WHAT IS MAHON? This Spanish cow’s milk cheese (sometimes with sheep) is named after an island port. Its’ texture can range from soft to hard depending on if this queso has been aged 2 or 10 months. When being matured, Mahon is rubbed with a natural fat (oil or butter) infused with paprika. Hence Mahon’s […]
Archaeology of Cheese
ARCHAEOLOGY OF CHEESE – Gloucester
WHAT IS GLOUCESTER? This classic English cow’s milk cheese is either made from skimmed cow’s milk (Single) or full fat (Double Gloucester). The latter is aged longer, is twice as big and the more popular of the two. While the former is also delicious, it is younger, crumblier and not quite as nutty. Some are […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF CHEESE – Pont l’Eveque
WHAT IS PONT L’EVEQUE? The name Pont l’Eveque is derived from the French term for “Norman Abbey”. This cheese was originally made in Normandy during the Middle Ages. Known back then as d’Angelot, this cow’s milk fromage is washed in a salty brine. The resulting fermentation makes the rind “fragrant” to put it nicely. Like […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF CHEESE – Provolone
WHAT IS PROVOLONE? This is that 3 foot long cylindrical yellow cheese hanging from the ceiling of very old Italian shops (new stores can’t do this because of local laws but older stores grandfather in having done it before the laws were even created). Created in southern Italy in the 1800s, provolone is a semi-hard […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF CHEESE – Fiore Sardo (a.k.a. Pecorino Sardo)
WHAT IS FIORE SARDO? Invented during the Bronze Age, Fiore Sardo is also known as Pecorino Sardo. It is a raw, sheep’s milk cheese which is sometimes blended with cow’s milk. After molding the curds and brining Sardo, the wheel is lightly smoked with bark from cork trees. This formaggio is then aged for about […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF CHEESE – Mimolette
WHAT IS MIMOLETTE? Originally mimolette was inspired by the Dutch cheese Edam. Which is why mimolette’s nickname is Old Hollande. The French King Louis XIV commissioned the creation of mimolette as a domestic substitute for Dutch Edam. Today though it is one of the more controversial fromages on our site. Mimolette looks like a fossilized […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF CHEESE – Robiola
WHAT IS ROBIOLA? Robiolas are a style of fresh, white, rindless cheese. They come from the Piedmont section of Italy. Each formaggio is around four ounces in size. Both the type of milk and cheese making technique can vary a lot from one local producer to another. More often than not Robiolas are either a […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF CHEESE – Fourme d’Ambert
WHAT IS FOURME D’AMBERT? The milder cousin and neighbor to Bleu d’Auvergne, high-end rival to Danish blue and topping to many fancy salads, Fourme d’Ambert is one of France’s oldest raw cow’s milk cheeses. This fromage was made over 1,000 years ago back when France was called Rome. Today Fourme d’Ambert is a very affordable […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF CHEESE – Halloumi
WHAT IS HALLOUMI? If the fate of the world hung in the balance, you’d need a cheese that wouldn’t “crumble” under pressure! Wow, that sucked. Ok, let me try again. Picture a movie theater turning dark. The announcer’s deep baritone leaps at you from the shadows. “In a world torn in half, two cheese’s united […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF CHEESE – Tomme de Savoie
WHAT IS TOMME DE SAVOIE? Skimmed cow’s milk is used for this natural rind cheese, resulting in a relatively low-fat content. After being aged for several months, this semi-soft tomme can develop a greyish white outer mold. The flavor of this fromage can vary depending on whether the cows were grazing outdoors or on indoor […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF CHEESE – Kefalotyri
WHAT IS KEFALOTYRI? A sheep and / or goat’s milk cheese from Greece and Cyprus, it is usually made from raw milk. Kefalotyri is a hard cheese with a natural rind that dates back over a thousand years ago. This is another cheese that can be fried in olive oil for Saganaki, or used in […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF CHEESE – Graviera
WHAT IS GRAVIERA? Graviera’s name has led to some confusion with Swiss Gruyere. While they are both very popular in their native countries, they don’t have much else in common. Graviera is a sheep’s milk tupi (cheese) aged for almost half a year on Crete, but other milks and ages are used elsewhere and tastes can […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF CHEESE – Caerphilly
WHAT IS CAERPHILLY? This crumbly, British cheese is made from cow’s milk and is in the Cheddar family. Like many cheeses from that isle, historically there was more of a blue collar clientele for local cheeses. Consequently in the case of Caerphilly, it was popular with coal miners since it was more affordable then Cheddar […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF CHEESE – Lancashire
WHAT IS LANCASHIRE? This cow’s milk classic is produced in 3 types, Creamy, Crumbly and Tasty. Long ago local farmers sometimes didn’t have enough milk for a full wheel of cheese. So they would let the milk curdle day after day until they’d save up enough. The saved up curds were different ages, but were […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF CHEESE – Emmenthal (a.k.a. Emmental)
WHAT IS EMMENTHAL? So remember those movies long ago where a giant Godzilla rolls through Tokyo, dwarfing the tiny buildings in his path? Well, the Swiss version of Godzilla is the 200 lb. wheels of Emmental they roll into other countries sporting tiny 10 or 20 lb. cheeses. Contrary to the lives of shepherds in […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF CHEESE – Munster d’Alsace
WHAT IS MUNSTER D’ALSACE? This is not the Munster that you grew up with (unless as a child the whole cafeteria cleared out when you opened your sandwich). Authentic Munster is a French washed rind made from cow’s milk. Steve Jenkins, former Fairway retail legend, called this cheese “A triumph of cheese making, even when […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF CHEESE – Blacksticks Blue
WHAT IS BLACKSTICKS BLUE? The British mistress to England’s love affair with Stilton, this northern cow’s milk blue is made just north of Manchester. While its orange coloration is similar to English Shropshire, Blacksticks has a smaller wheel size. Made in the same area as Tasty Lancashire cheese, Blacksticks has a soft paste and beautiful […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF CHEESE – Limburger
WHAT IS LIMBURGER? It is a semi-soft, washed-rind, cow’s milk cheese originally from the Dutchy of Limburg and today well known in Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands. It has an orange-yellowish color to it depending on who makes it. This cheese is famous for its’ strong smell which experts praise and novices think you’re playing […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF CHEESE – Ossau-Iraty
WHAT IS OSSAU-IRATY? This is another delicious sheep’s milk creation from the Ossau valley in the French Basque region. Some people prefer to say ewe’s milk. That is what an adult female is called whereas “sheep” in general is a generic term referring to both genders. But since the only food you get out of […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF CHEESE – Brie de Meaux
WHAT IS BRIE DE MEAUX? This is a rare brie made in the Ile de France and mostly available today under the pasteurized brand Rouzaire. The white, bloomy rind is more prone to mottling. But remember brie ripens from the outside in so appearances are deceiving. Stories about this cheese date all the way back […]