{"id":3237,"date":"2014-01-30T19:48:37","date_gmt":"2014-01-31T00:48:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/?p=3237"},"modified":"2014-01-30T19:48:37","modified_gmt":"2014-01-31T00:48:37","slug":"north-bay-curds-wheys-nameless-buffalo-goat-masterpiece","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/developer83.wordpress-developer.us\/culturecheesemag\/north-bay-curds-wheys-nameless-buffalo-goat-masterpiece\/","title":{"rendered":"North Bay Curds & Whey’s Nameless Buffalo and Goat Masterpiece"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ever since Alissa Shethar, cheesemaker at North Bay Curds & Whey <\/a>in Berkeley, announced that she was going to make buffalo milk cheese, I have been in a state of frenzied anticipation. Thank goodness she and I are both on the regulatory affairs committee of the California Artisan Cheese Guild<\/a>! She was generous to bring in a wheel to share at our last meeting. At long last, I had my chance! And I got to take some home with me to photograph and share with you!<\/p>\n

First off\u2014water buffalo milk. Water buffalo dairies are a rare thing in California. Di Bufala Dairy in Valley Ford, provider of the milk to North Bay Curds & Whey, is one of only two such operations that I know of in the state. This particular cheese only began retailing in mid-February, so I think the jury is still out on how much the market for this will grow. For what it\u2019s worth, though, I think there is a pretty substantial market niche for water buffalo, and am looking forward to seeing more.<\/p>\n

So the cheese! As of now, it remains unnamed. I just call it the buffalo-goat cheese because of its mixed milk composition. Don\u2019t let the namelessness fool you. The cheese is gorgeous. The process of basket draining imparts a richly-textured imprint on the slightly mottled, natural rind. The paste is a deep ivory and sprinkled throughout with small eyes. Next to the rind, the paste takes on an almost translucence, like a stained glass cheese.<\/p>\n

The bouquet is just as rich as its appearance, with a fresh, grassy tang, supported by a richer, creamy, buttery undertone. I could tell this was going to be one complex cheese!<\/p>\n

First bite: I noticed how soft the rind is in relation to the paste. They both crumble and break down, almost like a young manchego. It\u2019s a pretty salty cheese, but once the salt melted away, I could sense everything I had noticed in the bouquet, except it started with the rich cream flavor, and finished on a flowery, citrusy note with a long finish. Pretty extraordinary.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been cutting it up into salads, but have served it with much success on a cheese plate as well!<\/p>\n

If you are in Northern California, you can find this cheese at Cheese Plus in San Francisco and at local farmers\u2019 markets. I\u2019d like to see it in a few other places as well.<\/p>\n

The water buffalo revolution begins! I am very excited to see what other local water buffalo cheeses will show up in the coming months!<\/p>\n\n\t\t