Sheep cheeses I have loved

[gordonzola]

misia -- Sheep cheeses I have loved.
hydrozoa -- uh. sheep's milk cheeses.

Gotta start with an Ossau-Iraty, any Ossau-Iraty. Basque sheep cheese, name-controlled, comes in about a 10 lb. wheel, it’s rich and smooth and sweet. Extra aged ones can be a little sharp. Aged raw milk ones can be a little earthy/gamey. I like ‘em all but I think this cheese is best in the semi-soft age range. Abbey De Belloc is my favorite brand right now.

Sheep ricotta from Italy. Eat it up, yum. Also, try a baked Ricotta Salata if you can find one. The baking brings up the sugars so it’s sweet and salty.

Halloumi (sometimes goat or a blend) just fry that cheese in a pan! I love that.

Mt. Vikos Manouri (sheep and goat) Yes, this is a brand name. I’ve never had another Manouri like this. The consistency is like a chocolate truffle.

Pecorino Sardo be careful here. There are a million cheeses called Sardo. (Some not even made in Sardinia) Some are incredible, most are pretty good. The one we get is potato-y, earthy, and sharp. You can totally smell what the sheep were eating.

Brin D’amour/Fleur du Marquis Corsican sheep milk cheese aged with rosemary and other local herbs. Usually raw milk but not always.

Perail again, be careful. Soft-ripened little sheepy disc. Oozes out when you cut it. Rich and nutty and gone in like four bites. These go bad in an instant but are sold as wheels so are hard to taste before you buy. Unfortunately, when they are bad it’s like rimming a sheep. I’ve had to switch distributors and brands constantly and I don’t even have one right now. Maybe next week. Being closer to the East Coast you may have better luck than I do. Brebiou and Brebidor are other good soft-ripened sheep cheeses if you can’t get this. (stay away from Berger de Rocastin, by the makers of Fromager D’affinois, that cheese sucks)

Ewephoria – another brand name and a newbie at that. I predict this cheese will get younger as it gets popular because of increased demand/desire for profit. It’s about a 14 month aged sheep gouda right now. Sharp, salty and carmal-ly. Yes, I find the name embarrasssing. No, I don’t want to discus it.

Roncal -If you like Manchego, this is a stronger sheep milk cheese, made with raw milk and name-controlled. I don’t tend to like raw milk Manchegos, due to what I consider their bad balance of flavor. They’re often over-salty and gamey in a way I don’t like. Roncal is nutty like a Manchego but with a raw milk earthiness and a sharpness most Manchegos don’t have.

Blue des Basques - Strong creamy blue. There are very few Basque cheeses I don’t like.

The Americans:

Carr Valley – anything they make is pretty great. They make cow, goat, and sheep cheeses so check the label.
Sally Jackson Sheep - I wouldn’t bother with the cow, the goat is pretty good, but the sheep is her best. Wrapped in leaves and made in copper pots, she only makes a handful of wheels a week so it’s super pricey. Earthy, sweet, nutty and unique.
Vermont Shepherd – I love these people. They are seriously some of my favorite cheesemakers. When this cheese is on, it’s one of the best made in this country. Ask for a taste first though because sometimes cheesemongers, buying direct, buy too much at once. Not that I've ever done that.

Comments

[arasay.livejournal.com]

Halloumi on the grill, with a little olive oil, lemon, and cracked pepper. Double yum, and lucky for me, and anthro bbq staple...

But I may never forgive you for "sheep rimming".

[gordonzola.livejournal.com]

It sends the message home though, you gotta admit.

[flipping-hades.livejournal.com]

I discovered Basque sheep's milk cheeses about 2 weeks ago - I'm in love!

[gordonzola.livejournal.com]

come... eat... sample...

but if you come in please remind me who you are if you are not wearing a cowboy hat. I was pretty drunk at the Eagle.

[flipping-hades.livejournal.com]

I will have to do that sometime soon.

Without the hat my head is very shiny, and you weren't the only one very drunk at the Eagle :-) (though at Rainbow the cheese counter may give you away, I'm guessing. Context is everything).

[jack-burroghs.livejournal.com]

Mind if I ask where you work? I would asume Rainbow, correct? I do like your cheese selection.

I think I miss Rainbow most of all about not living in SF.

[gordonzola.livejournal.com]

you are correct. We miss you too.

[violetisblue.livejournal.com]

Yay, cheese entries of great use to cheese explorers. Thank you.

[gordonzola.livejournal.com]

your answer is coming but it's a complicated question.

Ahem, evaluation today: "Accepts constructive criticism"

[anarqueso.livejournal.com]

I can't believed you stuffed Brebidor in as a mere footnote to Perail. Feh! I'm also surprised you skipped Pecorino Ginepro, since I thought you liked it a lot.

Re: Ahem, evaluation today: "Accepts constructive criticism"

[gordonzola.livejournal.com]

oooooh, you're right about Pecorino Ginepro. I do love that cheese. I wasn't standing in front of the case when I wrote this so I'm sure I left some out.

and that Brebidor is a) so hard to get b) hasn't been as good the last couple of times and c) has such a generic name I didn't want to recommend it too strongly.

Go check out elusis's journal. You sexy stewardess.

