Regional Cheeses of the Northeast

As mentioned in the “About Me” section of this blog, my job takes me to new and different parts of the country. While in these “new” parts, I always like to visit the local cheese shop, or cheese retailer to see what local gems I can find, that I don’t see in my local markets.

Recently, my travels took me into Albany in upstate New York. Other than being the Capitol of The Empire State, I really did not know much about the area (or how high up in the country I was – almost as high as Buffalo, NY).

While in one of these cheese shops, I found a brand called Nettle Meadow Artisan Cheese. It was the word “Nettle” that caught my eye, as Nettle is a type of plant that can be used in helping the milk coagulate in cheese making instead of using animal rennet (more about this in a future post).

The Nettle Meadow Artisan Cheese Company was founded in 1990 is owned and operated by Lorraine Lambiase and Sheila Flanagan in Warrensburg, NY which is about an hour North of Albany. 

While they produce many different styles of cheese (Bloomy Rind, Washed Rind, and Fresh Types) there were two that I had to try: Kunik Mini and Honey Lavender Fromage Blanc.

Kunik Mini is a Bloomy Rind “Button” (a petite 3.5 oz. round) that is made from Pasteurized Goat’s Milk, Cow’s Cream, and Sea Salt. This award-winning cheese had a wonderful earthy aroma and a creamy finish.

Honey Lavender Fromage Blanc is a soft, spreadable cheese that was perfect on a toasted bread and served with a good cup of Jasmine Pearls Green Tea from The Tao of Tea for Breakfast. I have seen Lavender turn up more and more as a flavoring in cheese and I love this trend!

Happy hunting for your own local brands and I look forward to sharing more finds from my travels… Until next time!