Swiss Vacherin Fribourgeois Cheese

Vacherin Fribourgeois is a Swiss mountain style cheese that is produced in the canton of Fribourg. As with all Swiss mountain cheeses the milk comes from cows that graze on Alpine grass and wild flowers throughout the late spring and summer. This pure grazing method allows the cows to produce sweeter milk. As summer turns to early fall the cows are brought down to lower pastures to graze on grass and summer hay. No other type of silage is fed to dairy cows during the winter except alpine and low meadow hay. This is the traditional method of dairy production, which continues today, and it has been producing magnificent mountain style cheese for centuries.

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Details: Vacherin is a raw cow's milk semi-firm cheese that has been lightly pressed and aged for three to four months. It is closely related to Italian Fontina Val d'Aosta but its curd is not cooked. Vacherin has an inedible natural brushed and washed rind that has a moderate stink factor, however the aroma is neither overpowering nor offensive. The interior paste has a straw color and may have small holes throughout and a buttery texture. It has a pleasant nutty flavor that lasts in your mouth.

When buying Vacherin Fribourgeois look for a light brown rind that is semi-soft but not mushy. The top of the rind may have a very thin paper label attached. A hard rind indicates dryness and should be avoided. An unhealthy odor of rot and a grayish tinge to the paste are also telltale signs of over ripeness.

Vacherin is a great substitute for French Raclette when having fondue. Use it melted as the cheese covering on onion soup. This is a great melting cheese so try using it in place of your usual Swiss cheese on grilled sandwiches, gratins, potatoes or over steamed vegetables. Also serve it cubed with salads or with fresh sliced apples or pears as a dessert course. It is wonderful as a table cheese paired with crusty bread and wine. Remember that the rind is inedible so remove it before serving or grilling

Wine parings: Any big and bold reds like Burgundy, Bordeaux or reds from the Rhone Valley in France.

Tips On Shopping For Cheese Locally And Online

When shopping for cheese most people head to their local supermarkets or even worse to the nearest convenience store. The supermarkets will usually have unattended cheese departments carrying all the obvious tried and true cheeses like plain Swiss, Mozzarella, several Cheddars, tasteless and lifeless factory-made Brie and a few goat cheeses. A few large gourmet stores, like Whole Foods, have large cheese departments with some interesting and unusual cheeses that they will cut fresh and usually an assortment of precut cheeses. While precut cheeses may add to the ease of shopping who really knows how long ago, they were cut. When buying any cheese, you should always have it cut fresh for you while you wait.

So, where should I go to find gourmet cheese? Well my answer is to invest a bit of time and locate your local cheese shops. Small shops often offer gourmet products that are fresh and exciting and can provide a personal level of service that supermarkets cannot or will not. Try to find several shops if you can because each owner or manager may specialize in the cheeses from a particular country or countries or he (she) may concentrate on finding exciting artisanal and farmstead cheeses. The benefits of this well invested time will manifest in many wonderful ways and will most likely open up new avenues of discovery for you. It will also be a way to interact with a local merchant who will have a vested interest in helping you find what you are looking for. Shopping locally is also good for the environment and your town's economy.

Once you have located your local gourmet cheese shop snoop around in it and notice everything you can. The shop itself should be clean and well ordered. Does it also carry an assortment of condiments, crackers and other cheese related products? The point here is that ideally you want to be able to find what you need or want in one location. Does it smell like a cheese shop? This may sound like a silly question but there should be an earthy, cheese aroma in the air to stimulate your taste buds! Are the weighing scales easy to see and are they clean, do the refrigerated cases look clean and orderly, do the cheeses in the cases look fresh? If your local shop passes these quick looks you have possibly found a new treasure chest of flavor. If the shop owner or the sales staff is not too busy engage them by asking a few of the questions you may have. Do they seem to be knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the store and it's products? A honest retailer will admit to not knowing the answer to a question and will offer to research it for you. If the staff seems bored or annoyed by your questions this is a bad sign and you may have a bad experience there. Also, when looking for cheese do not be afraid to ask for a small sample to taste. A verbal description is always subjective and your purchase may not turn out to be what you like or expected. Ideally, the salesperson should offer a sample before you ask for it, any good cheese shop will be happy to offer samples of their cheeses for you to taste. If these simple things seem to be a problem or if the store has a no sample policy find another store to shop in because you will most likely be disappointed with your purchases.

