Cheese of the Week

The Tale of One Cheese with Two Names

2009-03-06T20:25:00.000-08:00

Y Fenni is a variety of Welsh cheese, consisting of pasteurized cows' milk cheddar cheese blended with whole grain mustard seed and ale. It takes its name from the Welsh language name of Abergavenny, a market town in Monmouthshire, south east Wales. Y Fenni, when coated in red wax, is also known as 'Red Dragon', a name derived from the dragon on the Flag of Wales.

This cheese combines the subtle sharpness and depth of natural mustard with the mild, piquant taste notes of the Welsh ale and traditional Cheddar. It is a buttery and spicy cheese with plenty of bite, but is not too hot. Not only do the mustard seeds give its marvelous flavor, but also its texture. The brown ale makes the cheese moist and tangy.

Either cheese is often enjoyed as part of a ploughman's lunch. Its consistency makes it excellent when melted, and it can be served on toast or even on a steak

Weisslacker

2009-02-25T19:45:00.000-08:00

Weisslacker or Beer cheese is a type of cheese that originated in Germany, but is now known worldwide. Also produced in America, mostly in Wisconsin, it is a pungent and salted cheese. It ripens for seven months in highly humid conditions and is related to Limburger cheese. Connoisseurs of this delicacy often take it with beer (sometimes dipping the cheese directly in their drinks), hence the name. Many find it too overpowering to serve with wine. This cheese is also served on small slices of rye or pumpernickel bread often with some sliced onion. It is a common item on pub and restaurant menus in the Czech Republic, the country with the highest per-capita beer consumption in the world. Weisslacker is also known as bierkäse, bierkaese, beer kaese and beer cheese. In addition, Weisslacker is a common ingredient in various breads, soups, and dips.

The smell of Weisslacker gives you the impression that it's almost alive and you want to beat it back with a stick. But that's before you taste it. The crumbly smear-ripened pasteurized cow's milk cheese is unlike anything we've ever tasted and as it breaks in your mouth, you'll realize that you already need another bite of this curious cheese. As for the Bavarians of Germany, they like to grate this cheese over spaetzle and enjoy hot odiferous noodles. The origin of the cheese comes from desperation actually. In 1874 during the French-Prussian war, there was a need to make cheeses that could age longer and have a better "shelf life". Thus Bavaria's Backsteiner recipe was adjusted and lo and behold Weisslacker was born.

Paneer

2009-02-17T06:52:00.000-08:00

Paneer is the most common Persian and South Asian cheese. It is an unaged, acid-set, non-melting farmer cheese made by curdling heated milk with lemon juice or other food acid.

Most varieties of paneer are simply pressed into a cube and then sliced or chopped, although the eastern Indian variety is beaten or kneaded like mozzarella, and crumbles more easily than the North Indian variant of paneer. Paneer is one of the few types of cheese indigenous to the Indian subcontinent, and is widely used in Indian cuisine and even some Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian cuisine. Unlike most cheeses in the world, the making of paneer does not involve rennet as the coagulation agent. Paneer is completely vegetarian making it a great source of protein for vegetarians.

To prepare paneer, food acid (usually lemon juice, vinegar, or yogurt) is added to hot milk to separate the curds from the whey. The curds are then drained in a muslin cloth or cheesecloth and excess water is pressed out. The resulting paneer is dipped in chilled water for 2-3 hours to give it a good texture and appearance.

From this point, the preparation of paneer diverges based on its use. For a harder cheese, the paneer, wrapped in cloth, is put under a heavy weight, such as a stone slab, for 2-3 hours, and is then cut into cubes for use in curries. Pressing for a shorter time (approximately 20 minutes), results in a softer, fluffier cheese.

Menuet- the cheese not the dance

2009-02-04T06:15:00.000-08:00

Menuet is reminiscent of small batch, farmhouse cheeses found in the countryside of Normandy. Its texture is deliciously creamy with a great balance of grass and herb undertones. The long, lingering finish is sure to please. Menuet is completely handmade and seasonally available. The name comes from a French dance of the baroque period that was described as a dance of many small steps, not unlike the many small steps in the making of this cheese. Pair with Pinot Grigio or if you prefer red, try a Merlot or Zin.

This cheese is made at the end of a Vermont country lane, the farm sits with a few red barns and a small white house. It's centered in the middle of 243 acres of organic pasture and hay fields. With views of the Green Mountains to the East and the Adirondacks to the West, this is home to a herd of blissful bovines. This is home to Dancing Cow Farms.

