cheese 101

I can't believe I forgot to make a post about our cheese tasting class at Forward Foods! It was everything I hoped for and more...and I'm not exaggerating. We tried 8 different cheeses with accompaniments like pistachios, local honey, quince paste, breads and even a pickle. We got a nice white wine with the first 4 cheeses and a shiraz with the last four. Kevin and I both took notes on what we learned about the cheese as well as what our thoughts were about the different ones we tried (mine were much more extensive). I even won a prize at the end of class for answering a cheese question! It was a cheese magazine. Reading through it made me realize I could be a lot crazier about cheese than I already am. I ate everything on my plate and finished what Kevin didn't like...I paid for it later that night, but it was so worth it! 
Here are the cheeses that we tried...


1. Valbreso Feta
We both loved this fresh sheeps cheese from France. I'm actually eating it in my pasta salad as I type this! Mild but tangy at the same time!

2. Tetilla

A Spanish semi-soft cow's milk cheese named for its boob shape..haha! This was a little too mild for me. I won't go as far as to say I didn't like it (that would be blasphemy for a cheese lover like me) but it wasn't my favorite. Kevin agreed.

3.  Haystack Peak

This cheese was super runny. We learned that the riper it is the more runny it is. I loved it! It is a soft-ripened goat cheese from Colorado. Kevin liked it with honey.

4.  Coupole

This American surface-ripened goat cheese was very "goaty". It tasted like I was in a barn...but I liked it! We both liked it better paired with honey and fruity flavors.

5. Quickes Cheddar

A firm cows milk cheddar from England. This was the most "normal" of all the cheese we tried. It was Kev's favorite. He said he would make a grilled cheese with it. It was awesome with the pickle!

6. Alsacian Munster

This washed rind cows milk cheese from France is considered a stinky cheese, but I thought it smelled and tasted wonderful. Kevin liked it better with nuts and I loved the rind!

7. Idiazabal

We both agreed this was our second favorite cheese. It reminded me of manchego. This hard sheeps milk cheese from Spain is smoked for 10 days. The rind was so so good!

8.  Shropshire Blue

A very strong cows milk cheese from England. The weird orange color is from a natural coloring the makers add. We learned that the cows produce more yellow cheese in the spring and summer and people would buy more, so to keep the color year round they just started adding color. Kevin gave it a zero :(  A lot of blue cheeses are described as having a picante flavor which means a sort of spice left on your tongue. This was by far my favorite!