French Roquefort

Made from sheep’s milk, Roquefort Cheese is made in the South of France, using a process called ‘penicillium roqueforti’.

The mould was originally found in the caves where the cheese aged, however, now it is produced in laboratories to ensure the consistency of the cheese. French Roquefort is usually matured for anywhere between 4 and 9 months.

The cheese is white and crumbly with distinct blue/green veins, which provide a sharp tang. There is no rind which makes the exterior edible and slightly salty.

Exclusively made from the milk of the red Lacaune ewes, they spend their lives grazing on the plateau of Rouergue, Causses in the Aveyron, Roquefort is one of the best known blue cheeses. Though similar cheeses are produced elsewhere, European Law dictates that only those cheeses matured naturally in the Combalou caves can bear the name Roquefort.

They are sold in wheels and weigh around 3kg. Each kilogram of cheese requires around 4.5 litres of milk, which means this cheese is high in protein and minerals; notably calcium and sodium.

The legend of Roquefort cheese is that a youth was eating his lunch of bread and ewe’s milk cheese, saw a beautiful girl in the distance and ran off to meet her. When he returned a few months later and the mould in the caves had transformed his cheese in to Roquefort. It is mentioned in history as far back as 79 AD.

With a creamy and soft taste this particular cheese goes well with nuts and figs.

Spanish Manchego

Made from sheep’s milk, Manchego cheese is made in the La Mancha region of Spain. It is only made form whole milk and is a rich semi, hard cheese.

It is aged in natural caves for around 3 to 6 months, with gives it a distinctive and slightly salty taste. Made in a barrel shape, with a 25cm diameter and being 12 cm thick this cheese weighs around 2kg.

Using Manchega sheep milk, this cheese is wrapped in sheets of woven esparto grass during the manufacturing stage which gives it an inedible rind.

During production stage the cheese is pressed using wooden boards and this leaves an imprint, giving it an earthy and unique appearance. Manchego cheese is usually a white colour, sometimes a pale yellow, and the rind is somewhere between light brown and dark grey.

The taste is very distinctive, slightly salty but not overpowering. It is very similar ot normal feta cheese, though it has a slightly chewier texture.

The Denominacion de Origen protects the cheese and controls its production, and ensre the exclusive use of milk from the Manchega sheep. They also dictate that the cheese must be matured for a minimum of 2 months.

The cheese is available in three different ages of maturity. You can have it
fresh,
when it has been matured for 3 to 6 months,
or mature where it has been left for a year.

Mozzarella

Mozzarella, with tomatoes

In Italian the verb mozzare means to ‘cut’. Mozzarella is made using spinning and then cutting, hence the name. Mozzarella is a generic term used for several different kinds of Italian cheeses.

It can be made from Buffalo or cows milk and is made from either pasteurised or un-pasteurised milk, as long as it is fresh. Milk buffalo milk is three times more expensive than cows milk so the price tag can be high. These animals are only herded in a few countries so the majority of Mozzarella is made form cow’s milk.

Buffalo milk is high in fat and is not easy to digest in its raw form. This means it is used primarily for cheese instead of as a beverage. Mozzarella contains 40 to 45 % fat, however, there are lower fat versions and skim versions available.

It is a soft cheese and due to its high moisture content it is usually served the day it is made. However, it can be sold in brine and be kept for a few weeks if in a vacuum sealed container. This cheese is not aged like most others. The process to make Mozzarella is called pasta filata, where the curds are heated in water until they form strings. This gives it its name of string cheese. They are then kneaded and stretched until smooth, and then they are formed in to round balls and served.

Fresh Mozzarella is generally white, but this can vary seasonally, and also depending on the animals diet; it can have a slight yellow tinge to it. If the cheese is low moisture it can be kept in the fridge for up to a month. You will find different varieties of Mozzarella on pizza, lasagne, etc.

Somerset Brie

Originally Brie was a French cheese, but different styles of Brie have evolved outside of the country. First made in the region it is named after, just outside of Paris, Brie is made of cow’s milk.

Served with fruit and as a dessert at the end of a meal Brie, is a soft cheese with a yellowish interior and a white layer on the outside.

The milk of soft cheeses is not heated during the production and Brie is made in round loaves with around a 36cm diameter. In Europe this cheese is not chemically treated and as made using pasteurised milk it should be kept in the fridge.

The cheese takes around 8 to 10 weeks to ripen and when buying Brie you should look for
softness,
a white exterior, although it may have reddish patches,
the interior should be a shade of yellow,
the cheese has a distinct smell which some like and other don’t,
it should also taste slightly nutty.

There are Brie’s made outside of France and I have chosen Somerset Brie.

Wensleydale with Cranberries

Wensleydale with cranberries, with grapes

Produced in a town in Hawes in Wensleydale, North Yorkshire, this Wensleydale cheese is made in four different types.

Real Yorkshire Wensleydale – This is usually shaped in a variety of different moulds, pressed and preserved in wax.

Mature Wensleydale – Slightly harder than the others, this is the more highly flavoured versions of the Real Yorkshire Wensleydale.

Blue Wensleydale – With blue veins, this is again produced in many varieties and as well as being highly flavoured it is less salty than the classic Blue Stilton.

Smoked Wensleydale – This is cold smoked to produce a special tang and texture.

I have chosen Wensleydale with Cranberry. The pale colour of the cheese contrasts with the red cranberries and this allows for a full, natural and bitter-sweet flavour. This is one of the most popular fruit varieties.

Wensleydale, made from cow’s milk, is eaten young, normally matured for between a fortnight and three months, and the texture becomes crumblier with maturity.

Village Green Goats Cheese

Village Green Goats cheese, with crackers

Village Green Goats Cheese is made by Cornish Country Larder at their North Bradon Farm Dairy in Somerset. It is a cheddar style cheese, but made from different milk.

This cheese is made from goat’s milk, the name gives it away, and also reflects the green wax coating that is applied to the cheese; protecting it from moisture. It is a hard cheese made from pasteurised milk and is sold in loaf shapes.

It is sold at various ages, from anywhere between 3 and 18 months, and has a white colour under the wax, with a sweet nutty flavour that becomes more pronounced as it ages.

Goats cheese has more medium chain fatty acids in and this contributes to the tart flavour of the cheese.

Basic Cheese Platter

Three different cheeses are needed to make a basic platter. Each need represent a different milk type: cow, goat and sheep. Always keep in mind the flavour and texture.

This platter has three cheeses with different textures, but the flavours are mild to medium.

Gruyere
Made from cow’s milk, Gruyere is named after the town of Gruyere’s in Switzerland. With a hard texture, this cheese has a sweet but slightly salty flavour which varies in age. It is often described as being creamy and nutty when young and becoming more earthy and complex as it ages.

Humboldt Fog
Winning first place awards from the American Cheese Society, Humboldt Fog is made from goat’s milk by Cypress Grove Chevre, California. This cheese is creamy and light with a stronger flavour near the rind. The mould and ash rind are edible but they are fairly tasteless.

Istara
This cheese is made from sheep’s milk in the French Pyrenees. It has a semi soft texture and a slightly sharp, olive flavour.

Presentation and Garnish
Set a cluster of grapes in the centre of the platter and arrange the three cheeses evenly around it. Always aim the rind of the cheese at the centre so people can cut the cheeses easily. Place the crackers on the side of the plate of in a side basket.

Set the cheeses out half an hour before you wish to eat them, so that they are at room temperature. Ideally put out a different serving knife for each cheese.