An ancient cheese from those industrious monks, whose name, Munster, is a derivative of "monastery".Technically, the AOC designated name for this cheese may be Munster of Munster-Gerome form Alsace and Lorraine respectively. Munster undeniably takes its own place in the cheese world. It is strong and pungent in both aroma and on the palate, thou its concentrated rich, spicy and earthy flavor tends to make fans out of the skeptical.
This Trappist cheese comes to us from the Abbey of Chimay. It is washed with the well-known beer from Chimay giving it a characteristic aroma - the attributes of a pungent washed rind cheese filled out by the yeast and hops of a great beer. Despite being a washed rind cheese, it is gentle in flavor with a supple smooth texture.
Monastery cheeses hit again, this time in the form of a large brick. The Maredsous has been in production for a long time and that might be because it is such a pleasant, unassuming cheese appropriate for any time of the day. The texture is semi-soft with a durable, well-formed rind that protects the dense, buttery texture of the interior. Flavors are grassy, butter and decidedly cheesy!
This is an aged cheese from the Abbey of Chimay made in a domed shape. It is a semi-firm textured cheese with mild, medium-aged gouda-style flavor. The coloring of the interior is a nice rosy-orange that provides good color and shape to a display and cheeseboard.
Creamy Havarti is is a cows milk cheese that has cream added for an extra smooth texture. It is semisoft and laced with pin-sized holes. It has a mild sweet and creamy taste and is perfect on bread or as a melting cheese. This cheese combines all that with the delightful dill taste.
One of the epic stories of cheese making, who isn't moved by the story of the beleaguered Dutch settlers in Prussia who, pining away for the Gouda of their native land, set out to make some of their own. Supply chains were not then what they are now, and so they were forced to attempt a recreation. Unfortunately for them, but fortunately for us, one cannot make Danish Gouda in a damp, moldy Prussian cellar. The result was a cheese called Tilsit, after the city of their discontent. As the Prussians to the Danes, so the cheese mirrors, being more spicy, intense and full that regular Havarti. Tilsit has a brown orange rind and a rich yellow pate, springy and elastic.
Double Gloucester is crafted using a mixture of morning and evening milk, hence the name, Double Gloucester. It is a traditional, unpasteurized, semi-hard cheese which has been made in Gloucestershire since the sixteenth century. Ours is by the inimitable Ford Farms on the south coast of england, and is aged in a traditional cloth binding for 6 months.
Lappi is so named because its recipe was developed in the Lapland region of Finland. It is made from partially skimmed cow's milk, which results in a cheese nearly identical to Emmental except that it is pasteurized, and so is slightly less flavorful. It is also similar to swiss cheese, but with smaller holes and a slightly firmer texture. Lappi is a favorite among those who prize a mild nature and sweet taste. It is a classic melting cheese and can be substituted in nearly all Fondue recipes.
Mimolette may also be called Boule de Lille after the city of Lille where it was created. The cheese is closely related to a Dutch Edam; even the melon-sized wheel with the flattened top and bottom are nearly identical. Mimolette, however, has a natural rind that, over time, will become rough and pockmarked. The interior is a strikingly rich orange color that ages to an orange-brown color. The texture is firm with a caramelized, nutty, rich flavor and slight tang on the finish.
