What is your favourite Cheese?

sedohre

I'm looking for a strong flavoured hard cheese, I like Pecorino, Parmigiano Reggiano, Parmesan Grana Padano, I can't think of any other name just now.

I'd like to try Mount Callan Cheddar, it has gotten good reviews.

Any other suggestions?

Also can you say where you buy them!

Thanks

Edit: just found this link http://www.irishcheese.ie/HT-45-WCNC.htm looks interesting

muckety

Hard cheese - a vintage / aged gouda. But I particularly like Mont D'or (swiss) - really ripe and gooey with a good crusty bread mmmmm, or after a meal an epoise (french). Fallon & Byrne do good examples.

the beer revolu

Irish Cheese has gotten to the stage where I now believe there is no need to buy imported cheese at all.
The Irish is just so good and varied.

Heagerty's mature cheddar/smoked cheddar
Gabriel hard cheese (Irish parmasan)
Knockdrina Snow soft goats cheese

are some of my favourites but the list goes on and on and on.

Seriously, get to your local cheese monger or farmer's market and start trying Irish farmhouse cheeses. Taste before you buy (they won't mind) You'll rarely buy foreign again!!

Was in France a few weeks ago and brought back some Compte Reserve.
That was pretty amazing too

antoniosicily

the beer revolu wrote: »

Irish Cheese has gotten to the stage where I now believe there is no need to buy imported cheese at all.
The Irish is just so good and varied.

Come on, be serious, the only reason not to import cheese is because people are used to cheddar and they find difficult to switch to other cheeses.

There are so many French and Italian cheeses which are wonderful and you can't get there in two or three decades, it takes centuries of tradition.

Another point about cheese, in an island of 4 milion people you can't get the same produce of France or Italy, which have *many* different races of cows and produce different milk. I've always been amazed to the variety of italian cheeses, even in sicily if you move 100km you find a number of cheeses you never saw before.

So I think that saying that you don't need to import cheese anymore it's a long shot.

the beer revolu

antoniosicily wrote: »

Come on, be serious, the only reason not to import cheese is because people are used to cheddar and they find difficult to switch to other cheeses.

There are so many French and Italian cheeses which are wonderful and you can't get there in two or three decades, it takes centuries of tradition.

Another point about cheese, in an island of 4 milion people you can't get the same produce of France or Italy, which have *many* different races of cows and produce different milk. I've always been amazed to the variety of italian cheeses, even in sicily if you move 100km you find a number of cheeses you never saw before.

So I think that saying that you don't need to import cheese anymore it's a long shot.

I'm completely serious.
We may not have the range of Italian of French cheese but I don't really need 100+ cheeses to satisfy me. The quality of Irish cheese is fantastic and the range improves every day.
I wonder how many Irish cheeses you've tried (and I don't mean supermarket, factory cheeses which are also in Italy and France)?
I find your post both arrogant and patronising.

antoniosicily

the beer revolu wrote: »

I'm completely serious.
We may not have the range of Italian of French cheese but I don't really need 100+ cheeses to satisfy me. The quality of Irish cheese is fantastic and the range improves every day.
I wonder how many Irish cheeses you've tried (and I don't mean supermarket, factory cheeses which are also in Italy and France)?
I find your post both arrogant and patronising.

I've tried many irish cheeses, unfortunately I cannot list them because I can't remember.

I didn't mean to be arrogant and I'm *not* saying that the irish cheeses are not good. I'm only saying that it does not make sense to stop importing cheeses (importing does not mean do not produce them by yourselves), because the variety outside ireland is a lot larger than here.

Again, I understand that you don't need 100+ cheeses, but some other people (like me) probably need some cheeses which you don't produce.

the beer revolu

antoniosicily wrote: »

I've tried many irish cheeses, unfortunately I cannot list them because I can't remember.

I didn't mean to be arrogant and I'm *not* saying that the irish cheeses are not good. I'm only saying that it does not make sense to stop importing cheeses (importing does not mean do not produce them by yourselves), because the variety outside ireland is a lot larger than here.

