Dear fellow food-lover,
The Cheese Plate, is a monthly email from Oldways with suggestions for different types of traditional cheeses, ideal pairings, and ways to serve them. Visit our Cheese Store Directory to find where to buy traditional cheeses near you. Learn more about Things to Look For in Traditional Cheese or send us your questions.
For tips on buying cheese, download our e-book, The Cheese-Lover’s Guide to Cooking with Traditional Cheeses.
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Cheese With Denominations of Origin |
January 20th is National Cheese Lover’s Day! And, what better way to celebrate than by preparing a cheese board with traditional cheeses. Look for cheeses protected with a Denomination of Origin. It is easy to spot them by the letters PDO (Protected Denomination of Origin) or AOC (Appellation d’Origine Controlée), which you will see on the labels. They signify that the cheese was made in a particular place, using specific production methods.
The European Union, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Brazil, and Colombia all have protected some of their traditional cheeses in this way.
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Made in France in the commune of Pont-l'Évêque, between Deauville and Lisieux in the Calvados department of Normandy, this is said to be the oldest cheese from the region.
It is a surface ripened cheese that is made into distinctive squares, with a slight orange color in the rind under the white mold caused by beneficial microbes.
Once it is aged, this cheese becomes creamy and is delicious oven-baked with bread or vegetables. It is also a solid choice to serve on a cheese board.
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Made in the Basque Country between Spain and France, Ossau Iraty DOP cheese must be made with raw sheep’s milk.
We are recommending a specific variety made exclusively with milk from Black Head Manech sheep.
It is a gorgeous cheese to eat alone, enjoyed on a cheese board with fresh fruit and crackers, or sliced thinly on top of sweet potatoes or squash.
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This blue cheese is from Asturias, a region in northern Spain known for its quality ingredients, lush mountains, and interesting micro-climate.
Limited quantities are available since it is produced only in the village of Cabrales and two other hamlets of the Peñamellera Alta Township in eastern Asturias, using traditional farmhouse methods in small family-run dairies. To have DOP, it has to be made and aged in Asturias, using raw cow’s milk.
A popular dish in Asturias consists of french fries smothered in a blue cheese sauce made with Cabrales. It is also amazing served on a cheeseboard with dried fruit, nuts and honey.
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Cold winter days may be looming ahead for many of us, but we like to think of it as a chance to treat ourselves. One seasonal treat to consider is pairing cider and cheese. The sweet, crisp, and slightly acidic taste of apple cider enhances the flavors of all the cheeses we are recommending this month.
What's more, options for high quality local ciders are plentiful. Non-alcoholic ciders are delicious cold, hot, or diluted with sparkling water. Hard ciders make a refreshing alternative to beer or wine.
For something a little stronger than apple cider, consider its Norman cousin, Calvados, the famous apple brandy, or Pommeau, another apple-based spirit, also from Normandy.
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