Yummy, savory and instantly gratifying is what describes the ultimate ‘cheese’ experience. Just the thought of biting into a delicious bite of a mouth-watering chunk cheese is enough to make your taste buds go wild. But if you think you have tasted all the cheese there is to taste, stop and have a look at some of the most quirky cheeses across the world!
Anthoriro (Greece)
Anthoriro is a dry, rind-less, white, unpasteurized white cheese made from sheep's and cow's milk. It is also called as ‘Flower Cheese’ due to its floral smoky aroma carrying a hint of wild herbs of the country. From inside it is pure white and very delicate while the exterior is smooth, hard and moist with a crumbly texture. Generally it is eaten for breakfast with honey and fruits. Anthoriro usually takes two to five days to ripens and has a fat content of 20% to 30%
Aragon (Spain)
This is a great Spanish cheese, which is prepared by curdling milk with rennet or specialized thistle-flower extract for about 40 minutes at a temperature of 95 degrees F. For the milk, sometimes a mixture and goat's milk is also used to get a rich, distinct aroma. When the curd is set, it is cut into small pieces, drained, molded and pressed – all of this by hand! Aragon has to then be ripened for a week in a controlled humid environment for the flavors to come out.
Roquefort (France)
Ah, the Roquefort! Also known as ‘The Great French Blue’, Roquefort cheese is easily a cut above the rest of the classic blue cheeses found in the region. The flavor – it is to die for! This variety of cheese gets its unforgettable flavor from sheep's milk that imparts a certain kind of richness and a light, fruity quality it is famous for. Its sweet notes, when combined with its saltiness, the fulsome mold and the gooey soft paste, the result is one of the most delicate and delicious cheeses in the world!
Gruyère (Switzerland)
Gruyère represents everything that is classically Swiss! Unarguably one of the most famous cheeses of the world, Gruyère wins heart with both its beautiful malleable texture and the rich, dry flavor that is an instant hit for taste buds. This alpine cheese is everything that you expect in a nutty, fruity, smooth and buttery cheese like Gruyère. The older counterparts will have their fair share of crunchy bits that are nothing but proteins that have gradually crystallized over time.
Lake's Edge (USA)
Lake’s Edge is soft and fluffy American goat cheese made in Vermont in small batches on a tiny family farm. The result is a unique mix of cheese sporting an exclusive blend of tart and milky flavors of goat cheese along with some grounding earthy flavor. Though it is a complex blend of flavors, its creaminess simply wins hearts of all cheese lovers across the world!
Kashta (Middle East)
Kashta, also known as ‘Kishta’ is a really flavorful heavily creamy cheese that is extremely popular in the Middle East. The trick to making a gorgeous batch of Kashta lies in skimming the thickest part of the cream from whey and then allowing it to rest. Kashta is popularly used in cooking as well as eaten along with honey. It is now that it turns into truly sinfully rich desserts most people cannot resist!
Brin d'Amour (Corsica)
Also known as ‘Fleur du Maquis’, Brin d'Amour literally translates to 'little bit of love' and just one bite of this beautiful cheese from the tiny island of Corsica is enough to spin its magic on you. This ethereal cheese gets its famed flavor from being rolled in dried rosemary. Sometimes you can also expect a whiff of juniper berry and chili pepper that truly makes it rustic, elegant, and delicate all at once! If you haven’t had Brin d'Amour once in your life, you haven’t had nothing!
Cotija (Mexico)
This Hispanic-style cheese is also fondly called as the ‘Parmesan of Mexico’ because of how generously it is used in the region! It is also used in the similar manner is Hispanic cooking as Parmesan is used in Italian. Originally, it was prepared with goat's milk but today cow's milk is much preferred. This cheese has a lasting flavor and has a firm texture, which makes it perfect for grating and sprinkling atop popular Mexican delicacies. The zest the food gets with this cheese is to die for!
So, next time your heart says cheese, you know there is so much more varieties to look forward to across the world!