The farm is a pasture-based dairy with seasonal milk production and cows outside. They use no pesticides, herbicides or petroleum based fertilizers on their fields. They make their own hay, milk their own cows and spread the manure as rich, dark compost. The cows graze on sweet clover, dandelion, trefoil and a variety of grasses from May thru November. During the grazing season the cows spend their days and nights outside, on pasture, and occasionally take a break on hot and humid summers days in the cool shade of the barn.

The cows are mostly Jerseys and Guernseys, with a bit of Shorthorn, Normandy, Holstein and Dutch Belt in the mix. They calve in the spring, provide sweet creamy milk through November then take a break over the winter. Dancing Cow milks them once-a-day, in the morning, so the cows are less stressed and can spend more time on pasture. The calves are hand-fed fresh milk and lavished with attention.

The cheese is hand crafted, seven days a week, from fresh un-cooled milk that flows directly from the cows in the milking parlor into the cheese vat. This age old, classic European technique allows Dancing Cow to capture the freshest flavors of the current pasture. They hand salt then age the cheese in a temperature and humidty controlled ripening room. During it's time in the "cave" the cheese is washed, brushed and turned to nurture its development. After sixty days or more it emerges from the "cave" when its creamy texture and depth of flavor are at their peak.

This cheese is priced at $21.50/lbs and can be bought thru our website shop.lafayettecheese.com.

Persillé du Malzieu

2009-01-28T14:25:00.000-08:00

Murray's Cheese shop describes our cheese of the week as "Spice is the variety of life, which is why we hunger for this rare, powerfully spicy blue. Produced just beyond the legally protected limits of Roquefort, this cheese is made of Lacaune sheep milk, like it's more famous neighbor, but captures a far greater flavor spectrum. Texturally, Malzieu sits heavy on the tongue, only to dissolve into a milky skim within seconds. The threat of excess salt, razing sharpness, and intense moldiness is present but always at bay. Beautifully balanced with rich, fatty milk, mushroom, and a long sweetness that should be complemented by a rich, oily dessert wine such as Sauternes or tawny Port."

This cheese is Roquefort gone wild that spends 3 months in the caves of Peyrelade, in Malzieuville, France where the atmosphere inside the caves help to produce an unctuous paste, ethereal bouquet, salty edge and wild mushroom flavor but this cheese's flavor profile also offers something very sweet and creamy not quite as salty that registers like Gorgonzola Dolce. It has a very outdoorsy flavor

and as a added note "Persille" means "parsleyed" and is a common term for French blue cheeses (referring to both the color of the mold and the veined appearance.

Priced at around $24.99/lbs.

Beemster X-O

2009-01-19T18:24:00.000-08:00

I love the flavor of this week's cheese because "the butterscotch permeates the palate, followed by alternating waves of whiskey and pecan." I am sorry if I am waxing euphoric over this cheese but it is extremely good for being such an old cheese.

From the Beemster.us website:

Beemster X-O- is matured for 26 months making it Beemster's oldest cheese. As a cheese matures the flavors one tastes in the cheese expands. As this process happens moisture also exits the cheese, thus leaving the cheese tasting crumbly and granular in one's mouth. Because of Beemster's unique milk, X-O- is able to obtain one of the widest flavor ranges possible in only 26 months and still retains its smooth and creamy taste.

Beemster X-O- is wonderful with port wines, as well as sweet whites, such as a Riesling. X-O- can also be grated and used as a wonderful alternative to Parmesan for pastas.

Beemster cows graze only on pesticide-free pastures which are located 20ft below sea level in North Holland. The rare blue sea clay of these pastures contains special minerals that give the milk a sweeter and softer milk fat. Hence Beemster cheeses have softer and creamier texture than other Dutch cheeses.

Every week I get emails asking me where the cheese of the week can be found. Finally I can reveal that you can purchase the cheese online thru La Fromagerie D'Acadiana shopping website at shop.lafayettecheese.com

Heublumenkase

2009-01-12T19:40:00.000-08:00

Ok so I know what you are thinking. Heublumen? That’s German for Hayflower isn’t it? Why yes it is but add the little word Kase (German for cheese) to the end of it and you get something revolutionary.

