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Every Cheese Has a Story and
Every Cheese Has a Past
There are many steps to getting that piece of cheese onto your plate, and one little known but very important step is the job of the Affineur. An Affineur is the person whose job it is to oversee the maturing and ripening of cheese. Basically, they take a good cheese and make it great. They work directly with the cheese makers and add their own distinctive finish to the cheeses.
The Caves of France
In the world of cheese, one of the most well-known and respected Fromager-Affineurs is Jean d’Alos of France. His aging cellars lie beneath the city of Bordeaux, in caves that were once used to keep the city from flooding. These century-old cellars are perfect for aging, maturing and ripening cheese. Each room has different temperatures and humidities, and an expert like Jean d’Alos knows how to use these unique environments to bring out the best character of each cheese.
The magnificent Tome de Bordeaux (aka Herbillette) comes from these aging rooms and it is simply amazing! Silky smooth, semi-soft, and need I say perfectly aged, this is a luscious goat cheese topped with thyme, savory, juniper, coriander, fennel and cayenne. It is reminiscent of brin d’amour, the classic sheep’s milk cheese from Corsica, but with goaty overtones and rich herb and spicy goodness. Visually striking, yet with a light and smooth taste, it is a sure stand out on your cheese tray in every way.
Chicago By Way of Indiana
Just to the North of Greenville, Indiana, lies the Capriole Goat Farm. Since 1988, Capriole has been making goat cheese in the farmstead tradition. From the milking of the goat to the making of the cheese, nothing leaves the farm, everything is made by hand, and the quality shines through. Their newest cheese, named after Chicago affineur Sofia Solomon, is made from the finest goat milk and hand-ladled into one pound brick molds. Called simply Sofia, it is authentic and rich, with a soft buttery rind and two stripes of ash running through its middle. Ultra creamy, beautiful to look at, and a long lasting flavor, this cheese gives you a wonderful sense of place. If you want to know what can come out of commitment to quality and respect for process, take Sophia home.
Two Equals A Very Special One
Somewhere in Wisconsin is the person who thought, “Syrup tastes great on pancakes; let’s add it to cheese!” Perhaps that person was Vod Cheese’s founder and master affineur, Ulla Nylin, who has created many exciting cheeses throughout the years that echo her Swedish heritage. Perhaps it is someone else; I don’t know. What I do know is the cheese is made at Vod and then aged with the great cheese makers Roth Käse U.S.A. and what comes together is the exceptional Maple Blue. This raw cows milk blue is aged in pure maple syrup, which imparts a sweet, smoky aroma and a medium strong meaty flavor with a slightly sweet aftertaste. It smells like breakfast, but you can eat all day long. Try it in salad or melt it on a steak, and you’ll experience a cheese like no other. Delicious.
Thanks for reading.
Octavio Saez de Ibarra, The Cheese Department |
