Challerhocker, pronounced "holler hocker", meaning "sitting in the cellar" is a Swiss cheese washed in brine and spices and then aged for a minimum of 12 months. Made from thermalized milk, the cheese is dense and smooth without any holes or cracks.  The repeated brine washing and extended aging reveal a great depth of flavour and texture unlike any Swiss cheese. Its initial aroma and flavour is a lovely concoction of roasted peanuts, melted leeks, brown butter, sweet cream and caramel. Made by cheesemaker Walter Rass, the lingering silky, salty finish of Challerhocker makes it an ideal cheese for the winter months. The cheese pairs ideally with a glass of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Cider.

Challerhocker

Käserei Tufertschwil

Saint Andre is a triple crème cow's milk cheese produced in Coutances, in the Normandy region of northwestern France. It has a high fat (75%) content because it is further enhanced with heavy cream, making it dense, buttery and rich. The rind is covered with a velvety and powdery bloomy mold while the inside is ivory white in colour. The taste of the cheese is an intense version of the Brie, another famous French soft cheese. The flavours of the satiny, edible rind are tangy perfectly complementing the rich, slightly salty and decadent centre. Saint-André topped with Caramel Pecan, Craisin-Currant-Walnut, or Roasted Tomato Pine Nut forms an ideal course for Valentine’s Day! The full, buttery taste of Saint Andre can make a white wine taste sour, so it is best suggested with a light beer, dessert wine or a slice of pear. It could also be enjoyed with a crusty French bread or a plain cracker.

Saint-André

Compagnie des Fromages & RichesMonts

Mozzarella cheese is a sliceable curd cheese originating in Italy. Traditional Mozzarella cheese is made from milk of water buffalos herded in very few countries such as Italy and Bulgaria. As a result, most of the Mozzarella cheeses available now are made from cow's milk.
An Italian Traditional Specialty Guaranteed (TSG) food product, Mozzarella cheese is not aged like most cheeses. It is eaten fresh and within few hours after it is made.
Fresh Mozzarella cheese is one of those easy-to-make-at-home cheeses used while making variety of recipes, including salads, meats, seafood, and vegetables.
Other types of Mozzarella:Mozzarella di Bufala, also known as 'buffalo mozzarella', is made from domesticated water buffalo milk.
Mozzarella Fior di Latte is produced from fresh, pasteurised or unpasteurised cow milk, while Low-moisture mozzarella is made from whole or part skimmed milk. And last, but not least, Mozzarella affumicata is a smoked variety of Mozzarella.

Mozzarella

Azienda Agricola Gritti Bruno E Alfio S.s. Societa Agricola

Époisses de Bourgogne is a soft cow’s milk cheese produced by Jacques Hennart in the village Époisses, France.

Commonly called as Époisses, the cheese has creamy, chewy and firm texture. With a distinctive soft red-orange colour, it is categoried as a smear-ripened cheese washed in marc de Bourgogne. It takes at least 6 weeks to mature fully.

Despite its pungent smell, the cheese has a spicy, sweet and salty flavour. It goes well with Trappist beer and Sauternes.

Époisses de Bourgogne

Fromagerie Berthaut

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.

Shannon Lynn Plunkett

Activities

Share

Get the App. It's Free