toscano,
burnishing it with olive oil and aging it in a stone cellar
for six months. During aging, more olive oil is applied
to the rind as the cheese gets harder and tangier. Finally,
each cheese is given a seal of red wax to indicate its special
heritage. Oro Antico Riserva has a grainy texture due to
the aging process whereby most traces of moisture escape
from within the cheese. Made from 100% ewe's milk, the flavor
is delivered to the back of your tongue with delicate force,
imparting overtures of wild herbs and lemon grass. Because
sheep's milk contains a very high percentage of butterfat,
Pecorinos are very flavorful but have a tendency to "cry"
when they reach room temperature.
Boschetto al Tartufo Bianchetto
Explore the amazing scents
and flavor of Boschetto. Its base is a sweet, tender and
mild cheese made from a careful blend of sheep’s and cow’s
milk. Mixed throughout are shavings of rare white truffle
that transform the cheese into an addictive delicacy. Il
Forteto‘s master cheese-maker has unveiled a harmony between
the pronounced, earthy tones of rare white truffles and
blended-milk cheese. Il Forteto hand-packs each finished
piece in its own wooden basket.
Brillo Pecorino DiVino
Northwest of Venice, tucked
beneath the Dolomite Mountains, artisan cheesemakers produce
Asiago using traditional methods: no computer-operated machinery
or temperature-controlled rooms, just cows and grass, men
and women, and an abundance of Asiago. A light beige cheese
peppered with small holes, Asiago d'Allevo has a slightly
fruity appeal and an engaging aroma. Aged for up to five
months, it is firm enough to shave or shred. It's often
used for cooking and in salads, but also makes a tasty cracker
cheese.
Cacio di Fossa
Hailed as the "Millenium
Cheese of Italy," Cacio di Fossa literally means "cheese
of the pit." Fossa has an intense and somewhat piquant flavor
that makes it excellent as a table cheese with fresh fruit
and honey, or grated over pasta or risotto.
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| Spanish
Cheeses |
La Yerbera
La Yerbera takes advantage
of two of its flavorful commodities and combines them to
form a uniquely flavored cheese. La Yerbera is made from
the milk of Murciano-Granadina goats. The cheese is aged for
25-45 days and the rind is coated in chopped almonds and
extra virgin olive oil. The result is a compact cheese,
creamy on the pallet, imparting the subtle flavor of almonds
throughout the cheese. The lingering sharpness of a classic
Murcian goat cheese makes this a winner on any cheese board.
El Ventero
This cheese comes from the
heart of Spain's wild and mountainous interior. The towns
there have age-old traditions of raising sheep and goats
in mixed herds. This tradition led to the creation of El
Ventero, which is made from goat's milk blended with milk
taken from sheep and cows. This youthful, delicate cheese
is stark white, soft and mild. With a smooth, fresh flavor
and springy texture, El Ventero differentiates itself from
the likes of Manchego and Iberico. It pairs well with green
Spanish olives and a fruity red Rioja
Mont Enebro
This creamy textured goat's
milk log was voted 100 Best Food Products of Spain. Rafael
Baez created Mont Enebro at the age of 64, in Avila, one
of the nine provinces of Castile and Leon (south-west of
Madrid). To make this tangy cheese, Rafael uses the milk
from the valley’s goatherds. As a result, this does set
limits on production. Soft-ripened, cave cured, and treated
to a penicillin mold on the exterior, its recipe sounds
French. The interior is slightly sharp, rich, creamy and
delightful. Find out for yourself why this cheese placed
in the top 100 among Spain's multitude of gastronomic delights.
Murcia al Vino
Similar to the Spanish wine
cheese, Drunken Goat, this wine-bathed cheese is made from
pasteurized goat's milk in Murcia region of Spain. This
region has a rich variety of grasses, shrubs, and wild herbs
on which the goat's graze to give the cheese a distinctive
taste and aroma. The unique feature of Murcia al Vino is
that it is washed in red wine during ripening. The wine
deeply tints the cheese, giving the rind its characteristic
burgundy color and imparting a strong floral bouquet. Murcia
al Vino is a real gem. It not only has a bold, delicious
flavor, it has the intoxicating aroma of a good bottle of
wine.
Urgelia
From the pristine pastures
at the foothills of the Sierra Del Cadi, the Catalan Pyrenees
mountains, comes this excellent cows milk cheese. The Cadi
Cooperative Society, an agricultural cooperative founded
in 1915, is preserving the artisan quality and tradition
of an array of Catalan style cheeses, and is the trademark
of quality for these cheeses in both Spain and France. Urgelia
is a natural washed rind cheese with a wonderfully creamy
texture. As with most Catalan pressed curd cheeses, it has
a distinctive aroma and a robust flavor. A terrific melting
cheese, Urgelia is equally delicious served with fruit and
a glass of merlot or a white burgundy.
