This Month's Featured Cheeses - February 2012
You can also see this year's featured cheeses or see what's coming in our featured cheeses for 2013. The product descriptions below are excerpts from our monthly newsletter. Click here to view it in its entirety.
A Culinary Tour – Three Great European Cheeses!
S.A.F.R. Port Salut: The Trappist Cheese
S.A.F.R Port Salut is a smooth, delectable cheese made in the province of Brittany on the west coast of France. A region very similar to Maine, the countryside of Brittany is bordered by the ocean, dotted with boats, teeming with fish and, like Maine, subject to coastal weather extremes. Culturally, it’s been said that Brittany is more influenced by England than its own motherland. It also happens to be great dairy territory, claiming 20% of the cattle in France, and producing 20% of its milk and 33% of its butter.
Port Salut has a fascinating history. Originally named Port du Salut after the abbey of Notre Dame du Port du Salut in Entrammes, it was produced in the mid 1800's by Trappist monks, strictly for consumption at the monastery. In 1873, the Abbot visited Paris and negotiated a distribution agreement with a Parisian cheese monger. A year later sales of this disk-shaped cheese were so phenomenal the monks registered Port Salut as a trade name to guard against imitations. It has also been said the origin of Port Salut is closely linked to the French Revolution of 1789. Escaping from the persecutions of the "Terror," a congregation of Trappist Monks set themselves up abroad and learned how to make cheese for their very survival. Upon returning to France in 1815 they built a new abbey and continued to expand their cheese production. The name later became the registered trademark of the Société Anonyme des Fermiers Réunis or S.A.F.R.
Produced in thick disks approximately nine inches in diameter and weighing about five pounds, Port Salut keeps well for several weeks or longer, if securely wrapped. The rind of the cheese is slightly moist and colored, with traces of the cloth used in its production. Affinage (refining) takes one month. The cheese is polished with brine which adds to its rich flavor. The result is an exquisite cheese with an orange rind and a pale-yellow interior.
Tasting Notes: Port Salut is a semi-soft natural cheese that is most recognized by its orange rind. Don’t be put off by the smell—which can be strong because it’s a mature cheese. It will still have a relatively mild flavor—savory and slightly sweet. The smell will increase the longer the cheese is kept but, again, the smell doesn’t affect its flavor. Like most cheeses, Port Salut is best consumed within two weeks of opening. Refrigerate it but allow it to come to room temperature before eating. It’s a cheese that has universal appeal with its smooth, velvety texture and light acidic taste. The pâte is elastic, cream-colored, soft, and supple with a very faint aroma. Port Salut is a perfect partner for fruit and enhances any cheese board. The cheese pairs beautifully with Chinon and Bourgueil wines. The right wine with a superior cheese can be an excellent combination! C&H Clubs offers fine domestic and international wines. Check out The International Wine of the Month Club at www.winemonthclub.com. Bon appetit!
St. André Mini: The Triple Crème de la Crème
In 1928, a country cheesemaker started the St. André Creamery in Villefranche de Rouergue, France, the famed region that gives us Roquefort cheese. Approximately 40 years later, a soft-ripened, triple-cream cheese named St. André made its debut.
With a taste described as a blend of the perfect brie mixed with equal parts of thick sour cream and whipped sweet cream, St. André is a cheese for the uncompromising connoisseur. This soft-ripened cheese has a bloomy, downy-white, edible rind with a smooth paste. Made from cow's milk and enriched with pure cream, St. André contains no less than 75% butterfat! St. André is fairly rare, a reason—in addition to taste—gourmands treasure the cheese.
Tasting Notes: Due to the addition of sweet cream, the intensity of flavors in St. André varies from pleasantly creamy to rich and buttery. Many connoisseurs describe it as being as lush, creamy, and rich as in the best cream cheese. To appreciate its nuanced flavors, we suggest indulging in this cheese at room temperature without the "distraction" of strongly flavored bread or crackers. Wait until the aftertaste of the cheese has set before taking a sip of wine or other accompaniments. No cheeseboard should be served without this sinful delicacy. St. André is beautifully paired with a light, fruity rosé or ale.
Farmhouse Cheddar From England’s Denhey Farms
Cheddar is one of the most popular cheeses. The mere mention of the name can bring many cheese lovers to salivate. So cheddar is cheddar, right? Definitely not! Cheddar is made in just about every English-speaking country and just as different countries have different accents, so they make different cheddar. Some are much better than others! We happily bring you one of the best.
Your English Cheddar is an authentic farmhouse cheddar from Denhey Farms which was incorporated in 1952 on 250 acres of land. Today, Denhey has 1,650 acres with 1,000 cows in five herds. According to their published information, the Farm is based in the mild climate of the Marshwood Vale, three miles from the sea immediately inland from Lyme Bay. It ranges from 200 ft. to 750 ft. above sea level and has an average rainfall of 36 inches a year—ideal grass and maize growing conditions. Denhey uses only their own milk to make their cheeses. They are passionate about the quality of their products, which have been recognized with all the UK's top food awards.
Tasting Notes: The aroma of authentic farmhouse cheddar should be nutty or grassy, with a rich texture and complex flavors ranging from fruity to a woody oakiness. Factory processed cheddar is usually rubbery and dense and without the few cracks you will find in your Denhey farmhouse cheddar which can range in color from straw yellow to beige.