Again, I understand that you don't need 100+ cheeses, but some other people (like me) probably need some cheeses which you don't produce.

I wasn't suggesting a ban on importing cheese.
I was merely stating that I believe that there is enough quality and variety to not need to buy imported cheese to produce a top quality cheese board.

I do sometimes buy imported mozzarella (haven't found an Irish substitute yet)

Minder

I had a stilton this Christmas from Neal's Yard in Covent Garden, London. Colston Bassett Stilton. I always found stiltons to be too sour - the white parts aged to a waxy yellow soapiness that made then unpalateable. The Colston was hugely different - the veining was sharp and tangy and the white parts were fresh and buttery. Fantastic.

Soft white milky buffalo mozzerella - worlds away from that processed plastic block of dense white pap that is somehow passed off as mozzerella.

Vacherin Mont D'or baked in the oven in it's box for 30 minutes and eaten with plenty of french bread.

Goats cheese in any shape or form but particularly those white, creamy, fluffy soft goats cheeses that were traditionally rolled in ash (now a vegetable substitute) - lemony and goaty and very fresh.

That'll do for now, but the list is endless.:D

sedohre

the beer revolu wrote: »

Heagerty's mature cheddar/smoked cheddar
Gabriel hard cheese (Irish parmasan)
Knockdrina Snow soft goats cheese
Compte Reserve, that was pretty amazing too

Minder wrote: »

Colston Bassett Stilton - the veining was sharp and tangy and the white parts were fresh and buttery. Fantastic.

Soft white milky buffalo mozzerella - worlds away from that processed plastic block of dense white pap that is somehow passed off as mozzerella.

Vacherin Mont D'or baked in the oven in it's box for 30 minutes and eaten with plenty of french bread.

Thanks guys, my mouth is watering......mmmmmm.....

dudara

You might like to try manchego, a spanish cheese. it's doubly delicious when served with relish or quince paste.

cozmik

lidl half fat cheese

taram

• Smoked gouda, gouda with paprika, aged gouda...am midly obsessed with gouda
• Cashel Blue, with beetroot slices, yuuum.
• A big silky ball of mozarella, could eat the whole thing on it's own.
• Wendsleydale with chives and onion.
• Gruyere
• Feta

Anyone see Pushing Daisies? The aunts have a cheese fridge I want one!

the beer revolu

For those who like blue cheese;

Crozier is a blue sheeps cheese made by the Cashel people
and Bellingham blue is another very good Irish blue.

Baylough is a very nice, very creamy, mild cheddar for the more cautious.

WindSock

the beer revolu wrote: »

For those who like blue cheese;

Crozier is a blue sheeps cheese made by the Cashel people
and Bellingham blue is another very good Irish blue.

I love Saint Agur, not Irish but my favourite blue cheese I've had so far. It's so creamy it melts slightly when on the journey from the plate to your mouth.

the beer revolu

Come on people, does anyone here eat Irish cheese ?????!!

There is a wonderful, growing farmhouse cheese industry making fantastic products in Ireland.
If people don't support it, it will die and we'll be back to only making factory cheddar.

Yes, Italy, France, Netherlands, England and pretty much everywhere else make some really great cheeses and when I'm abroad, I don't go looking for Irish cheese but when at home, 90% of the cheese I buy is Irish made.

Get out there and start trying it!!

P.S. I have no connection with with the Irish dairy industry in any way other than being a customer.

dudara

the beer revolu wrote: »

Come on people, does anyone here eat Irish cheese ?????!!

In a nutshell yes. In fact, I recently got a great selection box from Corleggy cheeses. But why limit yourself to just one country?

the beer revolu

dudara wrote: »

In a nutshell yes. In fact, I recently got a great selection box from Corleggy cheeses. But why limit yourself to just one country?

No reason at all to limit yourself to one country but it would seem from the posts here that people eat anything but Irish Cheese.

From an environmental point of view it is better to eat as local as possible. Good for the economy too.I'm not extremist, I do buy imported foods but not if there is a homegrown version of similar quality and price.

sedohre

I've since tried the Mount Callan, Desmond and one called L'Etivaz ..WOW.