Majorero
Majorero, a large cheese
with a beautifully decorated rind, is made from unpasteurized
goat’s milk, and can be sold fresh or cured. Our Majorero
is cured. It has a lively acidity and a slight piquancy
on the palate. It is creamy with a mouth-watering, long-lasting
flavor. The beautiful island of Feurteventura in the Canary
Islands is the home of Majorero. The cheese is delicious
with a variety of Spanish wines. See our Serving suggestions
for possible pairings.
Manchego
Manchego is Spain's most
famous cheese. Produced in La Mancha in Central Spain, true
Manchego is made from 100% sheep's milk. Cheeses from Spain
are commonly made from sheep's milk because most of the
territory is rocky and dry, unfriendly to cows but suitable
to raising goats and sheep. The abundance of wild herbs
on Central Spain's grazing lands gives Manchego a special
taste and aroma. Its flavor is zesty and exuberant while
its texture is firm but not dry. Manchego can be recognized
by the zigzag pattern etched into its rind. This is created
by the rippled surface of the press used in the manufacture
of the cheese. Underneath the inedible rind, the interior
is ivory colored with few small holes. Taste Manchego for
the first time and you will be surprised at how long the
wonderful flavor lingers on your palate. It is an experience
you will be drawn back to again and again.
Iberico
Iberico is a Manchego-style
cheese made from a blend of cow, goat and sheep's milk.
It is made in the same type of mold as Manchego, and therefore
has the same hatched pattern imprinted into its rind. One
of the most popular cheeses in Spain, this firm, oily cheese
is mild, yet tasty and aromatic. The blend of milks allows
it to obtain the grassy, herbaceous flavors of the goat
and sheep's milk while maintaining the smoothness of cow's
milk. It is typically served as a table cheese but is also
good for cooking. Iberico pairs well with Spanish red wines
and cured meats, such as Chorizo and Jamon Serrano.
Zamorano
Close to the border with
Portugal lies the breathtaking region of Castile-Leon, known
across Europe for its spectacular scenery and wonderful
cheeses. The most famous of these, justly, is Zamorano,
a traditional farmhouse sheep's milk cheese. This cheese
is made exclusively from milk taken from the Churra, which
yield the highest grade milk of any breed of sheep. The
pure Churra milk gives Zamorano a wonderful texture that
is far less grainy than Manchego, its more popular cousin
from La Mancha. Matured in a high humidity environment to
encourage the formation of a natural rind, Zamorano is typically
aged for six months. Subtle hints of caramel and grass burst
through the buttery nature of the cheese, making it ideal
to serve with ham, fruit and some crusty bread. The potency
of this mature sheep's milk cheese counterbalances well
with the Crianza red from Ribera del Duero.
Gamonedo
Gamonedo is made with raw
full cow's, goat's and sheep's milk, mixed in a fixed proportion
and with animal rennet. It is left to curdle for a day,
molded and salted. It is lightly pressed so it is more compact
than Cabrales. Gamonedo is lightly smoked, then matured
in natural caves for at least three months. The rind is
naturally formed and dry with a gray mold. The mild smokiness
of this blue combined with a lively, spicy buttery flavor
makes this a very special cheese. Try pairing it with young
Riojas or even cider. Its crumbly texture makes it good
on salads, simply served on toasted fresh bread, melted
or used in sauces.
Murcia al Pimenton
The region of Murcia, in
southeastern Spain, is the birthplace of the Murciano-Granadina,
the best milk producing goat breed in the country. It is
a rustic animal, well acclimatized to the heat and aridness
of the Mediterranean region. Murcia al Pimenton is of pressed
paste, washed and not cooked, of intense white color, creamy
and elastic in texture. It has a mild aroma, agreeably acid
and a little salty. The rind is rubbed in paprika and olive
oil imparting a touch of spiciness to this classic Spanish
cheese.
Idiazabal
This handmade, unpasteurized
sheep's milk cheese comes from the Spanish Pyrenees. Idiazabal
is naturally smoked with a hard but edible orange-brown
rind. In the old days, Basque shepherds lived in small mountain
huts and had no space to store and age their cheeses other
than inside their stone chimneys. As it turned out, people
enjoyed the smoky flavor that the cheese acquired from aging
inside the chimneys, and Idiazabal spread throughout Spain.
Today, Idiazabal is produced in more modern facilities,
but the process is still all-natural. The cheese is as delicious
as ever, and the quality is more consistent. We love its
perfumy bouquet and rich, buttery flavor and enthusiastically
recommend Idiazabal as one of Spain's greatest cheeses.
Ibores
Queso Ibores is made in Extremadura,
which is the most rugged, least developed, and most economically
distressed region in Spain. This raw goat's milk cheese
reflects its homeland with its full, simple flavor. It is
hard and dense and becomes sharper with age. During its
two-month aging period, the rustic cheese is rubbed with
a mixture of olive oil and sweet paprika. It is hard enough
to shave over salads and hot dishes and delicious as a table
cheese when served with fresh fruits and vegetables.
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