Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Creamy flavors classic hard cheese


Throughout the rest of Europe, there are a number of delicious hard cheeses that are worthy of note, all with their own unique appearance, texture and flavor.

BERGKASE (AUSTRIA)

This cheese closely resembles Bavarian Bergkase, with the same creamy, fudge-like flavor. The holes in the cheese are smaller than those in the German cheese.

BEAUVOORDE (BELGIUM)

This semi-hard hexagona, cow's milk cheese has an open texture that is firm. Yet supple, with a mild flavor and a spicy aroma.

GJETOST (NORWAY)

This semi-hard cheese is noticeably less compact that most hard cheeses. The unusual fudge-colored cheese is made from the whey and was originally made entirely from goat's milk. Although now it is more often made with a blend of goat's and cow's milk or pure cow's milk. The pure cow's milk version is called Gjetost is Norway's most popular cheese. Belgian Beauvoorde was created in the early 1900s by Arthur Dies. Mysost and the pure goat's milk version, Ekta Gjetost. Gjetost has a distinct sweet flavor and a rather unusual aromatic quality that is not to everyone's taste. It is traditionally eaten for breakfast, but may also be served as a dessert, with coffee and is also used in cooking, melted into savory dishes Jarlsberg has a springy texture and slightly sweet nutty flavor.

JARLSBERG (NORWAY)

This old Norwegian cheese based on Emmental, was all but forgotten before its rediscovery in the mid-1900s. Today it is extremely popular and a great deal of Jarlsberg is exported, particularly to the United States. Made from the rich milk of the high summer pastures, Jarlsberg is sweeter and less nutty than Emmental. Although it lacks the depth of that great cheese, Jarlsberg has a pleasant flavor. The paste is golden yellow, with holes of various sizes. It is best served as a table cheese and can also be used for meting grilling (broiling) and for snacks.

NOKKELOST (NORWAY)

This is the Norwegian version of the Dutch cheese Leyden and has been made in Norway since the seventeenth century. It comes in 5-12kg wheels or blocks flecked with cumin seeds and is marked with the imprint of cross keys the emblem of the city of Leiden.

GREVEOST/GREVE (SWEDEN)

Often known simply as Greve, this cow's milk cheese is a slightly milder, more commercial copy of Swiss Emmental. It is supple and dense in texture, with some large holes. It is pale yellow, has a creamy texture and a sweet, slightly nutty flavor, which becomes more pronounced as the cheese matures, but it lacks the depth and character of Emmental. Serve as a table cheese or use for grating and melting.

MESOST (SWEDEN)

Like a number of Swedish cheeses. Mesost is made by caramelizing the whey, a practice that is peculiar to Scandinavia. The whey is heated so that the residual proteins and fats separate. The liquid slowly evaporates to leave a sticky, toffee-like mass of caramelized milk sugars. The cheese is then left to set before being cut into blocks and wrapped for sale. The cheese can be anything from a pale tan to dark coffee in color and looks rather like fudge. Mesost has a creamy caramel flavor with a strangely bitter aftertaste.

HERRGÅRDSOST (SWEDEN)

Meaning manor house in Swedish, Herrgårdsost is an all-round family cheese, created at the beginning of the twentieth century as an alternative to Gruyère. Although there are similarities between the two- it melts easily and keeps well it is a much softer and more supple cheese, with smaller round holes. Herrgårdsost has a mild nuttiness and fresh tang. Greve is a modern semi-hard cheese made from cow's milk.

PRÄSTOST (SWEDEN)

The word prätost means priests cheese and dates back to the sixteenth century, when farmers regularly paid a tithe in milk to the local pastor. It was then the job of the pastor's wife to make the milk into cheese to be sold at the local market. The pastors personal popularity was as important a factor in success in the marketplace as his wife's skills in cheese making. Today, Prastost is made only in factories. It is a supple, semi-hard cheese with a pale yellow rind covered in fine cloth and with a yellow wax coat. The interior has a slightly mushy texture and many irregular, rice-sized holes. It has a mellow to robust, sweet-sour flavor with a sharp, fruity aftertaste. A version washed in whisky and known as Saaland Pfarr is also produced. It has the robust character of a French washed rind cheese. Prástost may be served as a table cheese.

SVENCIAOST (SWEDEN)

Svencia is the Latin name for Sweden and is here used to describe a range of cheeses made in the traditional Swedish style that were introduced to compete with the cheeses of the Netherlands such as Edam and Gouda. Available in different sizes, these semi-hard, cow's milk cheeses are frequently waxed and sold in a variety of flavors, including cloves, cumin and caraway. The texture is moist and supple and the cheese has a number of small holes. It has a pleasant, fresh acidity that matures to a more assertive piquancy.

VÄSTERBOTTENOST (SWEDEN)

This firm and very crumbly semi-hard cheese has small irregular eyes and some trapped moisture. Vasterbottenost, which was invented in the middle of the nineteenth century by West Bothnia, is still exclusive to the area. It has a granular texture and a definite, fruity bite, and is excellent for grating and melting in sauces.

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