Cheese of the month

The cheese of the month for February 2022 is: Las Arenas from Yolanda Egocheaga in Asturias/Spain

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Crumbly and rather dry, made from cow’s milk, with some irregular spots of blue. The rind brown, grooved, thin, with a distinctiveness smokiness – the Las Arenas didn’t really jump at me at our first encounter. A friend had bought it in Madrid from the glorious Cultivo cheesemongers (thank you Florian!). Theoretically, everything about it was just right: raw milk, natural rennet, spontaneous blue mould, a family’s small artisanal production in Asturias. » Weiterlesen…

The cheese of the month for January 2022 is: Quark from Hof Marienhöhe in Bad Saarow

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A new year. Without any doubt as turbulent as the two previous ones. Even more important to stay firmly rooted, in touch with the ground and soil, in a literal as well as metaphorical sense. I am working on that every morning, at breakfast, and since long before this global mess started, by having Quark from Hof Marienhöhe. » Weiterlesen…

The cheese of the month for December 2021: Soft White from New Roots in Emmental/CH

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Emmental – isn’t that where we were for last month’s cheese? Indeed. But, and, to jump right in (put a protecting hand under your jaw!): strictly speaking Soft White isn’t a cheese at all, as it’s made from cashews instead of cow’s milk. » Weiterlesen…

The cheese of the month for November 2021 is: Emmental from Switzerland

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Emmental? Isn’t that that pale more-holes-than-boring-plasticky stuff, really cheap and often leaving a burning feeling on your tongue? Yeah, sure – rare is the success story which does not end in tears due to commercial cannibalisation, sadly. But fortunately, almost as often, eventually, it also leads to a return to the origins, the actual reason for its success. Therefore I offer you: Emmental. With that gorgeous, discreet aroma, that hint of sweetness and walnuts, pleasantly mellow, but not dry at all… » Weiterlesen…

The cheese of the month for October 2021 is: Parmigiano Reggiano from Cravero

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Parmesan, really, you might wondering feeling somewhat disappointed, what an old hat, can’t she come up with something more exciting? No, because this is exciting! Finally I was once again at a real, big cheese fair, the wonderful Slow Food Cheese in Bra in Piedmont (honestly, I’m not overdoing it – it truly was gorgeous, and on the way back my trolley case once again, finally, was stuffed with cheesy substances for upcoming tastings!). And the parmesan experience really was one of the most amazing ones during those days. » Weiterlesen…

The cheese of the month for September 2021 is: Regowtaler from Capriolenhof in Brandenburg

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I’ve been writing this monthly blog since February 2013 – theoretically this ought to be cheese of the month number 115 – and amongst the very first stars of the small Heinzelcheese universe, in May 2013, was Blühende Landschaften or flowering landscapes, my absolute favourite from Capriolenhof, which back then still called itself Schleusenhof Regow. More than eight years later, allow me to entrust another Capriolenhof gem to your turophile hearts: Regowtaler. » Weiterlesen…

For August 2021: Langres, a cheese to go with Ahr wine

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Actually remains the order, or rather word of the day, unfortunately. Because I actually had been planning for a completely different cheese for this month – but life had its own plans. It sent rain. Torrents of rain the entire North American west coast would be more than grateful for, whereas it caused unimaginable devastation in North Rhine-Westphalia and along the river Ahr. This is why today I am presenting you with Langres. » Weiterlesen…

The cheese of the month for July 2021 is: L’Estaing from the Bergers du Larzac from the south of France

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To take matters in hand oneself, make your own destiny, live and work in a self-determined way… sounds good, no? Actually, it isn’t so easy to pull off, and it comes with its own risks. This semisoft sheep’s milk cheese from the Aveyron region in the south of France is the result of such a courageous step. In April 1996, six sheep farmers decided to stop selling their milk to the large Roquefort producers at their fixed prices and instead start to make and sell cheese themselves. » Weiterlesen…

The cheese of the month for June 2021 is: Mozzarella

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June 21st is the beginning of summer. The beginning of summer! The great outdoors, the warm sun, water, greenery, patios, balconies, picnics… friends! How I’m longing for all this. In terms of cheese, mozzarella is our best and most reliable summer friend, without any doubt. » Weiterlesen…

The cheese of the month for May 2021 is: Buchette from Petra Elsen, Hommerdingen/Eifel

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When I visited Petra Elsen on a research trip in May 2008 and wrote about her in my first cheese book, the title of that passage was “The Hommerdingen hero”: On the map Hommerdingen is just a tiny dot southwest of Bitburg, not far from the Luxemburg border, but in the new realm of German cheeses it deserves three stars: “one of the best cheesemakers, worth a special journey”. » Weiterlesen…