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Cheese covered with „stuff“, in the Ukraine’s colours, together with a call for donations – again? Didn’t you just do that sale at Markthalle Neun? Yes, sure. And yet, here is Ukraine Alp Blossom for a second time, because sadly, it’s still relevant and important.
To recapitulate: Norbert and Manu, my Allgäu Kaeskuche cheese dealer friends, have restyled their Alp Blossom cheese due to the outrageous attacks in Ukraine and for every kilogram sold donate 2 euros to José Andres and his World Central Kitchen’s #ChefsForUkraine initiative. Those wonderful people provide direct and fast help on the ground, including cooking and distributing meals to all those displaced and bombed from their homes. A few weeks ago I did an afternoon „sale“ offering Ukraine Alp Blossom at Markthalle Neun which resulted in a donation totalling 852 euros. Thank you. And let’s not stop at that, please. The situation is precarious – here is a report and here is a podcast about and by Ukraine cheese folks.
From the cheese point of view, Ukraine Alp Blossom is the very opposite of a sacrifice: at four months this raw milk semi-hard alpine cheese made by Allgäu Hofkäserei Kraus has a lot of character and depth, the Ukraine’s yellow and blue made of marigold and cornflowers.
However, Kaeskuche is no retailer, and in Germany, at this point, Ukraine Alp Blossom is only available at the dairy’s shop in Ebersbach.
Which is why I’m suggesting two options: Either, you donate anyhow, even without getting your hands on the cheese, to an organisation of your choice, or to World Central Kitchen. Or you find a few other turophile people and order a complete wheel of Ukraine Alp Blossom, weighing around 5 kilogram (it will get to you vacuum-sealed, via UPS, and keeps quite a while, even once cut – though experience tells me it tends to disappear quickly), donate a minimum of 150 euros in lieu of „payment“ to World Central Kitchen and send me the donation receipt, together with the shipping address for the cheese. Shipment will be on Kaeskuche, I’ll cover the cost of the cheese. One way or another, I’m looking forward to hearing from you.
So that sooner rather than later Ukraine Alp Blossom can once again turn into a „regular“ Alp Blossom.
PS Option 3 for cheesemongers: you add Ukraine Alp Blossom to your portfolio – here you can reach out to Norbert Sieghart for details.