Leading importers share which new cheeses they're most excited about.
Given all the upheaval the pandemic has wrought on international transport, with canceled flights and vessel delays, you might imagine that cheese importers would shy away from new items. Not so. Although the lack of sampling at most cheese counters persuaded mongers to stick with the tried-and-true during the pandemic, importers have a heap of tantalizing newcomers in the pipeline. Here's hoping that pent-up demand from consumers will mean a warm welcome for many of these debuts from Europe. A few newbies to watch for:
From Columbia Cheese
Alpencheddar: A quirky collaboration between Quicke's, the British Cheddar producer, and Albert Kraus, the Austrian producer of Alp Blossom, this unusual cheese is definitely a mixed marriage. Kraus adds grated Quicke's Mature Cheddar to the curds of his Alp Blossom to yield an alpine-style wheel with faint fruity Cheddar notes. With many American cheesemakers now using Swiss cultures in their Cheddar, these partners thought it would be fascinating—or at least amusing—to try the reverse.
Funky Monk: A Trappist-style cow's milk cheese similar to St. Nectaire, Funky Monk weighs about 5 pounds. The Belgian producer is T. Groendal, which also makes the sublime OG Kristal. The aptly named Drunk Monk is the same cheese washed in Belgian blonde ale.
From Forever Cheese
Golden Fleece: This Spanish wheel from La Mancha is made by adding saffron to pasteurized sheep's milk, then following a Manchego recipe. Wheels are matured for a minimum of four months.
Leonora a Fuego: From the producer of the brick-shaped bloomy-rind Leonora, this version of the Spanish goat cheese is “on fire” from spicy pimentón de la Vera outside. Aged for about 20 days, it is dense, lemony, peppery, and creamy.
Luna Llena: From the raw milk of Lacaune sheep, this 21-ounce washed-rind wheel is made by a new cheesemaker whose father has a large sheep farm in the region of La Mancha. Michele Buster of Forever Cheese describes it as “meaty and pungent.”
Urepel: A dual-citizen sheep cheese made in France's Basque Country but matured on the Spanish side of the Pyrenees by a producer of Etxegarai and Idiazábal. Weighing about 7 pounds and matured for 6 to 8 months, Urepel is closer to a mellow Ossau-Iraty in flavor than to the spicy Spanish Basque wheels.
Wooly Woolly: a five-ounce fresh sheep log from Spain, from the producer of Drunken Goat.
From Fresca Italia
Camembert di bufala with pistachio or truffle: From an Italian producer near Cremona, these 200- to 250-gram disks depart from French tradition by using water buffalo milk and flavor additions. The same creamery is producing Rosso di Bufala and Rossa di Pecora, 400-gram washed-rind cheeses from water-buffalo and sheep's milk respectively. All four cheeses are destined for Fresca Italia's private label.
Il Frastuchino: a three-pound young pecorino studded with Sicilian pistachios from Tuscan creamery Rocca Toscana, which is affiliated with the well-known Canti family.
Il Tesoro: The same base cheese as Il Frastuchino but with candied orange peel replacing the pistachios, Il Tesoro is semi-firm, fragrant, and fruity.
Verde di bufala: This 6-pound blue-veined wheel is exceptionally creamy and not super potent, says Fresca Italia representative Andy Lax.
From Peterson Cheese
De Graafstroom Extra Aged Gouda: This 18-month-old Gouda from a century-old Dutch coop has a buttery mouthfeel, caramel notes, and plenty of crystalline crunch.
Halloumaki: This Greek rendition of halloumi from Kolios is made from a blend of cow's, goat's, and sheep's milk. Peterson sales rep Izzy Creveling recommends grilling it in a nonstick pan, then drizzling it with honey.
Tentation du St. Félicien: From affineur Hervé Mons, this pasteurized version of St. Félicien is a triple-cream cow's milk cheese with a geotrichum rind.
From World's Best Cheese
Dunmanus: From the producers of Durrus, this Irish raw cow's milk wheel is a larger (7-pound) and firmer version of Durrus with a natural rind and bold flavor.
Grana d'Oro Parmigiano Reggiano: World's Best is importing 4- and 5-year-old wheels of DOP Vacca Rossa, from the esteemed “red cow” breed. The affineur selects wheels capable of extended aging, typically from winter milk. “They are absolutely great table cheeses,” says Ciano, “with great crystallization and big fruity flavor.”
Mini Nevat: From the Catalan producer Can Pujol, this small-format version of the handsome Spanish bloomy-rind goat cheese weighs only 10 ounces and offers earthy, vegetal flavors. Odré, from the same producer, is the same cheese made with sheep's milk.
Parlick: From Singleton's in Lancashire, this British sheep's milk tomme weighs about 5 pounds and has a natural rind.
Swiss Hemp Cheese: A name-that-cheese competition is underway for this 4-pound wheel, but for now it has a generic moniker. Made with thermized milk and cream by the same producer that makes Abbey Wrestler, the wheel has a washed rind and toasted hemp seed throughout. Stephanie Ciano of World's Best Cheese says the product is riding the wave of interest in CBD and cannabis, although there is no cannabis in the cheese.
From Zuercher & Co.
Bûche du Vivarois: Produced by Guilloteau, this 2-pound French goat log fills the void left when Sèvre et Belle stopped making Bûcheron. “There are not a lot of these types of cheese in the case,” says Zuercher representative Helder dos Santos. Although slightly smaller than Bûcheron, it ages well, says dos Santos, developing a cream line under its bloomy rind and a smooth, non-chalky center.
Chablochon: A pasteurized replacement for raw-milk Reblochon, Chablochon is a 7-ounce round that many retailers find easier to manage than the traditional format, at more than twice the size.
Single-Dairy Comté: Most affineurs of Comté buy and mature wheels from multiple creameries and don't distinguish between them when they're released. For Zuercher, well-regarded affineur Rivoire Jacquemin is offering 6- to 10-month-old wheels from a small creamery near the Swiss border and 15- to 21-month-old wheels from a much larger co-op an hour away. This project offers the retailer the chance to address the contributions of terroir and age to the finished product.
Janet Fletcher writes the email newsletter Planet Cheese and is the author of Cheese & Wine and Cheese & Beer.
Image: Matt Austion