I can't believe that it is already almost halfway into March! How time flies when we're having fun...
Today I wanted to talk about a cheese that is slightly out of the ordinary... the Camembert di Bufala from Italy!
Cheese: Camembert di Bufala
Producer(s): La Casera
Location: Lombardy, Italy
Milk: Pasteurized buffalo's milk
Rennet: Traditional (animal)
Upon unwrapping this cheese, I was very pleased with how beautiful the white, fluffy rind was. There were very few flaws and it looked closer to what I associate to be a Brie rind rather than a Camembert. Being led by the name "Camembert" I was expecting this particular cheese to have a bit more funk to its smell, but in actuality, the smell was rather earthy, sweet and pleasant. Just by pressing the rind a little bit, I could tell that there was an ooey gooey delicious cheese just waiting for me to enjoy.
As evidenced by the pictures above, I was right! The paste inside was the exact consistency I was expecting... runny, unctuous and creamy. The flavor though, due to the buffalo milk, was a bit different. I have had buffalo milk cheeses before and expected a touch of gamey-ness, but due to my myriad experiences with other bloomy rind cheeses, I was expecting a lot more of a buttery flavor. Instead, you get a very clean, grassy and, for lack of a better word, gamey flavor.
I oddly enough paired this cheese with some Fire Roasted Jalapeno pita chips, and it was amazing! They were a touch spicy for the cheese, but the cheese (after coming to room temperature) had enough oomph to stand up for itself.
If you are interested in trying something a little different than your normal Brie or Camembert, stop by your local Whole Foods Market in Northern California or Reno and pick up some of the Camembert di Bufala. You'll be taken on a cheese journey of which 99% of you have not ventured.
Have a great rest of your week! Until next time, eat, drink and be happy!
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