Herbs and Flowers Cheese or Kuh Heublumenkase in German, is a seductive blend of fragrant dried flowers, herbs, and pure organic Bavarian cows milk. Besides coming from high quality milk, this German cheese takes on extra character through the selection of organic flowers, including safflower, blue mallow, peony and marigold, mingled with rosemary, oregano and a dash of unrefined rock salt. The cheese makers coat the cheese with herbs and flowers and then seal it with transparent wax. Throughout the cheese’s 6-month ripening period, the combined essences seep into the cheeses paste, rendering an innovative semi-hard cheese bursting with aroma. The creamy cow’s milk balances perfectly with the herb and flower flavors.

So as you wait for spring to hurry up and get here because it's too bloomin' cold, have a taste of a fresh flowering meadow.

I encourage you to ask for this cheese from your local cheese monger and pair it with a Pinot Grigio.

Morbier

2009-01-06T10:17:00.000-08:00

Morbier (more-bee-AY) is a semi-soft, aromatic and surprisingly mild French cow's milk AOC cheese defined by the dark vein of vegetable ash streaking through it's middle. Today, the ash is purely decorative, a nod to the method by which Morbier was once produced in the small village of Morbier in Franche-Comté in eastern France. It has a rind that is yellowish, moist, and leathery.

Way back when the Franche-Comte cheesemakers were concentrating on producing Gruyere de Comte, they often had leftover curds at the end of their day. However, they didn't have enough to make a full Gruyere de Comte, so the cheesemakers would make a smaller cheese. After smooshing the leftover curds into a mold, they would blacken their hands by rubbing them on the exterior of the copper pot used for cooking cheese curd. The resulting ash was smeared on top of the evening curd to keep it from drying out over night. The next day, there would be more excess curd from the morning cheesemaking session and that would be laid on top of the ash.

The Jura and Doubs versions both benefit from an appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC), though other non-AOC Morbier exist on the market. So do not confuse this cheese with the American Mobay cheese, a Wisconsin developed cheese not made of cow’s milk. Instead Mobay is a semi-soft cheese made of a layer of goat’s milk, and one of sheep’s milk. In appearance it is similar to Morbier, with ash separating the two layers. The taste, however, is markedly different, since goat and sheep’s milk are significantly different in flavor and tend to produce sharper cheeses.

Morbier, which is aged for at least 60 days up to four months, pleasantly confounds expectations. Contrary to its smell, Morbier has a mild sweet buttery taste and leaves a wonderful, nutty aftertaste. Morbier is excellent served with Gewurztraminer or Pinor Noir.

Langres

2008-12-31T07:41:00.000-08:00

With the New Year just hours away, the cheese of the week I felt should accompany the quintessential beverage for celebrating the holiday, Champagne. In fact this cheese is from the same area real bubbly is made in, the Champagne-Ardenne.

Langres dates back to the 18th century and its name and origin come from the main market town of the time, Langres, in the French department of the Haute Marne. Gaining A.O.C. recognition as late as May 1991, it can only be made in the three regions of Cote-d'Or, Haute Marne and Vosges.

Langres (pronounced LAHNG-gruh) is a cow's milk cheese, cylindrical in shape, weighing about 180g. It is a vigorous cheese with a pronounced odor. The taste of salt is present, making the flavour of the cheese distinct without being aggressive and an aftertaste some have described as soaked in honey and truffles. The rind of the cheese is sticky and shiny, showing off a magnificent natural orange color. The central pâte is soft, creamy in color, and slightly crumbly, and is surrounded by a white penicillium candidum rind. During the maturing period the cheeses are placed in humid cellars, the ripening usually takes 5 to 6 weeks. The cheeses are regularly rubbed with brine, either by hand or using a damp cloth. A red dye extracted from the rocou (seeds of the American annatto tree) is applied which gives the cheese a natural orange color. It is a less pungent cheese than Époisses de Bourgogne, its local competition and is best eaten between May and August but it is also excellent March through December.

The form of the cheese is like a cylinder and has a deep well on the top which is called in French the "fontaine". The cheese is never turned during the maturing process.

The depression at the top of the cheese called, as I mentioned above, the "fontaine" or "cuvette" is intentional. You can pour Champagne or Marc de Champagne in it. Just what we need to celebrate the New Year.

Rogue River Blue

2008-12-21T15:19:00.000-08:00

Santa has got me so busy working on Cheese Plates for all the good little boys and girls that I simply have no time for our weekly Cheese of the Week. However, with the help of a couple of brandy loving elves, I humbly introduce this week’s Cheese.

Rogue River Blue from Rogue Creamery.

