Ragusano is an Italian PDO protected cheese made exclusively in provinces of Ragusa and Siracusa, Sicily. It is one of the oldest cheeses in Sicily with evidence dating as early as 1500.  Originally known by the name of Caciocavallo, it lost its historical name after it acquired the recognition of PDO. A hard cheese from the pasta filata family, Ragusano is made with whole milk from Modicana breed of cows fed on fresh grass or hay. In case where milk from other cow breeds is used, due to scarcity of Modicana breed, the cheese is called “Cosacavaddu rausanu”.
The cheese is sold at different stages of aging in rectangular blocks. When it is fresh within two months of production, the cheese tastes sweet, pleasant and delicate. Cheeses ripened beyond six months tend to become more flavourful and spicier with age. The rind is smooth, thin and exhibits a yellowish-golden colour that deepens as the cheese ages. Ragusano, smoked using natural processes is also available and here the designation stamp will have the word “affumicato” attached to the name of the cheese. A compact cheese with straw coloured pate, Ragusano goes well with full bodied red wines and aged, dark beers.

Ragusano

Luigi Guffanti

Pavé d'Affinois, also known as Fromager d'Affinois is a French double cream, soft cheese produced by the Fromagerie Guilloteau Company. It is primarily prepared from cow’s milk but there are variants where goat and sheep’s milk is included. Though similar to Brie in appearance and flavour, this soft-ripened cheese is actually much creamier and takes less time to ripen. This is because, Fromager d'Affinois undergoes a process called ''ultra filtration,'' which allows the milk molecules to break down and mix through the paste. It takes only two weeks to achieve the appetizing, silky fat texture.
Deliciously creamy with a silky-smooth texture, Pavé d'Affinois has a sweet yet mild flavour. It melts in the mouth to reveal a fresh burst of milky goodness and hints of grassy pastures. The soft oozing ivory interiors are coated with an edible bloomy rind.
The cheese is available in several flavours, low fat versions and as a blue mould cheese. Accentuate the rich flavour of the cheese by serving it with French crusty bread, champagne and fresh fruit.

Pave d'Affinois

Fromagerie Guilloteau

Humboldt Fog is a goat’s milk cheese delivered by Cypress Grove Chevre, of Arcata, California, in Humboldt County. It is a mould-ripened cheese with a distinguishing layer of edible ash. The cheese ripens from the outside to the centre, resulting in a fresh goat cheese center surrounded by a pungent runny shell. This runny shell will widen as the cheese matures and is considered the best part of the cheese, by many. The bloomy mold and ash rind is edible, but is fairly tasteless. The cheese is creamy, light, powdery, slightly lemony and mildly goaty.
Humboldt Fog is available from a mini 1 lbs. cheese wheel (Humboldt Fog® Mini) up to the large 5 lbs. cheese wheel (Humboldt Fog® Grande).
 
The cheese has won the first place at the American Cheese Society in 1998, 2002 and 2005 and Gold at the 2014 World Cheese Awards.

Humboldt Fog

Cypress Grove Chevre

The Manchego is produced in the La Mancha region of Spain, which is also home to Don Quixote. It is made from unpasteurised sheep's milk. It is one of the popular cheeses from Spain, made from sheep's milk. It also comes under the PDO guidelines.

The traditional use of grass moulds leaves a distinctive, characteristic zigzag pattern on the Manchego cheese. Authentic Manchego is only made from the Manchego sheep's milk. Manchego cheese is made from both pasteurised and unpasteurised milk. The farmhouse version is produced from unpasteurised milk while the industrial version is produced from pasteurised milk.
The rind is inedible with a distinctive, traditional herringbone basket weave pattern, pressed on it. A typical ear wheat pattern is pressed onto the top and bottom wheels of the cheese. There are specific differences in Manchego cheeses, depending on their aging period.

Semi Curado - Young Manchego cheese is aged around 3 months are supple and moist. The flavour is fruity, grass, hay with a tangy note.
Curado - Manchego cheese aged for 6 months acquires a caramel and nutty flavour. It has distinct acidity.
Viejo - Manchego cheese aged for a year becomes crumbly in texture while the interior of the cheese acquires a butterscotch colour. It has a sweet, lingering taste.
Manchego cheeses are best paired with a sherry. Cheeses similar to Manchego are called 'Machego like cheeses', but the producers cannot legally name the cheese as Manchego.

This celebrated cheese has won gold and silver award at the 2014 World Cheese Awards.

Manchego

Queso Manchego DOP

Made from raw Jersey cow milk, Pawlet is an Italian-style toma, aged four to six months. It is named after the town of Pawlet, VT, which is famous for its slate, syrup, and timber. With a creamy, buttery paste, Pawlet has a distinctive herbal flavour with a funky stink. It is a very versatile, perfect-for-melting cheese that goes perfect with grilled sandwiches and burgers. This cheese is available year-round in 10 pound wheels. Pawlett is an award-winning cheese having won accolades at the 2008 & 2009 American Cheese Society, 2008 World Jersey Cheese Awards and 2010 World Cheese Championship.

Donald Sciame

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