[twitter-follow screen_name=’cheesemonger’ show_count=’yes’]
Vegetarian- Suitable Cheese
According to The Lady, you can smell the smoke when you cut into a wheel of this cheddar.
The Lady says this English cheddar from Ilchester Cheese in Somerset, England is worth its cost. Most of the English Cheddars she sells in the kiosk are not worth their cost per pound and she cannot justify purchasing them over a good aged Vermont or Tillamook cheddar. For her “everyday” cheddar The Lady buys the Vintage (aged over 2 years) White Tillamook cheddar (about $7.00 a pound). She likes it; The Man likes it and this Feline Foodie also likes it…but I digress…
Even though you can smell the smoke, this cheese is no longer actually smoked; it is flavored to re-create the smoky flavor from back in the day. It is a creamy cheddar and does not crumble like its sharper cousins. The outside is rubbed with paprika to give it a rich earthy clay look.
The Man especially likes this cheese and wishes The Lady would bring it home more often. So does this Feline Foodie.
It is vegetarian friendly as Ilchester uses vegetable rennet to start the cheese-making process.
Let this cheese stand at room temperature for at least a half hour to fully enjoy its flavor.
This Feline Foodie gives Applewood 4 out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got).
Serving suggestions: Best as a table cheese on a cheeseboard with other fine cheeses. It melts well and can be used in sauces and goes well in a risotto dish. Goes nicely with sliced apples…imagine that…
Wine Pairings: Applewood goes well with merlot and shiraz grape wines. These will bring out the mature flavor of the cheese.
Beer Pairings: Hard Cider.
Awards: Yes, according to the Ilchester website but no mention as to what awards have been won.
Source: Cow’s Milk.
Follow me on:
