Having done our Cheese of the Month feature for a couple years running, every now and again we get a chance to revisit a package we’ve received in months past.
This month, we got to revisit some of our favorite Swiss cheeses with PennMac’s “A Taste of Switzerland” four-pack.
Fox put together a beautiful presentation of the four cheeses PennMac provided: raclette, gruyere, appenzeller, and emmentaler. (This is obviously the “before-we-utterly-destroyed-it” shot.)
First on the board was the raclette, a cow’s milk cheese that can be either pasteurized or unpasteurized. It has a firm texture and a sweet, fruity flavor that intensifies when melted. We found it to be very creamy; it really reminded us of the flavor you might remember when you imagine your quintessential “Swiss cheese.”
Next up was the gruyere, an unpasteurized cow’s milk cheese. It is firm with an inedible rind. The cheese has a cream-beige color on its interior, a pleasant aroma, and a strong flavor that pairs well with fruit and nuts, as well as various meats (it’s great with cured meats or on top of a burger). It’s got smoky, earthy notes and can be a little crumbly when cut.
Our third cheese was the appenzeller, an unpasteurized cow’s milk cheese with an inedible rind and an interesting history. Appenzeller is ivory-colored with small holes; it’s very aromatic and has fruity, tangy flavors with a hint of spice. It’s also nutty and very creamy, making it a great pairing with either hot capicola or just honey and a little bread.
Last on our little cheese adventure was the emmentaler. Another unpasteurized cow’s milk cheese, this one is yellowish-tan in color and has a mild, nutty, fruity flavor to it. It’s another cheese that will remind you of that generic “Swiss cheese” you might picture in your memory. We’d describe it as soft and woodsy, which sounds weird but you’ll totally get it if and when you have a taste.
We’ll be back with some more cheeses and notes in March. Be sure to check back!
“‘Soft and woodsy’? I are skeptical, but I are prepared to go this journey with you. Pls to have a cheese now?”