Archive for May, 2013
Wildblumenkäse
May 28th, 2013 Posted 12:14 am
This rather peculiar and delightful offering was brought over, a couple of weeks ago, from Germany by Marjam (aka Maus) a lifelong friend of Olympia’s.It comes from the Allgäu in the Alpine area of southern Germany……and, yes, it is covered with wild flowers!
 Wildblumenkäse
The pate is a pale yellow, with the odd round bubble hole in it, very similar to many other Alpine cheeses. Of course, what makes this particular cheese rather unique is that they coat it in colourful, dried, wild flowers. Red, orange, mauve, white and green petals and herbs make it look more like pot-puris than a cheese, and it smells like it too. The rind smells of hay, lavender and aromatic pipe tobacco. The pate itself has a very faint alpine cheese smell. The flavour is mild, sweet and milky. The rind is edible, and it’s a good job too, because it turns this otherwise bland and unexciting cheese into something special. The rind tastes much like it smells: lavender; hay; flowers and herbs, with a subtle but definite underlying Alpine flavour. An interesting experience and definitely something to seek out if you find yourself in that part of the world.
[the feet in the picture are German cheese biscuits, called käsefüss (Cheesy Feet) also brough over by Maus |
]Reviewed by Nick & Olympia, 2013.
(3/5)
Posted in 3 Stars - Good, Cow's milk, German, Hard, Unusual cheese
Sussex Slipcote (Basil)
May 5th, 2013 Posted 10:50 pm
This is one of a whole range of cheeses from the High Weald Dairy on the edge of the Ashdown Forest bearing the name. Apparently, the name Slipcote means little cottage (slippe cote). It is made to a traditional recipe that stems from the middle ages.
Sussex Slipcote With Basil
The one we selected for review was flavoured with basil. This was chosen, simple because we had not come across it before.
It is a soft fresh sheep’s cheese, very pale green with little green flecks of chopped basil. There is little to no smell.
The texture is very soft and mousse like, spreading easily. It has a lemony fresh flavour with a delicate, fragrant taste of fresh basil (just what you’d expect really).
Pleasant enough, but unremarkable. A good cheese to have on a cracker as a light snack.
Reviewed by Nick & Olympia 2012
(2/5)
Posted in 2 Stars - OK, English, Flavour added, Sheep's milk, Soft