When in February we are all longing for a soon spring to come. And with spring finally arrives the time of farmstead goat cheese. To shorten the time for you we introduce *Vermenton*, a raw milk goat´s milk representative from the Burgundy region in east-central France which we were lucky enough to catch before.
Stinking Bishop – dogs that bark don´t bite
* Stinking Bishop * – is not, as the name might imply, a rebellious monks invention of the middle ages who created a cheese whose name was to hint on his bishops doubtful fragrance. In fact it is a creation of the 20th century and was brought to life by English artisan cheesemakers Charles Martell &Son Ltd. in 1994.
Formagella Bergamasca
When thinking of Lombardy one thinks of Milan or, in terms of cheese, probably of famous PDOs like Gorgonzola and Taleggio. But it wouldn´t be Italy if the obvious wouldn´t be escorted by an uncountable variety of more hidden wonders and gems.
Vacherin Mont d’Or – the digging, stripping gold dipper
I don’t know how it is for you, but I sometimes get confused; there is a French *Vacherin Mont d’Or AOP* and a Swiss one. But what exactly is the difference and which one is the “real” one and is there even a “real” and a “non-real one”?
Most important things first – they are both real!
Pecorino Seggianino- a smooth flavor dive!
Pecorino Seggianino! Thanks to our cooperation with Passione Toscana, this summer we take a deep flavor dive into different Pecorini from Tuscany.
A few weeks ago we already featured Maremma born Pecorini and also today we welcome a Pecorino from this unique Tuscan region.
Pecorini di Maremma – Tuscans at heart
Recently we got a delivery from our cheeseful partner *Passione Toscana* and in it we found 3 Pecorini from the Maremma region of Southern Tuscany.
Bola de Ocosingo – Cheese Ball from out of Mexican Space
As you know Gustav and I are ambitious cheese-travelers and if it was on us we would do nothing else but hunt cheeses world-wide. Well, we can´t, but lucky us Gustav charmed some cheese-courriers to do the hunt and bring back some exceptional finds to taste and welcome into our *formaggiastic* community.
Today this traveller from afar is *Bola de Ocosingo*- but before going into its specialties let´s take a short glimpse into the history of Mexican cheese making.
Tuma Persa – lost and found in Sicily
* Tuma Persa * translated as *lost Toma* is said to have been an accidental invention of a Sicilian cheesemaker in the eighteenth century.
Caseificio Zidarič , Jamar and friends
Besides cheese, travelling is what makes us most happy – and the best travels are those that include at least one visit to a cheesemaker. On our recent trip to Trieste, we found a wonderful cheesemaker just a 20 minute drive outside of town in the Karst region, right at the Slovenian border.
Raviggiolo – slurping is a must!
Just like any other food, cheese can be seasonal. For example, there are the flavorful “summer cheeses” [either fresh or aged from the prior season] that are made of the milk from when the animals are on higher pastures and eat rich mountain grasses full of flowers and herbs.
Other cheeses are periodically not even available—for instance, some goat’s milk cheeses that are not produced at all during the two months prior to the end of gestation.