Frere Jacques and Taleggio

Since my last post, I've sampled two other cheeses and I've enjoyed them both, but for different reasons.

The first was one called Frere Jacques. I couldn't look at the label without singing the iconic song to myself. Super mild flavour. It's a wonderfully neutral cheese that would lend itself to dishes that already have the taste they need, all they need is a bit of cheesy goodness. It's got a medium texture, akin to Swiss cheese. The rind is absolutely in line with the overall flavour and is edible. This cheese is from L'Abbaye de Saint-Benoit-du-Lac, in Quebec's Eastern Townships. Nice on a cheese tray for sure. My little 36 gram piece cost $1.58 (per kg price $43.60) and the label lists is as consisting of pasteurised cow's milk, with a fat content of 32% with moisture level of 42%.

The second of the two cheeses I tried recently is Taleggio by Arnoldi. I've seen the name often, but had never tried it. It's a tiny bit sharp, so I think it would certainly lend itself to the palate of a person who has never had a particular fondness for the sharper cheese types or didn't want to stray as far as a blue-veined cheese. The mild sharpness actually reminded me a little of smoked cheeses like a smoked applewood-cheddar - but that one I find I can only enjoy in small doses. This one, I could probably eat a bit of a larger piece of without having to stop because I've lost my taste for it. The texture of the Taleggio was softer than that of the Frere Jacques; it reminded me a little of Fontina or Havarti. The rind was edible - a deeper yellow in colour from the pale yellow, almost white cheese itself, and it looks like it has a chalky dusting over it. If you're eating it, you'll definitely want to take off the paper cover first! Fat content, according to the label, is 28% and the moisture level is 50% - unless I've inverted the numbers. My 48 gram piece cost $2.97 (per kg price $61.90). I would love to shred a small piece and put it on a type of dish in need of a little "oomph" - or definitely use it as a nice addition to a cheese tray. Neophytes can safely try and enjoy this one.

Photo of the Frere Jacques from ourcheeses.com.

Photo of the Taleggio from www.almagourmet.com.