Made with Raw Milk
While in New York this past week, The Lady and her cheese friend, Jennae, decided to do a “Cheese Culinary Tour” of Manhattan. They visited Dean and DeLuca in SoHo, Murray’s Cheese in both Greenwich Village and at Grand Central Station, Citarella, Fairway Market and Zabar’s on the Upper West Side.
While drooling and coveting all the cheeses The Lady and Jennae didn’t have time to taste, The Lady picked up a piece of Swiss Sbrinz at Zabar’s. The Lady munched on it at 36K feet above the midwest on her way home to The Man and moi… but she did save a morsel for her favorite Feline Foodie… that would be moi…
Normally a grating cheese used by the Swiss as a substitute for Parmesan, Sbrinz is made by 42 small dairies in Central Switzerland from local, full-fat, raw milk. It is aged for a minimum of 16 months before being released for sale. It reaches its full flavor at about 24 months; however it continues to age well up to eight years.
There is no City of Sbrinz and where the name originated remains a mystery. It is considered the oldest European Cheese and since 2001, it has been an AOC-protected cheese.
The paste is hard with little tyrosine crystals sprinkled liberally throughout imparting nutty flavor. It has an intense, spicy flavor but with a less salty finish than parmesan.
The Lady definitely needs to bring more of this cheese home…
I give Sbrinz 3 Paws out of 4 Paws (cause that’s all I’ve got).
Serving Suggestions: While it works as a snacking cheese, its true calling is on top of pasta, potatoes or rice.
Wine Pairing: A heart burgundy.
Zabar’s offers more than 20 videos showcasing their cheese selections on you tube... great way to learn about cheese and plate selections…
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