Cheesus?

Old cheese

"Archaeologists Discover a Cheese That’s Almost 2,000 Years Older Than Jesus"

http://www.ryot.org/archaeologists-discover-cheese-thats-older-jesus/585725

The real Cheesus:

Oooo Ahhh!

This is one way to keep cows comfortable. It turns out cows that are less stressed out produce less acidic milk, and that leads to better tasting cheese. Mechanical massagers are used in many dairies these day, not just in Switzerland.

Swiss cow getting a massage.

Gubbeen Cheese Review

In my cheese-reviewing escapades, I have found that, even more so than with chocolate, each cheese has a unique personality and history. With cheese, it's not just about the taste; it's about how the cheese is made, where it is aged, what kind of milk is used and where it is produced. The more I learn about a cheese, the more I appreciate it, especially when I discover a cheese maker and those who age the cheese are concerned with the environment and the well-being of their animals.

When it comes to Gubbeen, I was drawn in by the buttery flavor, and I grew to love it after I read about the cheese maker and all that goes in to making this curious little cheese.

Ireland near Shull, County Cork

In addition to cheddar cheese, Ireland is known for its sweet and mild cheeses, and Gubbeen is no exception. The warm, humid climate where Gubbeen is produced is ideal for several breeds of grass-grazing cows that produce rich milk. The mixed breeds provide milk that ends up being the perfect blend of butterfat and protein. Tom Ferguson, the herdsman at the Gubbeen farm, tends to the following breeds on his farm: British Friesian, Simmental, Jersey, Shorthorn and Ireland's native Kerry Cow. All the animals are fed a GMO-free diet and graze on the lush grasses in the area approximately eight months of the year. 

Black Kerry Cows

There is only one Gubbeen cheese, and, in a sense, the Gubbeen dairy only produces one cheese. According to their website:

At the Gubbeen Dairy we make effectively one cheese - Gubbeen. Like the Chateaux that produce just one wine from their land, our milk produces Gubbeen Cheese - the trick is what we do in the curing processes. Cheese vintages come from aging plus the milk quality and the seasons

Gubbeen Cheese

Giana, Tom's wife, spent time in Spain and France where she learned the art of small-batch cheese making before settling in Ireland to continue making cheese. After some experimentation, Giana and her husband Tom began making Gubbeen consistently and they and the Gubbeen dairy team have been doing so since 1979.

Giana Ferguson

Gubbeen is not a typical wash-rind cheese. Three layers of bloom from different organisms make up this rind. It all starts with a basic yeast which grows for three days in curing rooms that have been inoculated with what is known as microseeds of the Gubbeen Flora. It is the Bacterium Linens mold that gives the rind its slightly orange appearance. Many stinky cheeses such as Epoisse or fresh Munster have an orange or pink wash rind. As the Gubbeen cheese develops, it is treated with salt and water washes, but white wine is also added which balances the PH of the rind. Toward the end of the aging process, a top bloom forms that enriches the overall flavor of the cheese.

Neal's Yard Dairy Gubbeen Cheese

This is one of those semi-soft cheeses that is more firm than soft, but there's no mistake that the cheese is smooth and creamy. Tiny holes form throughout the beautiful golden interior. It's slightly chewy, a little bit sticky, and the cheese has a nice mouth feel. The lingering remnants leave an oily film that clings nicely to your mouth after you swallow, leaving a lasting flavor, one that immediately made me think of butter, luscious butter. Yes, the flavor that really stands out is that of butter,

What struck me most about this pasteurized cow's milk cheese is that it is very mild. Take a very fine mild cheddar and serve it with a slab of the best butter in the world, and you have Gubbeen.

Toward the rind, the flavor is a bit stronger but still on the mild side. I detected very slight hints of mushroom, cashews and a very mild straw flavor from a barnyard. Even though there are notes of straw, and you can even detect a faint taste of the barnyard or the country, it's not anything that will shock or scare unadventurous cheese eaters away. Though a pasture or meadow comes to mind, Gubbeen isn't in the category of the big stinky cheeses. It's far too mild for that. There really is no attention-grabbing aspect of this cheese, but it's oddly addicting. Perhaps in its subtlety, it becomes more intriguing.

Gubbeen can be used in recipes or served plain on a big slice of crusty bread or in a salad. Try it with an aromatic white wine such as an Alsace Riesling. Vegetarians will be happy to know that Gubbeen is made with vegetable rennet.

Riesling

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

I found this cool list on the Huffington Post:

Best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

A Step in the Right Direction

I know some Europeans would prefer that we don't call this product cheese, but this is still a step in the right direction:

Kraft removes artificial preservatives in its most popular cheese product.

Kraft Cheese

Cheese Articles

Here are a few articles relating to cheese you might find informative:



Does Aging Unpasteurized Cheese Make It Safe to Eat?

Read more: http://www.ehow.com/info_12331474_aging-unpasteurized-cheese-make-safe-eat.html#ixzz2sMmnluks

How Long Past the Sell Date Can You Eat Brie Cheese?

