The Rich
Flavor of Sheep's Milk Cheese
by
Lotti Abraham, Cheese Purchaser, Nob Hill
The
true millennium is finally upon us and so are our resolutions and sense
of renewal.
Exploring
the variety of sheep's milk cheeses gracing the Nob Hill and Valley
stores' cheese cases is one way to celebrate the new year.
Utilized,
like their goat cousins, for thousands of years for their meat, wool
and milk, sheep are able to survive in all kinds of terrain.
Reigning
supreme in the Pyrenees region of Spain and France, also known as Basque
country, for thousands of years, sheep's milk cheeses are an integral
part of this area's diet and culture.
Ossau
Iraty, one of the most heavenly of cheeses, and Roncal, an olivey nutty
flavored cheese, both date back at least 3,000 years if not more!
Roncal
is highly compatible with fruits and raw vegetables, and recommended
for grating onto your favorite pasta dish.
Idiazabal,
also from the Pyrenees, possesses a similar texture to Roncal but is
more buttery and nutty tasting.
An
excellent snacking cheese that can be grated onto salads and sauces
as well.
Heading
east, away from the
mountains, Zamarano, a raw milk
sheep cheese, from Zamara, Spain, is packed with minerals and vitamin
B-12 adding more nutritional value to the already rich flavor of sheep's
milk.
Nutty
and smooth with a slight brine taste, Manchego, aged three months and
one year, are all-time favorites in Spain and at La Montanita.
A
sliver of quince paste, and Manchego on top of rustic bread and you
have a lovely combination of sweetness and salt all melting in your
mouth.
Cabrales,
the Spanish roquefort, is a combination of sheep, goat and cow milk.
The flavor is best described by the author of The Cheese Primer, Steve
Jenkins:
"The
flavor immediately electrifies the tongue with a variety of sensations
and layers of flavor — blackberries and currants, bittersweet chocolate,
grass and hay, leather and woodsmoke, walnuts and… beef."
With a red wine and rustic bread topping that combination, you are in
for a savory treat.
Mr.
Jenkins also suggests that sheep's milk cheeses accentuate the taste
of olives in ways that is not possible with cow or goat milk cheeses.
Whether
it's from the Pyrenees or a delectable Pecorino Toscano or the versatile
ricotta salata of Italy — that buttery taste of Manouri from Greece
— the creaminess of France's sheep brie, Le Berger de Rocastin
— sheep's milk cheeses are a wonderful way to enjoy a luscious
lunch, snack or hardy meal as the fruits of the new year begin to ripen.
Happy
New Year from the folks of Nob Hill and Valley Cheese Departments!