Featured Cheese - January 2020

Open the lid on your Camembert box, and you will notice immediately an aroma of mushrooms with a subtle braised cabbage undertone. These two aromas are the quintessential elements of true Camembert. The rind is an ivory white with red flecks through it, and if you stroke the cheese you will feel the downy texture of the penicillin rind. The rind is essential to create Camembert… as the mold rind grows around the cheese it sends out microscopic roots (rhizomes), and it is these roots, working from the outside in, that turn the texture from chalky to voluptuously soft and gooey.

Five Territories from Britain's Abbey Farms is an amazing combination of five different British cheeses that are layered on top of one another to create a one of a kind cheese. The name is derived from the five different territories (counties) of England of which each layered cheese is originally from: Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Cheshire, Gloucestershire, and Somerset.

Préféré de nos Montagnes is a modern version of a classic French brie cheese named Reblochon, which is not available in the United States because it is made with raw milk and prohibited from being imported. Both Préféré de nos Montagnes and Reblochon are produced in the Jura Mountains of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France, in Haute-Savoie. Thus, Préféré de nos Montagnes is essentially a Reblochon-like brie made with pasteurized cow’s milk in lieu of raw. Thankfully, this allows us to share this wonderful style of cheese with you.

Valserena Parmigiano Reggiano is a firm, cow’s milk, parmesan cheese, aged 24-36 months. Its texture is firm and crumbly, with visible flavor crystals. On the palate, this cheese explodes with flavors, including an interesting juxtaposition of rich butter and bright citrus. The finish is longingly inviting, so much so that you will wish you had more. Oftentimes this cheese is served in pieces drizzled with a touch of honey or balsamic vinegar from Modena.

Alisios is the name of the trade winds that blow over the island of Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands off the Southern Coast of Morocco, where this lovely cheese selection is made. Its exotic location and ethereal name only add to the excitement and attractiveness of this semi-firm cheese aged two to three months, a magical mix of both pasteurized cow’s and Papoya goat’s milk covered with sweet pimentón – the source of Spanish smoked paprika.