And because I have always said that a good story seems to enhance a good cheese here is part of an article on our Cheese of the week from Tami Parr written for Oreganlive.com

With conditions finally right in mid-July, the Rogue Creamery leaf crew mobilized, a full month later than usual. Arriving at 5 a.m., with the sun just rising over the sloping vineyard hills, they picked for just a few hours to avoid the searing afternoon heat. Over several days of concentrated work, the team accumulated 40 bags containing about 60,000 syrah leaves. These leaves, which normally would be pruned as part of regular vineyard maintenance, will instead be drafted into special service: They’ll wrap Rogue Creamery’s signature cheese, Rogue River Blue.

Once the leaves are picked and washed, they’re hand-bathed in a not-so-secret catalyst — Pear Brandy from Portland’s Clear Creek Distillery. The team will use about 40 gallons of the fragrant pear eau de vie to process this year’s batch. After several months in the brandy, the leaves become velvety and supple. This year’s harvest, macerating even as you read this, will emerge ready for the 2009 vintage of Rogue River Blue. The 2008 vintage will be released in October.
Rogue Creamery uses its flagship Oregon Blue recipe as a base for Rogue River Blue, but the Rogue River Blue is something special. The cheese is made only during a short window in the fall, when the milk is higher in butterfat and solids than during other times of the year. The cheese ages between eight and 12 months, developing a natural rind in the process, and when the cheese reaches its peak, Rogue Creamery’s team mobilizes again to hand-wrap each cheese, a delicate task of placing about eight fragile leaves gently around each wheel and tying the parcel with raffia. Handcrafted cheese indeed.

What’s with the leaves?

Leaves are a centuries-old means of wrapping cheese, and cheesemakers all over the world have wrapped their wares in this natural, practical packaging, from French Banon, wrapped in chestnut leaves, to Spanish Valdeon.

Convenience and preservation are good reasons to wrap cheese, but leaves also affect flavor — and some more than others. David Gremmels, Rogue Creamery’s owner along with Cary Bryant, settled on syrah leaves after experimenting with different varietals from several Southern Oregon vineyards. “We initially tried several types of leaves including malbec, zinfandel and merlot,” he says, “but the syrah delivered more mellow, soft flavors whereas the other types tended to deliver sharper, pointed flavors.”

Working in combination with the pear brandy and blue mold, the leaves contribute to Rogue River Blue’s complex soft fruit, sharp cured meat and subtle vanilla flavors. “The brandy really rounds out the flavor experience of this cheese,” says Gremmels. “It highlights the spiciness of the blue but also delivers a balanced flavor of fruit in conjunction with the leaves.”

Cheese expert Laura Werlin, author of “Laura Werlin’s Cheese Essentials,” notices another effect of leaf wrapping: texture development. “The texture of Rogue River Blue is ethereal, smooth yet grainy, creamy yet crumbly. The leaves hold in some of the moisture, and the brandy has a chance to penetrate the cheese, lending both flavor and still more moisture — but not so much that the blue molds can’t work their magic as well. I think Rogue River Blue is unquestionably one of the best blue cheeses made in the United States.”

While you might be inclined to pull off the leaves before sampling your Rogue River Blue, Gremmels advises eating the leaves to fully appreciate the commingling of leaves, brandy and cheese.

And yes I did eat the leaves so till next week. This is your Chessmonger Dana saying “Happy Holidays”.

Fleur De Teche

2008-12-14T14:33:00.000-08:00

This week’s cheese of the week holds a special place in my heart for a couple of reasons:

1.) It was the first cheese I ever sold as a Cheese monger.
2.) It is made in my home state of Louisiana.
3.) I have had the great fortune of meeting the actual cheese makers personally and spending quality time with them.
4.) This cheese is named after a Bayou that runs thru my home town of New Iberia, La.

Like I said last week I like a good story to go with my cheese and here is the story for this week’s cheese:

Chef John Folse was already a culinary superstar in his home state of Louisiana before he flung open the barn doors of Bittersweet Dairy. First a restaurateur in the late 70s, Folse next introduced Louisiana's indigenous cuisine to far flung places like Japan, Moscow, Hong Kong, and Taipei. He cooked at the Vatican and was named "Louisiana's Culinary Ambassador to the World" by the Louisiana Legislature. Still not resting on his laurels, Folse created a culinary institute, a publishing company, and hosted both radio and television shows.

Lucky for us, in 2002 Chef John Folse used some of his limitless energy to open Bittersweet Dairy twenty miles east of Baton Rouge in Gonzales.