Shopping for gourmet cheese should not be a harrowing or daunting process. Ask questions, seek information and help from your retailer. Over time he or she will come to know your likes and dislikes and will be able to introduce you new cheeses that will fall into your comfort zone. Who knows you may begin to live on the edge and experiment with goat cheeses like goat Gouda and goat Brie and sheep milk cheeses like Idiazabal and Ossay-Iraty. Planning a dinner party with a cheese course or wine and cheese tasting party will be less work intensive and more rewarding if you build up a good relationship with your local shop.

I would like to mention a few things about buying cheese online if this is your preferred method of shopping, although as stated above I prefer the human interaction. Obviously you will not be able to sample or see the cheeses before you pay for them, so initially it will be trial and error. A good online retailer will give accurate information about his products and prices. Please remember price does not always indicate quality. There should be a quick response to any questions regarding the quality or appearance of the cheese that has been purchased. You, the customer are putting your faith and trust in the online retailer and for that you should be treated with respect and fairness. Any good business person should realize that an unsatisfied customer is a one time customer and will tell everyone about their bad online experience. There are many online cheese retailers that offer quality products and shopping online can be a rewarding and exciting adventure. 

When you find an online or local retailer that you like and trust stay with them and buy with confidence.

Taleggio Cheese Bries' New Competitor

Taleggio is a soft pressed, washed rind cow milk cheese form the Lombardy region of northern Italy. It is made from both lightly pasteurized and raw milk, unfortunately the U.S. FDA will not allow the raw milk version to be imported into to the country because it is aged for only 40 days. Taleggio has been given DOP certification which insures the quality of the cheese and the methods of its production. Luckily the Taleggio that is imported to the US is DOP certified and usually comes from the semi- Alpine Valtellina area in the northern part of Lombardy. Here the cheese is produced in small batches by several commercial cheese companies. Thankfully this great  cheese is getting easier to find in the US. If you are looking for a great new cheese to try Taleggio is a good substitute for Brie.

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 Details and Flavor: Taleggio can vary in flavor and the consistency of its inner paste. When it is young (about 40-50 days) it will be fruity and mildly salty with a firm white interior, but as it matures it will become softer ( almost oozy) and will have a beefy buttery flavor with hints of nuts and just a hint of salt. Taleggio has a minimum fat content of 48%. The consistency of a ripe or mature Taleggio is almost like that of a ripe Brie where it bulges but does not get runny. 

 This is a brine washed rind cheese so it will be a "stinky cheese". The rind itself is a bit unsightly and will have a pink or slight brick color. It may also have areas of mold on it but this might be hard to see since some brands come wrapped in a layer of paper. Do not worry about any mold on the outer rind because it does not affect the integrity or quality of the inner paste. If the outer layer of paper is stuck to the rind or is very hard to peel off this is a sign that the cheese is ripe and in perfect condition to eat and enjoy. If the paper pulls off easily you will have found a young version. Taleggio's rind is considered by a few cheese purists to be edible however most people will remove it. I personally find it to be bitter so I prefer to remove the rind entirely. Once again like Brie, this cheese is alive and will continue to age until it is cut, once it is cut the aging process stops. So if the cut Tallegio you found is young it will remain that way and the full flavor will not develop. The interior paste of a ripe Taleggio should have a slight yellow custard color. You can find Taleggio in good cheese shops and online at Amazon.

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You can serve Taleggio melted over rice or polenta and as a table cheese with fresh fruit , nuts and honey. It is also great with thinly sliced meats or fruit on a grilled sandwich like a panini. A good substitute for Taleggio is an American cheese named Grayson it is made following the traditional recipe for Taleggio. 

Wine Pairings: Big Italian reds like Barbaresco, Barolo, Chianti Riserva, or Salice Salentino