Reblochon AOC is a semi-soft, washed-rind and smear-ripened mountain cheese that originated at the heart of the massif des Aravis, in the Thônes region of Haute-Savoie in France. The cheese was decreed as an A.O.C. cheese in 1958 and therefore is subject follow to strict rules and regulations.

It is a lightly pressed, uncooked cheese, made from full-cream unpasteurised milk. Thirteenth century fables tell of Savoie herdsmen who carried out an incomplete milking of the cows in order to reduce their ‘taxable’ production of milk. After the rent was paid to the landowners, they went back to ‘remilk' (reblocher) the cows. The second milking of cows yielded a milk rich in fat and was used to make Reblochon.

Reblochon features a fine velvety rind, varying from yellow to orange in colour. The close textured pate is very smooth, supple and ivory in colour. Farmhouse cheese discs are matured for at least two weeks, during which the cheese develops an edible light beige crust and buttery dough. 

Reblochon has a slight scent of the cellar and a mild fruity taste with an intense nutty aftertaste. Its delicate and subtle flavours go well with a glass of Savoie wine. The cheese is excellent on the cheeseboard or can be melted on baked potatoes. Reblochon also features as a classic ingredient in one of the Alps' best-loved dishes, the Tartiflette.

This celebrated cheese recently won Bronze medal at 2014 World Cheese Awards.

Reblochon

Pochat et Fils

Pecorino is the name given to all Italian cheeses made from sheep's milk. It covers a wide variety of cheeses produced around the country, but specifically it refers to four main varieties of Pecorino, all of which enjoy PDO protection. These hard ewes’ milk cheeses from central Italy and the island of Sardinia have established a very good export market outside Italy.
Of these four, Pecorino Romano from Sardinia, Lazio and Tuscan Province of Grosseto is the most widely known outside of Italy. The remaining three mature PDO cheeses are Pecorino Sardo from Sardinia, Pecorino Siciliano from Sicily and Pecorino Toscano from Tuscany.
Pecorinos are traditional, creamery, hard, drum-shaped cheeses. They come in a variety of flavours determined by their age. Aged Pecorinos referred to as ‘stagionato’ are hard and crumbly in texture with buttery and nutty flavours. Young or ‘semi-stagionato’ and ‘fresco’ Pecorinos feature a softer texture with mild, creamy flavours. A good Pecorino will have smooth, hard rind that is pale straw to dark brown in colour. The rind will vary in colour, depending on the age of the cheese, and may include a protecting coating of lard or oil. Its compact interior is white to pale yellow in colour, with irregular, small eyes.
Today, this classic Italian cheese is available in many flavours including Pecorino Pepato spiced with black peppercorns or red chili. Pecorino is a preferred cheese in many pasta cheeses and an obvious choice in Italian regions where the cheese is produced. Also, it served as a good substitute for the expensive Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Pecorino

Consortium for the Protection of Pecorino Toscano

Scamorza is an Italian, spun paste cow’s milk cheese belonging to the pasta filata family. Shaped similar to a provolone in pear shape, it is available in many other forms as well. A semi-soft white cheese with a texture comparable to that of a firm, dry Mozzarella, Scamorza is made throughout Apulia and in some parts of Campania and Molise.
The cheese is made from pasteurised cow’s milk or from a mixture of cow and sheep milk. At the end of the cheese making process, which is akin to Mozzarella, the cheeses are hanged together in strings to ripen for about two weeks. The process of ripening the cheese has given Scamorza its name, which in southern Italy means ‘beheaded’.
 
After two weeks of ripening, the cheese is sold as it is or smoked. The smoked variant, called ‘Scamorzi Affumicate’ is made by smoking the cheese over flaming straw for around 10 to 15 minutes. A fresh version of Scamorza is also sold within a few days of production.
The texture of Scamorza is elastic, stringy and has less moisture than Mozzarella. In addition, the flavour is more piquant, milky and creamy. Smoked Scamorza has a subtle, smoky flavour with a sweet, light caramel note.
Scamorza is used as a substitute for Mozzarella as it imparts more interest in the recipe. Since Scamorza has excellent melting qualities, it is best known to flavour baking dishes, for griddling or topped with prosciutto for extra zest. The smoky flavour of Scamorza pairs well with oak-aged Chardonnay, Pinot Girgio or Orvieto.

Alicia Hernandez Perez

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