Past Newsletters - January 2010

Three Great Cheeses to Kick Off the New Year!

Gorgonzola – An Authentic Italian Treasure

Gorgonzola is a tangy cheese made in the northern Italian village of the same name, which is located on the outskirts of Milan. Legend has it that this cheese was made there for the first time in 879 AD, though its exact date of origin still remains a mystery. There are some indications that the cheese might go further back than even the legend states – to the Romans. However, one should note that a lot of historic hyperbole often surrounds European cheeses. The important thing is not so much the history, but that this amazing cheese is around for us to enjoy today.

Gorgonzola is made with either unpasteurized or pasteurized milk to which a mold is added. At about four weeks the cheese is pierced with thick needles to encourage the spread of the mold. Gorgonzola comes in two varieties: the young, sweet dolce and the aged naturale. Ripening in three to six months, the cheese is usually wrapped in foil to keep it moist. Its color ranges from white to straw-yellow with a distinctively marbled blue-green mold. Gorgonzola’s consistency is like a rich soft paste, and is produced exclusively from milk of the D.O.C. (certification of authenticity) regions. It is a cheese rich in minerals and vitamins with a texture that makes it excellent for salads and dips. The quality and authenticity of Gorgonzola are guaranteed in a number of ways. Only the cheeses made with milk from the D.O.C. region qualifies as true Gorgonzola, and there are very strict regulations regarding the production standards. Each block of cheese, according to the law, must be branded at the location of production with the name of the producer or the Consortium's stamp, confirming that the cheese is, indeed, 100% Gorgonzola from Italy.

Tasting Notes: Gorgonzola is traditionally a rich creamy cheese, but the blue-green ripples add a sharp spicy flavor that provides an excellent contrast to its richness. The taste ranges from mild to sharp, depending on age. Gorgonzola may be enjoyed by itself.  Americans love to enjoy this cheese as a topping for salad or in homemade salad dressings, while Europeans tend to find it more suitable with fruit.

Camembert – Perhaps the Most Popular Soft French Cheese

Traditional Camembert is made from the fresh raw milk of Norman cows, which is high in fat and rich in proteins and vitamins. Unfortunately, US law only allows us to import pasteurized Camembert. The milk is heated and poured into large vats and then a natural rennet is added. Once the curds have formed they are ladled out carefully (to prevent them from breaking) into individual cheese molds. When the cheeses have drained sufficiently, they are turned over. On the second day, the cheeses are removed from the molds and taken to the salting room. Here dry salt is shaken onto all surfaces of each cheese. On the third day the cheeses are placed in the drying room and it is here that the mold rind forms. The ripening period is approximately twelve days, depending on the season, after which the cheeses are ready for packing. Once packed in their distinctive boxes, they are aged for another four or five days before being sent to market.

We cannot talk about Camembert without mentioning the distinctive Camembert box. Originally Camembert was sold in straw cases. Toward the end of the 19th century, railways and steamboats spread all over Europe, and this created new opportunities for Camembert to be sold throughout France and abroad. Unfortunately, the straw case style of packing did not protect the cheese for long journeys. In the town of Le Havre around 1890, a French cheese exporter, M. Rousset, decided to use spruce wood boxes similar to those used for other French cheeses. Around the same time, Eugène Ridel, created a nailed and stapled circular poplar wood box—an instant hit, and now a famous tradition.

The flavor of Camembert is definitely the main reason for its worldwide popularity. Open the lid on your Camembert box and you will immediately notice an aroma of mushrooms with a subtle braised cabbage undertone. These two aromas are the quintessential elements of true Camembert. The rind is an ivory white with red flecks through it, and if you stroke the cheese you will feel the downy texture of the penicillin rind. The rind is essential to creating Camembert. As the mold rind grows around the cheese it sends out microscopic roots (rhizomes), and it is these roots, working from the outside in, that turn the texture from chalky to voluptuously soft and gooey.

Tasting Notes: Whether you eat the rind or not is a personal choice. Eating it will intensify the flavor and give you an added dimension in texture. The Camembert you have received is perfectly ripe. If you ever see Camembert with a thick chalky center, the rind did not complete the ripening process. As with most cheeses, the flavor becomes more intense as the cheese ripens.

Salemville Amish Blue

Salemville Cheese Cooperative has been making cheese since 1984 and their cheese is renowned nationally and internationally for its quality, balance and flavor. Amish farmers from this community contribute their milk to each day's cheese production. The herds range in size from four to twenty-five cows; all are milked twice daily—making for truly happy cows! The Salemville Cooperative is collectively managed by an Amish community that is dedicated to sustainable agriculture. They are equally committed to the quality of their blue Cheese, which is best described as beautifully veined, creamy and rich with a deep, almost smoky flavor.

Tasting Notes: This cheese has a rich, earthy flavor, well balanced and flavorful. Crumble on salad or pasta tossed with garlic and olive oil, stir into hot mashed potatoes or transform a vinaigrette into delicious blue cheese salad dressing by adding Amish Blue to it (it’s fine to use a blender). Blue cheeses are good with red wines in general—big bold ones like cabernets, plus zinfandels, and some pinot noirs or lighter reds.

History of Blue Cheese

Most cheese historians believe that blue cheese was discovered by accident when cheese was aged in caves where molds grow naturally. Gorgonzola is one of the oldest known blue cheeses dating perhaps back to the 9th century. Other blue cheeses such as Roquefort are believed to have come about in the 11th century and Stilton sometime in the 18th century.

American blue cheese manufacturing has become a vibrant part of the cheese industry, and is anticipated to become as high as 50% of the cheese market in the coming years. Most American blue cheese is made from cow's milk (like Danish blues) rather than goat's milk (like French Roquefort). Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois are the primary locations of blue cheese producers.

Culture Corner
Cheese	Pronunciation	Recommended Wine/Beer
Gorgonzola	gor-gohn-ZOH-lah	Try Gorgonzola with red wines, dessert wines or sweet whites.
Camembert	kam-um-BARE	Camembert is best with burgundies and red wines.
Salemville Amish Blue	say'lem-vill ah-mish	Tawny port, red zinfandel, cabernet or pinot noir.

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