Posts Tagged ‘gourmet cheese’

Tete de Moine Cheese: Real Gourmet Swiss Cheese

Wednesday, September 1st, 2010

The real masterpiece among all Swiss cheeses is the Tete de Moine, and is by all accounts the definition of a true gourmet cheese. This particular Swiss cheese is only produced in nine dairies in the northwestern portion of the Swiss Alps called the Bernese Jura, a part of Switzerland where French is the predominate language.

According to history, Tete de Moine is the “Cheese of the Monks” since it was thought to have been produced by the monks at the Bellelay abbey dating as far back as 1192. However, the Tete de Moine has only been fully noted for production and sale in 1520. Originally, this cheese was referred to as Fromage Bellelay, after the place where it was produced but was renamed Tete de Moine in 1970.

The literal English translation of Tete de Moine is “monks head”, referring to the tax (paid with cheese) by the abbey to the French kings and the shaved circular bald spot on the monks’ heads.

Tete de Moine is an unpasteurized, pressed curd cheese made from pure cow’s milk that is lightly cooked. The milk used to produce the Tete de Moine is delivered to the local dairy twice a day to make sure that it is fresh. The milk is then processed within modern facilities but without forgetting traditional cheese making methods. Although the taste of the Tete de Moine is very similar to other Swiss cheeses, the Swiss government emphasizes that it is NOT a factory made cheese.

Tete de Moine is served in small wheels and is cut using a griolle – a tool that allows perfect shaving with minimum effort. and has either a sticky or a hard brown outer rind that depends on the dairy. Its interior paste is firm and comes in straw color, but darkens as it ages. The unique feature of the Tete de Moine is that it ages from the outside to the inside, so the part closer to the rind looks darker or browner. This feature is often mistaken by some first time Tete de Moine tasters as a sign of poor quality.

One very distinctive feature of the Tete de Moine is its aroma. Aside from its natural brown edges, it gives off a very delectable smell even before cutting it. It smells like roasted nuts mixed with earthy wine and musty wood that will transform any room into a cheese heaven. When you taste the Tete de Moine, you will get a full bodied flavor as well as very complex hints of nuts and sweet fruit.

Ask any cheese monger, and they will tell you that the Tete de Moine cheese has much more flavor and smells greater than Emmental and Gruyere. If you are looking for a real gourmet Swiss mountain style cheese, then the Tete de Moine is your best choice. Go and try one today!

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Posted in Cheeses of the World | 1 Comment »

Cappello del Mago: The Healthier Alternative to Traditional Cheese

Tuesday, June 29th, 2010

Who could say no to a warm slice of pizza with melting mozzarella cheese all over it? Or perhaps to an additional layer of thinly sliced cheddar cheese in your turkey sandwich? While all these foods are mouthwatering just by thinking of it, they are also the most dangerous things that you can possibly put inside your mouth.

According to the US Department of Agriculture, an average American eats 30 pounds of cheese every year. Although this seems to be relatively harmless, cheese is actually considered as an unhealthy food item – considered as the number one source of artery-clogging fat in the American diet.

While most people think that cheese is a healthy option because it is rich in calcium, in reality it is actually a trap. In fact, people will be better off getting their calcium from other sources such as fat-free (or skimmed) milk, low fat yogurts, calcium-fortified juices and goat cheese.

Cappello del Mago is a type of cheese made from only the finest goat milk in Piedmont, Italy. It is made by the Giancula family where every piece is considered a work of art. The Cappello del Mago is creamy and full of flavor, having the perfect balance of flavor and acidity.

The Cappello del Mago does not only taste great, it is also a very good source of calcium and essential amino acids. Not only that, it is also a great source of protein, phosphorous, riboflavin (vitamin B2) as well as potassium. But above all these, the best health benefit that Cappello del Mago provides is that it can be eaten by a person who has problems eating traditional dairy products. Initial studies show that the reason behind why most people can tolerate goat cheese more than the traditional cheese is simply because goat cheese is much simpler and easier to digest.

Because the Cappello del Mago is very rich in calcium, it provides more health benefits than just simple bone-building. It also helps protect the colon cells from cancer-causing chemicals and helps prevent migraine and headaches in those people who suffer from them. Aside from that, it also prevents significant bone loss as a result of other health problems and helps reduce PMS symptoms in women.

Regularly eating calcium-rich foods will also have impressive effects as far as fat loss is concerned. This is because a high calcium diet increases fat oxidation by keeping the blood levels of the hormone responsible for slow digestion low.

But perhaps the most important health benefit that you can get from the Cappello del Mago goat cheese is that it is a great source of potassium, an important mineral necessary in keeping our blood pressure normal and keeping our heart functioning properly. And with cardiovascular diseases considered as the number one killer of almost half the world’s population, a slice of Cappello del Mago goat cheese a day may help prevent high blood pressure and other heart-related issues.

Try the Cappello del Mago goat cheese now and say hello to a healthier you!

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Posted in Italian Cheese | No Comments »