Read more: http://www.ehow.com/info_12324184_long-past-sell-date-can-eat-brie-cheese.html#ixzz2sLDuoCRA

The Typical French Beverages When Eating Cheese & Bread

Read more: http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/typical-french-beverages-eating-cheese-bread-40782.html

Roquefort Review

Roquefort Cheese

Roquefort is is one of three French cheeses in the running to be crowned the ultimate king of the cheeses, Brie and Epoisse being the other two. Brie, the creamy white-rind cheese, and Epoisse, the stinky but lovable wash-rind cheese, were adored by Charlemagne and Napoleon respectively, but don’t quite have the history or reputation that Roquefort has. Revered by royalty and rebels alike, Roquefort stands out among all cheeses for its distinctive look, taste and aroma. Diderot and Henry Miller even made comments about this cheese, the former calling it the finest cheese in Europe and the latter claiming that "To eat this cheese one must have genius." (By the way, Charlemagne also loved Roquefort. Which cheese he preferred, Brie or Roquefort, isn't clear.) 

Roquefort, France

I can't mention Roquefort without bringing up the legend of how the cheese was first made. The story, whether true or not, is not unlike a fairy tale. Once upon a time, a young sheep-herder eating his lunch of bread and sheep's-milk cheese became distracted by a lovely young lady. He placed his lunch in one of the nearby caves and ran to meet the young lass. Apparently they hit it off, because the boy didn't return for several months. When he did, the bread from his lunch had turned moldy and had transformed the cheese into what would later become one of the most renowned cheeses in the world. This veiny blue-green mold in white or yellow cheese is what gives the blues their distinctive flavor and color.

Of course, leaving rye bread out to rot isn't a good way to consistently create the species of mold, Penicillium roqueforti, that goes into Roquefort. In fact, in uncontrolled environments, attempting to get this kind of mold can be dangerous -- the wrong strains can cause hallucinations or worse.

No matter how it was invented, the cheese unquestionably dates back remarkably far, some say as far back as 79 CE. By 1411, Charles IV made a stand and granted a monopoly to the people of Roquefort-Sur-Soulzon, a small town in southern France, ensuring that the ripening of the cheese could only take place there. In addition to the cheese ripening throughout Roquefort-Sur-Soulzon, all Roquefort cheeses are made with milk from the Lacaune “brebis” or ewes that live near Lacaune, a rugged town in the Midi-Pyrenees region.

Lacaune sheep grazing in France.

Today, fewer than 10 companies make Roquefort cheese, and each is labeled under Contrôlée or AOC guidelines that protect the cheese-making process, the ingredients and the origin of a product. Look for a red sheep or any label that specifically states Appellation D’Origine Protegee or Garanti D’Origine et De Qualite. Some of the more renowned companies include Societe, Papillon and Le Vieux Berger. 

Gabriel Coulet, though not the best-known of the Roquefort companies, is a family-run business that has been in operation since 1872. The operation started when Gabriel Coulet had plans to dig a cellar in his back yard to age a few bottles of wine. Shortly after he began digging, he stumbled upon a fleurine, a type of natural fault that runs through the Combalou mountain. It was at that moment that he seized an opportunity to turn his small cellar into a more substantial one for aging cheese.

Aging Roquefort.

 The reason Roquefort cheese ages so well in these natural caves is that the faults blow air either into or out of the caves as the atmospheric pressure changes, resulting in the perfect environment in terms of humidity and temperature. Most Roquefort cheeses are aged three to 15 months.

Roquefort on display.

If you haven't tried Roquefort, hold on to your chapeau. This cheese will wake you up and call all your senses to attention with the first whiff of its fragrant, strong aroma. Don't worry -- the odor it emits is not like the wash-rind stinky cheeses that most people either love or hate. This is a potent, slightly sour but pleasant smell. 

Sampling the cheese.

 

The cheese itself is rich and creamy with big salty, sharp, pungent and tangy flavors. This is a blue cheese like no other, and there's a reason why it's the most popular of all the blues. Stilton, Bleu D’Auvergne, Gorgonzola and Cabrales all have their strong points, but Roquefort stands out among them as a true leader. Some describe the French cheese as crumbly, which is only partly accurate. The white edges can sometimes have a drier texture that do crumble, but this isn't a hard cheese and doesn't have the characteristics of one. Both the outer edges and the veins of blue-green mold can have something of a grainy texture, but don't be concerned, as the cheese melts quickly and evenly on the tongue. The reality it that the interior is silky-smooth, especially toward the center.

Roquefort goes with many foods and drinks. Toss it on salad, drizzle it with honey, serve it with fruit, cook it in tarts, or serve it plain on a crusty baguette. No matter how you serve it, you can't go wrong.

Rose goes well with Roquefort.

The bold flavor of Roquefort can tolerate a full-bodied red wine, but try pairing the cheese with a rose. You won't be disappointed.