I'll never buy a supermarket cheese again! They are all great. Highly recommend them all

Seaneh

I honestly believe that CAshel blue is the best "Stilton" on the market at the moment.

And yes, it is a stilton, it's just not made in the protected area so can't use that name.

I really like the late season ones (from milk produced around november/december) as they always seem a lot creamyer, they should be available as a young cheese around now actually.

getz

without doubt its wensledale when i drive around the yorkshire dales[20miles away]i always stop at the wensledale factory-its always best eaten with fruit cake and sliced apple and grapes now you have go me going --- i am going to jump in my car and////

Black Swan

Danish creamy havarti cheese with dill. Yum!

Owen

Without a shadow of a doubt, mine's oscypek. It's a Polish cheese, made down south, and delicious in spaghetti form, or even smoked, or fried. Heaven!

Good Karma

ooooo Cheese, mmmm! Love brie, camenbert especially with a sweet relish like cranberry sauce. Bolie Goats cheese is yum and irish, or mozzerrella & pesto wow! Smoked chese is great and has a lovely texture.

You can't beat some sliced irish cheddar on brown bread and cloeslaw mmm

Alun

getz wrote: »

without doubt its wensledale when i drive around the yorkshire dales[20miles away]i always stop at the wensledale factory-its always best eaten with fruit cake and sliced apple and grapes now you have go me going --- i am going to jump in my car and////

Ah, the Wensleydale factory at Hawes ... cheese heaven! My favourite is the traditional unadulterated unpasteurised ewe's milk Wensleydale they sell. I can't be doing with all the fancy variations they sell though, with bits of apricot, or cranberry and other stuff in it, just plain old Wensleydale for me, and if I want fruit with it, I'll eat it with it, not in it.

Now, I'm jealous ... the Yorkshire Dales is my absolute favourite place in the world

faigs

Absolutely love Mont D'or - real grassy farmy taste off it and as previously said goes great with crusty French bread and Olive Oil. I can feel the gout coming on just thinking about it!

I like fresh mozzerella but only melted - I dont get the appeal of a mozerella salad it's just tasteless when its fresh! Anyone agree?

antoniosicily

faigs wrote: »

I like fresh mozzerella but only melted - I dont get the appeal of a mozerella salad it's just tasteless when its fresh! Anyone agree?

Mozzarella is not the best cheese to be melted, it's very watery.

About the taste: it depends on the quality of your mozzarella

SeekUp

the beer revolu wrote: »

From an environmental point of view it is better to eat as local as possible. Good for the economy too.I'm not extremist, I do buy imported foods but not if there is a homegrown version of similar quality and price.

Definitely!! But . . . isn't the thread "What is your favourite cheese?"

It's a toughie . . . I'd have to say Havarti (preferably with dill). I could eat it with crackers, on sandwiches, alone . . . mmmmmm.

I am pie

Cahill's Porter Cheddar is magnificient. I can't recommend enough. Cheddar with Porter marbled through it, sharp mature cheddar which rich porter taste, great texture. Marvellous melted.

vard

Cheese strings. I'm a gourmet.

faigs

A friend said at a diner party they had a whole brie circle covered with mango chutney straight form the oven with crusty bread - sounds good but never heard of it before, anyone ever try it?

the beer revolu

sedohre wrote: »

I'm looking for a strong flavoured hard cheese, I like Pecorino, Parmigiano Reggiano, Parmesan Grana Padano, I can't think of any other name just now.

I'd like to try Mount Callan Cheddar, it has gotten good reviews.

Any other suggestions?

Also can you say where you buy them!

Thanks

Edit: just found this link http://www.irishcheese.ie/HT-45-WCNC.htm looks interesting

Just tried the Mount Callan Cheddar.

Wow. Amazing cheese. Crumbly but creamy. Mild at first but then you get that sharpness of a mature cheese at the back of your pallet. The sensation is something else.

I believe the French have a name for that almost tingly sensation you get on your pallet from certain cheeses. Anyone know what it is?