My resolution for 2010 was to eat more cheese than any other year. For the first time, I accomplished my goal and the numbers are staggering! Last year (according to my well maintained list of consumed cheeses) I tasted 39 sheep’s milks, 71 goat’s milks, 134 cow’s milks, 19 mixed milks and 43 blue cheese selections from all over the World. I will help you with the math: that’s 306 different cheeses! All I had to do was create a goal that was attainable. In celebration of this occasion, I have picked one cheese from each group to share with you in the hopes that you can start 2011 off right with a wedge of every single one.
Choosing one sheep’s milk cheese to recommend seemed an impossible task. They are all so flavorful and balanced. Upon scrolling through my list, Azeitão (ah-zay-DONH) stood out as the most memorable sheep’s milk selection from 2010. Made in Portugal, this wheel is small and rustic. The cheesemaker molds the curds into cloth and washes each 9-ounce wheel with brine. Azeitão is one of those sumptuous treats that you can dig into the paste with a spoon. Just cut the top off along the circumference and let it come to room temperature. This cheese is rich, sweet, acidic and vegetal pairing perfectly with Tempranillo and Albariño wines.
This article appears in Jan 6-12, 2011.
