A Spanish cheese made in Catalonia, Spain. Semi-firm with a nice hard rind, it's a popular and affordable cheese that isn't used so much for cooking as it is for snacking. Given it's popular in salads or mid-day Spanish tortillas, but it hasn't found a large adoring audience in the States.
Type of Cheese: Goat, Spanish
Taste: Buttery and vegetal it's a type of cheese that will please every palate, regardless of your cheesemongering experience. It was a nice salt content which is perfectly balanced, and as such after each bite you find yourself wanting the next one. Semi-smooth and a little flakey. Surprisingly mild and tame for a goat's milk cheese, and as such would be a wonderful introductory cheese for anyone wary of the type. It's the white linen of Spanish cheeses, classic without much flare, but comforting and reliable in all situations.
Overall, a fine Spanish cheese, but I find there are better options out there if you want to explore the country's finer dairy selections.
Serve With: Perfect for crackers or just plain snacking on in my opinion. This cheese would go well with a mild dry red wine, or an equally buttery and vegetal white. I also shaved some over some pan seared zuchinni and over some scrambled eggs, both equally yummy.
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Be sure to pick up a copy of September's Sacramento Magazine, where Vanilla Garlic is featured as one of the Sac region blogs you have to be reading! Thanks to Gabe Teague for the great picture and David Watts Barton for writing such a shibby article!
This is one of my favorite types of cheese! I have been lovin' it for a bout a year now. I used to find it at Whole Foods but Trader Joe's carries it now too! yippee
ReplyDeleteI love your cheese profiles. Sounds like just the kind of cheese I would really enjoy.
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