Here is the story of how he got his cheese makers:

A young student at LSU visited his offices one day and explained that his parents, who were currently in Bulgaria, had won a lottery to immigrate to the U.S. but that they needed a company to sponsor them in order to come over. This young man had come to Bittersweet because his parents had been making cheese for the past 30 years in Europe and he had heard there was a dairy in Gonzales. Chef Folse began working with this young man to get his parents to Louisiana and into making cheese at Bittersweet. Of course they also needed lessons in English which were provided as part of their workday. Their names are Dimcho and Petrana Dimov.

As far as the cheese of the week story: The Chitimacha Indians legend tells the story of how the Teche Bayou was created when an enormous poisonous snake was killed in a violent battle with their heroic tribe. In the throes of death, the 124-mile-long snake writhed and tossed its rapidly cooling body across the land and so created the twisting bayou.

To celebrate the legend, a smoke-grey layer of vegetable ash slithers its way through the dense, velvety layers of triple cream cow's milk and creates a soft pewter haze when the cheese is spread across crusty baguette or stuffed into split Black Mission figs.

This Cheese received a 2nd Place in the 2004 and 3rd in 2005 American Cheese Society Soft Ripened Cheese category and was also declared the best cheese in the South by a 2005 Southern Foodways Alliance jury.

I realize that this week’s cheese will be hard to find so if you would like to get your hands on some drop me a line and I can sell and ship it to you thru my cheese company La Fromagerie d’Acadiana (http://www.acadianacheese.com)

Cocoa Cardona

2008-12-07T15:14:00.000-08:00

Chocolate and cheese unite beautifully in this week’s cheese, an award-winning American Original Carr Valley’s Cocoa Cardona.

Made in 8-lb. wheels, from goat milk, it features delicious Cardona cheese aged and rubbed with cocoa powder. The cocoa powder infuses the smooth and snowy cheese with a subtle chocolate flavor, which is balanced by the cheese's natural sharpness. The cocoa flavor is subtle, the rind a lovely brown, and the end result like nothing you've ever tasted.

It took 1st Place at the 2004 and 2nd in 2006 American Cheese Society Competition and Best of Class & Overall Second Runner-Up out of 1,000 entries in the 2005 U.S. Championship Cheese Contest and a 1st Place Ribbon at the American Cheese Society Competition in Burlington, Vermont in2007.

Snuggly situated among the softly flowing green hills and fertile pastures of central Wisconsin, the Carr Valley Cheese Company has been making cheese for over a century. Sid Cook, the current and fourth-generation owner, is one of a small group of certified Master Cheesemakers in the United States. He, along with the rest of the Carr Valley Cheese Company, makes a select variety of cheeses. From traditional and smoked Cheddars to Colbys and more unknown varieties like Benedictine, Carr Valley Cheese Company pairs old-world traditions with creativity to make each cheese.

Here is an serving suggestion from Jeanne Carpenter writer of the Cheese Underground Blog “Carr Valley Cocoa Cardona: here's another dessert possibility. Place a slice on a dessert plate and then swirl chocolate around it (even the old stand by of Hershey's Syrup works if you don't have any frou frou chocolate sauce in your fridge). When you dip the Cocoa Cardona cheese in the chocolate, it kicks it up one more flavor notch. Totally recommend this instead of ice cream.”

I sell this cheese for $24.00/ lb at La Fromagerie D’ Acadiana.

Ewephoria

2008-11-30T15:18:00.000-08:00

Our Cheese of the Week for 12/02/08 is Ewephoria distributed by Cheeseland. This is a cheese that had two first for me as a cheesemonger. It was the first cheese I bought from a distributer and it is the first cheese that I bought a whole wheel.

While researching this week’s cheese I came across an article written by Janet Fletcher that best describes this cheese.

Ewephoria tastes like candy -- but it's from sheep's milk
Seattle importer develops cheese for American palate
Janet Fletcher writing for SFGate, Home of the San Francisco Chronicle
Thursday, August 3, 2006

Although we tend to think of Europe's cheeses as established and time-tested, new ones are created all the time. One example, a new sheep's milk cheese from Holland called Ewephoria -- is that clever or what? -- looks likely to become a classic, at least in this country. It has the candy like sweetness Americans love and, at under $15 a pound, an approachable price point.

