by Jeremy Johnson, Meat & Specialty Category Manager
Holiday foods are full of love, and what better way to show your friends and family you care than to add cheese to your menu. You can add it to a meal, or prepare a cheeseboard. Here are some of the best holiday cheeses for you to enjoy and entertain!
Aged Gouda
As gouda ages, it becomes harder, stronger, and darker, and takes on a buttery and nutty flavor. In some of the more mature goudas, you may find crunchy, white crystals throughout the cheese. These are often confused with salt crystals, which sometimes form on the outside of the cheese as a result of the brine bath. The clusters inside the cheese are actually bits of tyrosine, an amino acid and the sign of a well-aged cheese. The deep flavor of aged gouda makes it great for cooking. It’s perfect in casseroles and sweet potato dishes. Grate some on cooked vegetables, into potato and rice dishes. Aged gouda pairs great with a doppelbock or a stout.
Blue Cheese
The world of blue cheese is diverse with a wide range of sharpness, creaminess, and flavors available. The major dividing factor for blue cheese lovers is whether the cheese is creamy or crumbly. Creamy blue cheese is often a younger variety. Crumbly blue cheeses are those that have less butterfat and have been aged for a longer period of time. In choosing a blue cheese for your table, a general rule of thumb is that creamy blues are usually milder than the crumbly ones. Harder, crumbly blue cheese is perfect for crumbling atop a salad or melting on top of steaks and burgers. Creamy blues pairs well with dried fruits such as apricots or raisins, fresh figs, and pears, whole-grain crackers, and almonds.
Rush Creek Reserve
Rush Creek Reserve is the stuff cheese dreams are made of. Made in the tradition of Vacherin Mont d’Or, a famous cheese from the Swiss Alps, Rush Creek is made for eight weeks each fall when the cows begin to change from summer pasture to the winter’s dry hay. This shift in diet makes their milk especially rich and decadent. Each wheel of raw milk cheese is wrapped with a spruce bark which gives shape to the cheese and imparts a subtle woodsy flavor. This cheese has rich, salty, and savory flavors of smoked and cured meat along with notes of sour cream and grass in the background. For drink pairings, try a sweet, woody bourbon or an Old Fashioned. A Belgian Tripel would work nicely, too.
Havarti
This semi-soft cow’s milk cheese has a creamy smooth texture. The buttery and rich flavor is mild. Havarti pairs well with sweeter, fresh fruits like pear, fig, or Honeycrisp apples. If you like pairing cheese with jam or jelly, try it with a little raspberry jam or honey. It also goes well with walnuts, crackers, or some crusty bread. Flavored havartis (dill and horseradish) are an easy way to add more flavor to mashed potatoes. Pilsner, Saison ale, or sour ale all pair well with Havarti. For red wine, try a light-bodied option like Beaujolais or pinot noir.