Sonoma Habanero Jack
$7.99 lb. at Central Market, $3.20 for a long wedge.
We had been having trouble getting this cheese in and so many customers
were asking for it. It finally came
in, so I had to taste it. It is a
yellow cheese with tiny little flecks of green and some red in it.
When I first bit into it, it is like a really mild jack with a strong
buttery taste. I’m thinking,
what’s all the fuss? Then it
starts to get hot. Then, after 20
seconds, it starts to burn my mouth. It’s
a good cheese, but the peppers are a little too distracting.
They don’t kill my taste buds quite the way jalapenos do, though.
Read more about it at http://www.sonomajack.com/retail.html.
(Scroll down mid-way).
Jadis/Jacquin
Pavé de Jadis Jacquin $14.99
lb. at Central Market, $5.40 for a big slab.
I saw it uncut, as well. It
comes in a long, triangular log. Very
young goat cheese rolled in ashes. It’s
even milder than the Valencay. It’s
really too mild for me, but I still like it, of course.
It is white, creamy, and moist. Tastes
like paint, like some young goats tend to.
It has a tad of sweet, nutty flavor, but very vague nuttiness.
More like paint. Can have a
little bit of a bitter aftertaste like some young cheeses have – the
mozzarella syndrome. It is
overpowered by the bread. I guess
it would be best with Kavli crackers
Jarlsberg
Lite $6.19 lb. at Wheatsville, $.62
for a small triangle chunk. It is
the color of swiss, some very tiny fermentation holes, though one hole looks
more like a curd hole. It is firm
and a little bit rubbery. It has a
little bit of an herby, grassy aftertaste, almost minty.
I guess it’s low calorie since it’s light.
It is a little strong, but in a weird way.
It would be a good sandwich cheese.
It would be good with rye bread.