This cheese was crafted for the American market by people who know it well. CheeseLand, a Seattle-based importer of Dutch cheeses, developed the cheese two years ago in cooperation with a small Dutch farm. The farm is near a nature preserve, and the sheep are allowed to graze in this pristine environment.

"The farmer's wife told me that the sheep eat better than her two sons," says Mark Roeland, a CheeseLand representative.

Believing that most aged sheep's milk cheeses were too gamy for American tastes, CheeseLand executives asked the farmer to use a culture that would produce a sweeter and nuttier result. Good milk, of course, is the foundation of good cheese, but the cultures used can take that milk in many different directions.

For Ewephoria, the cheesemaker roughly follows a Gouda recipe, albeit with pasteurized sheep's milk instead of cow's milk and with different cultures. The 10-pound wheels are aged about 10 months, then given a thin plastic coat to prevent mold from developing.

Ewephoria is possibly as close as cheese gets to candy. The texture is firm, becoming drier toward the rind, and the flavor intense and sweet, with enough acidity to keep the cheese from being cloying.

With a butterscotch-colored interior that exhibits pronounced butterscotch and
whiskey aromas, the cheese belongs at the end of a meal with a glass of nutty amontillado or oloroso sherry. A beer drinker would find it compatible with brews that have rich, roasted, nutty and malty flavors, such as porter and stout.

From the Blog sphere James Beebe wrote in his corksandcurd blog:

Ewephoria is a relatively new Gouda-style cheese from the Friesland region of Holland. Unlike standard Goudas, Ewephoria is made from sheep's milk and is pasteurized. It is, however, made using the same carefully-guarded starter cultures that give Goudas their distinctive flavor.

Ewephoria is aged 10 months, has a butterscotch color and a rather sweet, nutty, buttery flavor. Like all Goudas, it is hard and somewhat acidic. One reviewer claims, "Ewephoria is possibly as close as cheese gets to candy." That's going much too far. On the one hand, Ewephoria is not as sweet as many other traditional cheeses. In fact, even some Goudas--e.g., Saenkanter--are considerably sweeter. Then there are flavored cheeses like Chocolate Fudge Cheese, which although technically cheese, is really just a kind of candy.

Enjoy this week’s cheese and let us know about your experience with it including where you got it, for how much and what you had to drink with it.
Till next week…..Dana

Roaring Forties

2008-11-23T14:11:00.000-08:00

Every week here at the Cheese of the week blog, we will highlight one cheese. The goal is to have you find this cheese in your area and then buy, taste and comment on it. Provide information like what type of wine you think goes well with the selection, what cheese you prefer instead of this selection, how much per lb. you paid for the cheese and any other information you would like to provide for the group.

I am a sucker for a good story and a good cheesemonger always has a story about every cheese they have in their shop.

This weeks selection "Roaring Forties" Blue Cheese story goes like this.

This cheese is made on the 40th parell in Australia and it is considered one of the windiest places in the world. Hince the name "Roaring Forties"

or from www.variety.com

Roaring Forties
(Kings Island Dairy)
The story: Produced on the tiny, pollution-free Kings Island near Tasmania, Australia, this cheese is named for the island's brutal Roaring Forties winds, which have wrecked many ships on the island's rocky coast. Cows feast on lush grass that supposedly germinated from the stuffing of shipwrecked mattresses.
The cheese: A creamy blue that's pungent, sweet and nutty. Should convert anyone who's had an experience with too-strong Roquefort.
Pairings: An earthy flavored honey (lavender, thyme or truffle-infused) and a Shiraz or Zinfandel.

or www.amazon.com

Roaring Forties Blue Cheese is made by the Kings Island Dairy. Kings Island is situated south of Melbourne, Australia at the western end of Bass Strait. Dairying is the largest primary industry among this islands 1,500 inhabitants. According to local legend, grass seeds found in King Islands soil are believed to have been washed ashore in straw mattresses from some 60 eighteenth-century French and English shipwrecks that are strewn along the King Island coast. For almost a century now dairy herds have grazed on these unique pastures. The quality of these pastures, combined with a pristine environment, combined with a year round growing season, enables the dairy farmers on Kind Island to practice traditional feeding methods. The cows are reputed to produce the sweetest milk in the land and from this milk comes a range of dairy products acknowledged throughout Australia and rapidly earning the same sort of reputation in the international marketplace. Roaring Forties Blues is a full-flavored blue with a sweet, nutty character. The cheese is matured in blue wax thus retaining its moisture and creating a smooth and creamy texture.

OK there your cheese go get it and lets discuss.