A bit of midweek cheese blogging
A quick bit of cheese blogging. Picked up some Reblochon, a French soft cheese made from raw cow's milk, to have as a breakfast cheese this week. See a detailed description here.
On unwrapping the cheese, I was afraid I'd found one of those French cheeses that smell like feet. I was hit with a strong odor which I did not find pleasant. (It's worth noting that the pungent, soft raw milk cheeses are among my least favorites, so I was skating the edge by even trying the Reblochon in the first place.)
However, once it had aired a little, I trimmed some off and found the cheese's taste unlike the initial bouquet. It still had a trace of that raw milk pungency, but the flavor was smooth and somewhat nutty. Toasting it over olive oil on some sourdough from New Seasons' bakery eliminated the pungency.
All in all, a perfectly good cheese, but probably not destined to be a regular on my cheese menu. This is more an issue of my taste than a particular flaw in Reblochon -- the soft raw milk cheeses aren't my best bet. Not recommended for casual cheese eaters for essentially that reason. $15.99/lb. at New Seasons.
Reblochon in the Wrapper
Reblochon on the Plate
On unwrapping the cheese, I was afraid I'd found one of those French cheeses that smell like feet. I was hit with a strong odor which I did not find pleasant. (It's worth noting that the pungent, soft raw milk cheeses are among my least favorites, so I was skating the edge by even trying the Reblochon in the first place.)
However, once it had aired a little, I trimmed some off and found the cheese's taste unlike the initial bouquet. It still had a trace of that raw milk pungency, but the flavor was smooth and somewhat nutty. Toasting it over olive oil on some sourdough from New Seasons' bakery eliminated the pungency.
All in all, a perfectly good cheese, but probably not destined to be a regular on my cheese menu. This is more an issue of my taste than a particular flaw in Reblochon -- the soft raw milk cheeses aren't my best bet. Not recommended for casual cheese eaters for essentially that reason. $15.99/lb. at New Seasons.
Reblochon in the Wrapper
Reblochon on the Plate