The Challenge: More Cheese!

Taking flight with the cows via DIGISEA's photostream.

I don't know if you can tell or not, but I really like writing about cheese—but I still like eating it more. That's why, when I was talking about one of our flights the other day with the wait staff, I had the idea to approach this flight as an educational flight. I know, you just left the classroom or office and you don't want to participate in any kind of educational endeavors—heck, you think I wanna 'teach' all over again!?!? Well, endure we both shall, because doing so will lead to nothing but pleasure, especially if you back up this flight with a glass of wine!

The flight in question? The Cows through the Ages flight. It's simple what we're doing here: trying to show how a milk ages in a cheese, based on their rind (or lack of) and the time it is allowed to age. The rind is that sometimes moldy, sometimes stiff, sometimes even cloth exterior to the cheese. And yes, some cheeses have no rind at all. With me so far?

A love sight. Mozz via Kilo 66's photostream.

Our first cheese is our Cow's Milk Mozzarella. Made in New Jersey (and in your head I know you're thinking, quality comes out of the Garden state?), this is a fresh cheese with no rind. You will find this cheese absolutely fresh tasting, full of sweet milk flavors and a nice tangy acid which is common in non-aged cheese.

Morbier via gabo_'s photostream.

Next is the French Morbier. This is a washed rind cheese, semi-soft aged at least forty-five days and up to about two months. The interior paste as it ages will become softer, more runnier.

Grayson via artizone's photostream.

Next is another washed rind cheese called Grayson. It is also a semi-soft cheese, but is a much more typical washed rind cheese in that it is very assertive in aroma and flavor. This comes from the process of literally washing the exterior rind of the cheese on a daily basis with a wet brine, with cultures added. This usually develops a reddish brick colored rind which gives the cheese it's identity, which usually turns out to be a stronger smelling and tasting cheese. In the case of the Grayson you will find it to have a sweet beefy flavor with nutty under tones, which develops during it's sixty days of aging.

That's the goods. Loads of Parm via Marion's photostream.

Lastly, we move up to Parmigiano-Reggiano. Aged fifteen months, you can taste the sweetness of the milk which has developed to counter-act against the salt which is needed to help age the cheese. In our case we bring in a parmigiana that comes from the Vaccha Rosa, or red cow. It is said they have a lower production of milk, but some think their milk is superior to other breeds of cattle.

And then? Well, that's it. No and then! See... a painless class that I'm guessing has your pretty darn hungry. The difference between us? The cheese is right here in front of me! So please, come taste for yourself, and savor this cow's milk goodness for yourself.