Top 8 Cheeses You Must Try
Inspired by The Kitchn's list of 13 Cheeses That Everyone Should Know, I thought I'd spend this drowsy pre-exam day to procrastinate and share my top 8 cheeses that I believe you really ought to try at least once. Or, if you're like me, have a stash of in your fridge at all times. Here they are, in no particular order:
1) A good clothbound cheddar: this isn't your run-of-the-mill orange cheddar (ask me some day how I feel about cheeses that are orange.) I love farmhouse cheddars because I feel like you can taste the soil and grass of the land the cows lived on through them. They're also fantastic with a fresh baguette and some cornichons. I love Keen's Farmhouse Cheddar, Cabot Clothbound (from Vermont, if you're looking for a great domestic cheese), or anything from Neal's Yard Dairy.
2) A hardy British blue: Colston Bassett Stilton and Shropshire Blue are my faves. Now, I know that I just said I hate cheeses that are orange, but the brilliant orange of Shropshire comes from annatto, which is used to impart a particular flavor in addition to the color. Historical fact: annatto used to be used in small quantities to add color and brightness to winter cheeses, which are paler and less robust than their summer brethren. Once this coloring went overboard, we ended up with the bright orange cheddars and Kraft singles that we associate with cheese today. Gross.
3) A mid-aged Gouda like Prima Donna. My good friend from med school introduced me to this one, which is aged only one year and therefore maintains a softer creamer texture while still having that wonderful crystalline crunch of amino acid condensations. It's deep and nutty and finishes with a delicious caramel aftertaste. Try also Ewephoria, a sheep's milk gouda (get it?).
4) Cendrillon, a ripened goat cheese from Canadian goat cheese maker Alexis de Portneuf. I didn't know it had won Best Cheese in the World at the 2009 World Cheese Awards when I first tried it at Chelsea Market, paired with a thin slice of biscotti. This elusive cheese has been dodging me for months, but it's definitely one of the first I inquire about at any cheese store.
5) Camembert, that earthier, funkier cousin of brie. I'm not the hugest fan of bloomy-rind cheese, especially of double- and triple-cream cheeses, but I do love a good camembert, especially paired with a mound of sauteed mushrooms. But don't settle for your run-of-the-mill grocery store camembert, search for an imported Normandy Camembert (they're the real ones) like one from Le Chatelain, or Old Chatham Hudson Valley Camembert, if you're in a domestic mood.
6) For a special occasion, try Harbourne Blue, a British goat's milk blue. Incredibly hard to find, and too expensive for daily consumption, but I managed to procure some from DiBruno's, and spent an entire weekend savoring it, shard by shard, with no bread, crackers or accompaniments whatsoever. It's that good: spicy and icy at the same time.
7) I don't love washed-rind cheeses the way that some, like my college roommate, do. But over the course of our four years together, she somehow converted me, and now I sometimes get that irresistible craving for a meaty, "stinky" cheese. For casual nomming, try Ardrahan, which has enough substance to comprise a meal. On a more special occasion (and during the right time of year), search for Vacherin Mont D'Or, an oozy, unctuous cheese produced only in Switzerland, and available only in the winter months between September and April. It's wrapped in spruce bark and packaged in characteristic wooden boxes. If you want an even better version, find a way to smuggle a wheel of raw milk Vacherin Mont D'Or through customs: I promise, raw is always better.
8) And my absolute favorite, Tomme Crayeuse. Here's the problem: this Tomme and I have a bit of an on again, off again relationship because the ripeness of the wheel really matters. When at perfect age, Tomme Crayeuse has a bloomy, mushroomy exterior, a creamy layer of earthiness, then a center that is just slightly firmer and sharper, leaving an aftertaste of pure umami goodness. It's a more complex cheese than most, and having the combination of all three of these distinct textures and flavors makes this Tomme from Savoie (not to be confused with Tomme de Savoie!) my favorite cheese of all time.
BUT, you have to be careful. When it's perfectly ripe, it's the perfect cheese, but catch a wheel when it's not quite ripe enough, and the chalky, sharp center fills the entire wheel; catch it too late, and you lose the chalky center, resulting in a pungent, creamy cheese throughout which leaves a distinct, slightly unpleasant aftertaste. Always make sure you have a taste at the cheese counter before taking the plunge! Cheese Monger from The Kitchn says of Tomme Crayeuse:
This is a natural-rinded cow milk cheese from the Savoie, and is downright spectacular. Its creaminess makes it eat like a brie, but with an earthiness akin to pate or truffles. Mushroomy, eggy, and buttery, there's a unique flavor and texture to this cheese that I can somehow never seem to tire of. One of my all-time favorites. The trick is to find it when it's perfectly ripe.