[gordonzola.livejournal.com]

a couple of answers...

first, have you tried Italian Fresh mozz? When it is made the traditional way, which isn't to say that most are these days, the lactose converts to lactic acid due to the starter cultures. Most people who can't eat cow's cheese can eat these. consult with your local retailer who likely won't know what you're talking about.

Buffalo mozz? there's an expensive lasagna

(and of course if you're using fresh, make a thicker sauce because fresh mozz weeps water.)

I would probably use a pecorino fresco, goat jack, or young goat gouda instead of mozz. all those will melt and are on the mild side of their animal spectrums. all the companies making goat mozz in this area have gone out of business.

misia --

[chitinous.livejournal.com]

Wait! Really! I'm riding the allergic to casein train, too. (and lactose, as well, but to a lesser degree.) I tried some sort of chevre after a few years on the dairy wagon, and experienced the usual, not-for-polite-company type problems afterward.

Are there goat or sheep cheeses that don't bother you too much? If so, WHICH ONES?? Desperate bellies want to know.

Re: misia --

[chitinous.livejournal.com]

I mean, besides the 2 you mention. If you have some sort of list, I'd love to hear it.

Re: misia --

[chitinous.livejournal.com]

And also, hello. I've seen you around the way. I got excited about the possibility of cheese and forgot my manners.

Mmmm. Opa!

[j-b.livejournal.com]

Coincidentally, I just created the Wikipedia article on saganaki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saganaki) last night after a delicious appetizer of it (for the first time in 3 years) at Pete's Greek Town Cafe (http://www.petesrestaurantstoo.com/greekCafe.html) in Denver.

(There's another Greek restaurant in south Denver tucked into a mall that was fantastic, but I ate there years ago and don't remember the name.)

[smushy.livejournal.com]

Ooooo. This is golden. Thanks! I can't wait to start cheese adventuring again. I'm dying to come by rainbow and geek out! Are you there on the weekends?

I like halloumi. It's good on a skewer with olive oil and little tomatoes and onions.. And a friend this summer turned me onto manchego, which I like for the nutty niblet bite of it.. I shave it like parmesan.

I haven't cheese adventrued in quite a while..

[pantryslut.livejournal.com]

Yes, yes, pan-fried Haloumi. With sauteed leeks (in season any second now!). Upsets my stomach sometimes but is so worth it.

[gordonzola.livejournal.com]

fried cheese! what's not to love?

[felicks.livejournal.com]

Your new icon threw me off. I almost skipped your entry all together thinking - 'some crank wanking about cheese'.

[gordonzola.livejournal.com]

heeheeheeheehee

[walktheplank.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, when they are bad it’s like rimming a sheep.


That's quite a description. Which does sort of beg the question...

[gordonzola.livejournal.com]

I can't speak to the details of what happens when one gets jumped in as a cheesemonger.

[elusis.livejournal.com]

What about when you try to leave?

Ossau-Iraty Whore!

[bugsinamber.livejournal.com]

Gordon, you will forever be etched in my mind as the guy who was packing the elusive Ossau-Iraty in his freakin' backpack, just when I was going on and on about my quest to find it. Dig how my buddy Daryl had to call me from Rainbow to ask me about that cheese and all I say is "Is a guy named Gordon working there." And you were. And I go, "Tell him it's Cas." And you knew exactly where to direct him because you remembered that one and only time we met. You rock, dude! And you're a wellspring of cheese knowledge. We should hang out more. Why don't we?

ps. about Daryl: I'm going to forward this entry of yours to him. He's allergic to cow's milk so he'll appreciate knowing about a bunch of cheeses he'll be able to eat without risking death.

Re: Ossau-Iraty Whore!

[gordonzola.livejournal.com]

those were both wonderful moments. I'm sure we'll see each other soon.

[defenestr8r.livejournal.com]

i am quite literally drooling.

you hit many of my faves on that list. i'll have to come by to sample the baked ricotta salata when i am home. ooooh! i can't wait!

[gordonzola.livejournal.com]

hopefully it won't be unavailable then. It goes briefly out of season around then. I'll try and save some for you.

[defenestr8r.livejournal.com]

ah, so you have been paying attention.
will we get you out for the much anticipated drunkypants?

sorry...

[ayodele.livejournal.com]

goat cheese still = the yuck for me.

Re: sorry...

[gordonzola.livejournal.com]

sheep and goats are not the same.

Re: sorry...

[purejuice.livejournal.com]

and must be separated!
i have archived this, thank you very much.

[elusis.livejournal.com]

Ohhh, Halloumi. How I adore its squeakiness.

[sigh] and now I have to find a non-WF source.

I'm a Brin D'Amour fan too.

mmm... sheep

[dairryiere.livejournal.com]

I don't know what it is about those woolly critters but, the more sheep's milk cheeses I try the more I prefer them for my own snacking.
There are 3 forms of Ossau-Iraty/Abbey de Belloc where I work and they are all so different and wonderful it's hard to choose even though I tend to recommend the younger more often. When I first showed up there was a sad bitter wheel that had been neglected in the cooler for over 6 months!

Damn those people and their neglect of cheeses!

[dirtylibrarian.livejournal.com]

I could read what you write about cheese all day.

I'm going to print this out and carry it in my purse for the next time I'm near a good cheese shop!