My husband was a little excited about this particular item off of my 30 before 30 list. He loves cheese as much as I do…and since we are going to be trying one new cheeses every week for the next little while I thought I’d do a little review of each cheese so we have it as a reminder of the flavor, texture, etc. We’ve tried two types so far, a Moroccan Spice Cheese and Beemster Graskaas Cheese.
I’ve already learned tons about how cheeses are made and the different ways of acidifying them. (Some are acidified with bacteria while others are acidified with vinegar or lemon juice.) Wikipedia does a great job explaining a little bit about each kind. Anyway, on to the actual taste test:
Week 1: Moroccan Spice Cheese
We chose this because it sounded, well, spicy. According to their website it’s a sharp cheddar cheese with harissa mixed in. Harissa is a seasoned paste made from chilies and oil that’s popular in Tunesian cuisine. We loved it although it is a super sharp cheddar cheese. It came in wedge/block form but was slightly crumbly as we ate it. The super sharp cheddar almost seemed to overpower any spicy that may have been in the cheese. We both had a few pieces the first time, then every time for the rest of the week we wanted some we only ate 1-2 tiny cubes. It was an extremely flavorful cheese and that little amount was enough to whet our appetite for it. Overall, it was a good one to try, but I don’t think I’d buy it again on a regular basis.
Week 2: Beemster Graskaas Cheese
I chose this one because the sign at Central Market said this cheese is only made once a year. I figured I’d better get it or miss my chance for a year. (Which I’m sure is exactly what they wanted…what a way to make a sale!) I have to say that this one did not disappoint! It was an extremely soft and creamy cheese and we will definitely be getting it again next year! I did decide to look up to see the story behind this “special” cheese that’s made only once a year. The story goes something like this: this cheese is made from the first milking of the spring once the Dutch cows are let out to pasture. They eat the delicious, fresh, spring grass which gives it a super creamy texture. I had no idea it made a difference, but this was one delicious cheese! Beemster even made a video of the cows being let out into the pasture after staying the winter in the barn. It’s rather amusing.
Happy tasting,
Erin
