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Hannahbells Tiny Hand-Made
Cheeses by Shy Brothers Farm in Westport, MA. The very shy Santos
brothers include two sets of twins that come from three generations of
dairy farmers. The Hannahbells have already won several prizes after only
a couple of years of artisanal cheese production. They also win the
unofficial prize of being the cutest cheese in the world! Not only are
each of the flavors the size of a thimble or a "trouser buttons"
(boutons de culottes, they also come in a small basket that is covered
with aerated plastic to allow the cheeses to breathe. They are all rBST-free cow's milk cheeses made with natural rennet and milk cultures. They take only five days to culture and mold, so that they are extremely creamy and flavorful, and the coastal climate adds an extra touch of saltiness to the cream. The brothers source the freshest milk from a herd of 120 dairy cows. The youngest brother traveled to France to learn cheesemaking where he also became acquainted with exotic molds. Now the brothers import two forms of edible mold from France that both protect the cheese and add to the complex flavors. The brothers suggest using them as appetizers, dipped in chocolate, put in salads, or thrown into risotto. |
Havarti,
Danish Creamy Havarti, $5.39 lb., $.86 cents for a very small chunk at
Wheatsville. Looks like a Tilsit,
light yellow, semi-soft, curd holes, supple to the touch.
It is very buttery and creamy, tangy, salty, and in my opinion, has a
little bitterness here and there and a taste of mint or grasses. It
is extremely creamy. This would
make a nice cheese at a party. It
sticks to the knife when you cut it, though, which might be awkward at a party
since it’s not a creamy cheese that spreads.
A sticky slice.
Havarti
with herbs and spices, Danish $5.39
lb., $.38 at Wheatsville for a tiny sliver.
Light white/yellow, soft-ish, curd holes, specks of spices.
Dill, garlic but not too heavy), shallot, red pepper.
It really smells and tastes like dill, but it is not too strong.
This is really good and would be a great party cheese.
It is really tasty. It is
good with bread and crackers. Firmer
than it looks. Tastes like food.
I would definitely get this again because it was interesting, tangy, and
inexpensive. It’s not the highest
quality cheese in the world, or the most interesting, but it was still very
attractive.
Heini’s Natural Yogurt
cheese $7.79 lb. at CM, $4.13 for
a big slab. It reminds me a little
of Havarti, but is denser. It is
straw white, semi-hard, with some curd holes.
It has a very faint taste of yogurt when melted.
It is tangy and has a nice rich milky aftertaste.
I like this cheese for snacking. It’s
not very strong, but better than Havarti since it doesn’t have an aftertaste
of eggs.
Henri
Hutin Brie Couronne from France $6.99
lb. 60% milkfat.
I got a small wedge for $2.80. Yum!
Creamy and salty, for a brie. Not
rubbery. Not too strong.
Hoja Santa Texas Goat Cheese $11.99 for a round at Kowalski's in Woodbury, MN. Oddly enough, I can't find this cheese in Texas very often, and there it was in the suburbs of Minneapolis. It is a goat's milk cheese from the Mozzarella Company in Dallas that is wrapped in Hoja Santa leaves, much like a French Banon in the hockey puck shape. Hoja Santa, which means "Holy Leaf," is usually used to wrap fish and chicken in Mexican cuisine. The leaves are edible and impart a minty, sasparilla flavor that enhances the citrus in the goat cheese. The Hoja Santa leaves are extremely fragrant, giving the cheese a flavor reminiscent of wine and herbs. It is good, but the flavor is intense and surprising for those who are expecting the usual mild chèvre. With milk collected from local farmers, Hoja Santa is coagulated with vegetarian rennet and allowed to set overnight. The following day it is hand-molded and drained, salted and turned for several days.
Hopelessly Blue $23.99 lb. at Whole Foods. Goat's milk blue cheese from Pure Luck in Dripping Springs, Texas. This blue cheese has a natural rind -- not protected by foil or anything. It is dark grey and white. The paste of the cheese is ivory-colored with speckled looking veins of blue. There are some pockets of white mold, but overall, the veining looks more like spider veins than varicose veins. It smells nutty, woody, and goaty. It has a delicious fresh goat flavor, creamy milk, flowers, wood, and fields. I have been to this dairy and have seen the goats and the fresh herbs and grass that they feed on. This is a very delicate little cheese. For a blue, it is very mild, but what makes it taste stronger is the tangy goat's milk. I served this on a cheese board and it got gobbled up.
Hot Pepper Cheese, see Glacier Ridge
Humbolt
Fog Whole Foods $13 lb. Goat cheese brie, white, mild crust,
runny underneath crust, grey ashes inside, overall mild and delicious.
1 yr later, Humboldt Fog at Whole Foods was $19.99 lb., $6.20 for a decent
chunk. It was really good.
It said on the label that the price reflected the amount of goat’s milk
that was needed to make the cheese, and the limited production.
It is made in California, according to a guy at Central Market, in a
county well-known for growing pot. It
had a good thick mold and ash crust on it.
Moldy aftertaste, earthy, runny towards the rind.
It had the texture of crumbly cream cheese.
It was difficult to cut or spread, even at room temperature, except on
the edge where it had gotten runny. Slight
pungent aftertaste. It is a really
good cheese.
2 yrs later, Humboldt Fog is $23.99 at Central Market, and about the same at
Whole Foods, but only $13.99 at Grapevine.
Huntsman,
blue Stilton layered with Double Gloucester from Clawson. $9.99 lb. at
Central Market, $3.90 for a good, wide, big slab.
It takes a lot of room up on the plate.
It is part cheddar and part blue cheese.
It says on the label to crumble it up over salad, but it really is good
by itself. The Gloucester is really
creamy, and the blue is not too strong, so it’s going to be a good party
cheese. This is really delicious!
I always love this cheese and it’s pretty, too.