Written By Courtney Schwegel Edibles / Pantry Jul 25, 2013 Cheese of the Month: Montaña SHARE VIA: Facebook Twitter Pinterest Salt Spring Island, BC For David Wood, cheese making is much more than a science or even an art, it’s a chance to take part in a tasty tradition. “I love the idea of taking something that has got a long history behind it and participating in that history,” said Wood, president and co-founder of Salt Spring Island Cheese Company. Inspired by classic Spanish Pyrenees mountain cheeses made from the unctuous milk of happily grazing sheep, Wood created Montaña. Literally translating to “mountain” in Spanish, this Basque-country style cheese is the only firm sheep’s milk cheese made in B.C. Similar to Manchego, Ossau Iraty and Petit Basque, Montaña has a smoothness that sets it apart from the others. To achieve this texture that lies precisely on the line between dry and creamy, Wood added 15% goat’s milk to the mix. “That has allowed us to make the cheese the texture we have been looking for but still with the flavour profile of sheep’s milk,” said Wood. With a milk fat content of about 10%, the richness of sheep’s milk paired with the characteristic silkiness of goat’s milk is a marvelous balance. “It’s the best of both delicious worlds,” said Amber Varner, cheesemonger at Les Amis du Fromage, one of the few suppliers of the limited supply of Montaña. Montaña is aged a minimum of 6 months, which Woods says is right around the time that the complexities of sheep’s milk really start to emerge. Pleasantly sweet with a full, nutty, brown-buttery finish, it lacks any edge or harshness in its flavour. “People are surprised that a sheep’s milk cheese can taste this mild,” said Wood. When it comes to drink pairings, both Varner and Wood prefer Montaña with beer. Musky, Belgian monastery-style beers with high alcohol content, like Driftwood Brewery’s Farmhand Ale, are the perfect match. For wines, opt for crisp whites with a hint of summery sweetness as heavy reds tend to overpower the delicate nature of the cheese. Montaña shines shaved into a mixed green salad or perched atop a crostini with tomato and basil.Traditionally the Spanish enjoy cheeses of this style with fresh, young, summer broad beans popped out of their skins, a pairing that Wood is particularly fond of.“It’s a celebration of the season,” he said. Again, Wood emphasizes the value of revisiting tradition and history when it comes to pairings.“There is a good reason they put those things together over the years.” Website Montaña is sold at the following locations:Les Amis du FromageKerrisdale MarketWhistler Market (Sundays)River District Market (Saturdays)Sidney Market (Thursdays) British Columbiacheese SHARE VIA: Facebook Twitter Pinterest Written By: Courtney Schwegel ... Read More You may also like Food / Recipes October 25, 2021 Sopa Paella Try the iconic Valencian dish as a hearty fall soup brimming with seafood and chorizo. We were going through a heat wave in Victoria when I ... Read More Food / Recipes October 25, 2021 It’s a Pancake Day! That crisp edge in the fall air stirs up a craving for comfort that sometimes only a stack of hot pancakes can deliver. So get your cast-iron pan ... Read More Breads / Food / How to Cook / Recipes July 13, 2021 Rosemary and Feta Potato Loaf A delicious homemade bread is always a welcome treat that can really set the mood for a good day. This is an approachable recipe to bring to holiday ... Read More EAT Magazine News / Food News January 28, 2021 CITY EATS February | March 2021 If you haven’t yet taken advantage of Victoria’s free local delivery program, Downtown Delivers, you have until February 15 to try it ... Read More Food News / Pantry / Review January 28, 2021 Some Like It Hot — A Hot Sauce Tasting Party A Hot Sauce Tasting Party Gillie Easdon gathered 15 local, house-made hot sauces and four brave souls to taste-test them. It was a mid-October, late ... Read More EAT Magazine News / Food News December 7, 2020 EAT’s 2020 Gift Guide EAT’s 2020 Gift Guide. Not just for the holidays! Bolen Books Flavor by Yotam Ottolenghi ($45.00) Cat’s Meow Trivet ($6.95) Book Seat ... Read More Comments are closed.
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