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The
Cheesemonger Paul Partica, The Cheese Shop, Centerbrook CT
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Cheese Shop Top Ten The Cheese Shop Top Ten Cheeses are determined by volume sold which means they have great customer satisfaction, heavy repeat business and they have stood the test of time. Although there is a vast selection sold of excellent popular small cheeses such as Camembert, Epoisses, La Tur, Pico, Kunik, to name a few, the top ten is just share poundage. They are not in any order so don’t assume that cheese number “one” is better than cheese number “ten”. 1. Cambozola (Cow’s milk) from Germany
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This is a great Triple crème cheese from Germany. Not to be confused with the regular Cambozola which has the typical white snowy outer rind, this cheese has a black mold surrounding it. This gives the appearance that its good days are behind it. Not so, this is by far the better of the two versions. It’s one of the milder of the blues and very soft and creamy. The cheese is a real crowd pleaser. Try acacia honey for a wonderful dessert. 2. Kanaal (Cow’s milk) From Holland Kanaal is made from pasteurized milk that comes from free-range, grass-fed cows. They do not use GMO ingredients in production. Kanaal has a crunchy, butterscotch, salty-sweet, candy-like flavor. This is due to the presence of Tyrosine, an amino acid that results from aging in certain cheeses. Even though it tastes both salty and sweet, Kanaal contains neither added salt nor sugar to cause this sensation. There are many cheeses that have salt crystals on the outside which is due to the cheese being brined when made. This cheese achieves a great crystalized flavor, despite its ripened age of only ten months.
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Kanaal is technically not a Gouda, but a similar cheese style called Proosdij, which employs mixedstrain starter cultures to give the cheese characteristics of both a Gouda and a Parmigiano. Its butterfat content falls around 45%, versus Gouda’s butterfat content at 48%. The wheel weighs around eighteen to twenty pounds and comes with a heavy outer wax rind which enables it to have a long shelf life. If properly cared for, Kanaal will last many weeks at home. 3. Fromage D’Affinois (Cow’s milk) from France Fromage D’Affinois has made The Cheese Shop Top Ten list every year so far, and it will likely continue to. This is not only one of my all-time favorite soft-ripening cheeses, but a consistent top choice for most of my customers as well. Unlike most imported, shelf-stabilized Bries and Camemberts found in the U.S. today, D’Affinois remains exceptionally rich and creamy. I especially love that this cheese continues to ripen in the store after arrival which allows me to offer it for purchase at its peak. D’Affinois also maintains a fairly steady consistency, delivers a great flavor and is almost always readily available.
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4. Ewephoria (Sheep’s milk), from Holland Ewephoria makes my list again, and not just because I love the clever pun in the name. (I always enjoy customer reactions when asked if they’ve had Ewephoria lately). This cheese is still a relative newcomer to the world of cheese; it has been on the market for ten years. Ewephoria ages for almost a year, which is considered quite a long time for a cheese this small. With similar butterscotch whiskey notes, the taste reminds me of extra-aged cow’s milk Goudas such as Beemster XO. There is no gamey sheep’s milk taste in this cheese.
