Tuesday 26 June 2007

Shaw River Lady Julie Cheddered Buffalo Cheese

Shaw River is Australia's only Water Buffalo Dairy and it's located in western Victoria, near the town of Yambuk. The herd is made up from both Italian Riverine Buffalo and Bulgarian Murrah Buffalo.

They are probably more well known for their mozzarella and yoghurt but this cheese is a bit on the unusual side.

Lady Julia Cheddered Buffalo Cheese© by Haalo

Cheese Maker: Shaw River Buffalo Cheese
Cheese Type: Lady Julia Cheddered Buffalo Cheese
Location: Princes Highway , Yambuk

Lady Julia Cheddered Buffalo Cheese© by Haalo

This cheese is a bit hard to come by as it takes about 2 years to make - it's a cheddar made with buffalo milk. It carries the characteristic of buffalo milk in it's whiter colouring.

Lady Julia Cheddered Buffalo Cheese© by Haalo

Though it feels quite dense, it cuts very smoothly without crumbling. It's taste is quite pronounced and packs a punch like a great aged cheddar should. The sweetness of the milk comes through along with that lovely nuttiness. It may look meek and mild but this is for those that love their cheddar to bite back.


Originally published here

Saturday 16 June 2007

Grandvewe Birchs Bay Blonde

I do get quite excited when I find a new cheese to taste and I must say I am extremely impressed with this offering from Tasmania.

Grandvewe Cheese is located in the picturesque Huon Valley overlooking Entrecasteaux Channel and Bruny Island and was established in 2001. They are a family run business that specialise in Sheep's milk cheese sourced from their herd of East Friesland (Friesian) Sheep. They are also organically certified and have a range of Organic Wines to complement their cheese.

Grandvewe Birchs Bay Blonde© by Haalo

Cheese Maker: Grandvewe Cheese
Cheese Type: Birchs Bay Blonde
Location: 59 Devlyns Road, Birchs Bay Tasmania
Open:
September - June: 10am-5pm, 7 days excluding Christmas day
July - August: 10am-4pm daily except Tuesdays

Grandvewe Birchs Bay Blonde© by Haalo

Before you even remove it from it's wrapper those wonderful mushroom aromas are coming through - this is the type of cheese I just love to breath in deeply.

The shape is classical - barrel shaped with a wrinkled rind that you might recall seeing in some of the mature goat cheese I've featured in the past.

Grandvewe Birchs Bay Blonde© by Haalo

I have, contrary to my own advice, sliced this before it's achieved room temperature - but you should see the different layers. Just under the fairly thin skin is a creamy and as it warms, runny section that surrounds a whiter and more chalky core.

Grandvewe Birchs Bay Blonde© by Haalo

To eat, it's soft on the palette, the flavour filling your mouth - there's no bitterness or tartness at all. It's just well balanced and absolutely moorish.

At this stage, the rind is perfectly edible (it's slightly moist) though as the cheese matures the rind will become harder. The true testament to the cheese is that on a cheese board with three others, it was the first to disappear.

Unlike so many other cheese makers, Grandvewe has set up a really great website where you can find out more about the sheep, their cheese and wine and you can even order it online! I do believe they even ship overseas.

For those in Melbourne, I found this at Leo's in Kew.

Web: Grandvewe

Originally published here

Friday 8 June 2007

Holy Goat La Luna

Holy Goat have done it again - producing what is probably a one-off but certainly something I just couldn't pass by.

Holy Goat La Luna© by Haalo

Cheese Maker: Holy Goat
Cheese Type: La Luna Baby wrapped in Chestnut Leaves
Location: Sutton Grange Organic Farm, Victoria

Holy Goat La Luna© by Haalo

Now you understand why I just had to have this.

Wrapped in chestnut leaves is a round of their La Luna Baby. It's quite a delicate package, the scent is just intoxicating - those intense mushroom notes floating off the leaves.

Holy Goat La Luna© by Haalo

Carefully peeling the leaves back you are rewarded with quite an oozing cheese - it's at it's peak ripeness and will be perfect on the cheese platter tonight.

Holy Goat La Luna© by Haalo

La Luna is a goat cheese with a wrinkled yeast rind - there are similar aromas to that found with washed rinds. At this stage, it's extremely creamy with an lingering flavour, somewhat nutty coupled with slight citrus.

Usually La Luna is available in three forms - Baby (this one without the leaves), Full Moon (a barrel shaped) and La Luna Ring (similar to a ring donut). It's interesting to note how the flavours do alter depending on the shape.


Originally published here

Monday 4 June 2007

Jindi Supreme Triple Cheese

Jindi Cheese was started in 1985 and it's another one of our all time favourites - located in Gippsland, here in Victoria, in the town of Jindivick. Through the years they have achieved international success, the most recent being the 2004 award for the Worlds Best Brie.

Jindi Supreme Triple Cream© by Haalo

Cheese Maker: Jindi Cheese
Cheese Name: Supreme Triple Cream

Jindi Supreme Triple Cream© by Haalo

As the name suggests, Triple Cream, this is quite a rich and luscious cheese and requires an average 35% fat content. The milk is sourced from predominately Jersey cows. The cheese is shrouded in a soft white mould and maturation time takes about 5-6 weeks.

Jindi Supreme Triple Cream© by Haalo

A look inside and you are rewarded with a intense buttery cheese with an eye-catching golden hue. You don't just eat this cheese, it melts in your mouth. If you are fond of brie and Camembert, then this is a cheese you must try.


Originally published here