Eat your Greens!!...

Hello and Happy New Year Cheese Enthusiasts!

Photo courtesy of Castagna

Many people this time of year are ready to start working out and eating healthier. I agree!...Time to start eating your greens!!....No, I am not speaking of those leafy greens!...This is a cheese blog!!...I speak of those cheeses that are wrapped in leaves!

Last year I started several blogs that spoke of different ways that cheese makers used natural methods such as Marinating and Binding with Wood in order to hold the soft cheese curd together and protect it from the elements. Wrapping with leaves could easily be the third installment to this series.

Back in 2014, while I was studying for the American Cheese Society’s, Certified Cheese Professional® exam, I wondered if questions might be asked on the exam regarding leaf wrapped cheeses, so I figured I better start researching them.

To my surprise, there were a greater number than I expected. Here is the list that I came up with:

CHEESE NAME:	MILK TYPE:	FROM:	LEAF USED:
Hoja Santa	Past. Goat’s Milk	Dallas, TX	Hoja Santa
Cella	Past. Cow and Goat’s Milk	Dallas, TX	Banded in Lemon Grass
Pecorino Foglie di Noce	Raw Sheep’s Milk	Emilia-Romagna, Italy	Walnut
Queso de Valdeón *PGI	Past. (or Raw) Cow, Goat, and/or Sheep’s Milk	Castile and León, Spain	Chestnut or Sycamore Maple
Rogue River Blue	Raw Cow’s Milk	Central Point, OR	Grape
Capriole O’Banon	Past. Goat’s Milk	Greenville, IN	Chestnut
River’s Edge Up in Smoke	Past. Goat’s Milk	Logsden , OR	Maple
Robiola la Rossa	Raw Goat’s Milk	Piedmont, Italy	Cherry
Robiola in foglie di porro	Raw Goat’s Milk	Piedmont, Italy	Leek
Banon *AOC	Past. Cow or Goat’s Milk	Dauphiné , France	Chestnut
Cabécou	Past. Goat Milk	Perigord Region, France	Chestnut
Clearwater Select	Raw Cow’s Milk (aged over sixty days)	Deary, ID	Grape
Maple Mountain Brie	Raw Cow’s Milk (aged over sixty days)	Deary, ID	Grape
Robiola Incavolata	Past. Goat’s Milk	Piedmont, Italy	Savoy Cabbage
Shakerag Blue	Raw Cow’s Milk	Sequatchie, TN	Fig
Livarot *AOP	Past. Cow’s Milk	Normandy, France	Banded in Reeds

You will notice several things on this grid…

First, I added hyperlinks to take you right to the manufacturer so that you could find out more info, or where to purchase. 

Secondly, if I have not added a hyperlink that means that there are multiple producers and a quick internet search will bring up all of the producers for you. In some cases (like Banon AOC or Queso de Valdeón PGI) there are administrative organizations that oversee these protected cheeses. Just in case you are not familiar with these “protected” terms, here’s a quick refresher: 

AOC (appellation d'origine controlee) – Is a French certification granted to certain geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the French Minister of Agriculture. It is based on the concept of terroir and a form of geographic protectionism for these historical French food products.

PDO/AOP and PGI – Adopted by the European Union (EU) in the mid-1990’s, the EU worked to create a uniform approach by protecting names for historically produced food items (example: Roquefort cheese from Roquefort-sur-Soulzon), establishing fair conditions of competition between producers while not undermining quality schemes already in existence, (such as A.O.C. from France, D.O. from Spain, and D.O.P from Italy). As a result, several indicators were created and given their own logos to help explain their level of protection. These are;

Protected Designation of Origin – PDO (also referred to as AOP – Appellation d'Origine Protégée)Covers agricultural products and foodstuffs which are produced, processed and prepared in a given geographical area using recognized know-how. 

Protected Geographical Indication - PGI Covers agricultural products and foodstuffs closely linked to the geographical area. At least one of the stages of production, processing or preparation takes place in the area.

While the grid of cheeses listed above is great, it does not tell you a lot about the producers of these fine products, so I would like to review a few of them for you now:

“O’Banon by Capriole – Wrapped up like a gift in bourbon-soaked chestnut leaves, O’Banon is all the excuse needed for a celebration. This fresh goat cheese round initially has a bright, tart-fruit flavor balanced by an underlying sweetness and mild tannic notes. The paste is dense but softly cloudlike, a testament to Capriole’s hand-ladling process”.

“O'Banon is basically a solo cheese. While its subtle flavors and beautiful presentation are a perfect foil for bigger heavier cheeses on a cheese board, it’s perfect alone with a simple bread and a glass of dry bubbly. Unfold the leaves like petals around the cheese, allow to dry briefly and come to room temperature, and serve. It can also be grilled briefly on low heat and served with a peach or nectarine salsa. Pair with: Dry Prosecco, Champagne, or California Viogniers”.

Incavolata by Castagna (Lead photo) – The first time I spotted this cheese was on a trip to Formaggio Kitchen in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It stood out and demanded your attention, as the piece of cheese leaped into my shopping basket. “ is a fresh cheese made from cow’s milk, goat’s milk, sheep’s milk. Creamy, soft, spreadable. Melting on the palate, sweet taste, slightly acidic. Aged in cabbage leaves”. While the website says that it’s “Latte Crudo” (Raw Milk), the version I had was clearly made from Pasteurized milk.

Shakerag Blue by Sequatchie Cove Creamery– This may not have been the first raw milk Blue cheese to be wrapped in leaves, but it was the cheese the sparked my imagination in sharing the “Wrapped in Leaves story” with you. “Shakerag Blue's colorful name is derived from the beautiful Shakerag Hollow atop the Cumberland Plateau, famous for its wildflower trails and rich moonshining past. Legend goes that a thirsty individual could leave a white rag and money in a tree stump and find a jar of moonshine in its place upon returning”. Tasting notes: An ode to all things Southern, Shakerag is a crumbly yet dense blue-veined cheese cloaked in local fig leaves which have been soaked in Chattanooga Whiskey, the first legal whiskey being distilled in the city since Prohibition. Its salty-sweet and fruity interior is reminiscent of root beer, and lends itself to more complex notes of savory bacon, dark chocolate, and tropical flavors towards the rind. Pairs nicely with: Chattanooga Whiskey, barley wine, root beer, dried fruits, and raisin toast. Crumbles well for salads and steaks, and deserves a prime spot on the cheese board.”

I would like to extend a big Thank You to Nathan and Padgett of Sequatchie Cove Creamery for supplying the sample of this cheese!

So there you have it…A goat’s milk, a blend, and a cow’s milk. Time to “wrap” up this week’s post.

This being the first post for 2021. I think my friend Ricky Roca summed it up best: “Let’s make 2021 the best comeback story of our lifetime! Believe! Conceive! Achieve!”

Happy 2021 to All!

Until next week,

Trevor