A Quick Note on Cheese Selection
Cheese, like beer, wine, salume, and so many other things, is extremely diverse, with flavor profiles and textures boasting tremendous variety. There are SO MANY cheeses out there, so the options really go on and on. What tastes good and what feels good for one person, may do the exact the opposite for another. I always say, one of the reasons I love working in this industry is because I get to learn about peoples tastebuds, which are so incredibly diverse. There is no such thing as a universal “what’s good” vs. what’s not.”
It’s all about what feels good to you.
That said, I’m going to share with you a few cheeses that feel good to me and come highly recommended from cheese aficionados whose opinions I value tremendously. Try them, see what you think, and keep exploring!
Enjoy and feel free to take what I say with a grain of salt!
~ Charlito
Recommended for Campo Seco, Cerveza Seca, and Chorizo Seco
Soft / Creamy
Cremont – From Vermont Butter and Cheese Creamery (Cow and Goat’s Milk – Vermont)
Moses Sleeper – From The Cellars At Jasper Hill (Cow’s Milk – Vermont)
Brillat Savarin – (Cow’s Milk – France)
Kunik – FromNettle Meadow (Cow and Goat’s Milk – New York)
Medium
Tarantaise – Spring Brook Farm (Cow’s Milk – Vermont)
Morbier – (Cow’s Milk – France)
Leonora – (Goat’s Milk – Spain)
Smokey Blue – From Rogue Creamery (Cow’s Milk – Oregon)
Bayley Hazen Blue – From The Cellars At Jasper Hill (Cow’s Milk – Vermont)
Firm
Dante – Wisconsin Sheep Dairy Coop (Sheep’s Milk – Wisconsin)
Ossau-iraty – (Sheep’s Milk – France, Basque Country)
Aged (12-18 month) Manchego – Many producers – (Sheep’s Milk – Spain)
Piave Vecchio – (Cow’s Milk – Italy)
Recommended for Trufa Seca
Soft/Creamy
The flavor of truffles is quite delicate. It’s very easy to overpower, so when you’re picking a cheese to go with this salami, go for mild, not too intense. I have one favorite cheese to eat with this salami and that’s the one listed below. It’s super mild, super creamy, super delicious, and is the ideal bovine accompaniment for Truffle Salami.
Soft
Burrata – (Cow’s Milk – Many Producers)
Brillat Savarin – (Cow’s Milk – France)