Today was Spicy Cheese Tuesday, to the delight of most but the dismay of others. I did bring in one un-spiced cheese for those who don’t deal well with flaming taste buds. I am merciful, at times.
A decent order to go in today would be least to most on the Scoville Scale.
Starting at 0 (but being mighty tasty anyway) is Black Creek’s Extra Sharp Cheddar. This stuff is aged two years and it shows! It isn’t as hard as some aged cheddars are, but the tangy sharpness is there along with some lovely creaminess. I’m thinking that this one would have held its own during the Great Cheddar Cheese Off.
Next, at Oh-That’s-Nice heat is the Grazier’s Raw Jalapeño Jack. Super creamy and soft, this jack cheese has the slightest amount of heat, but is rich with the flavor of fresh jalapeño peppers. Raw cheese is made from raw, unpasteurized milk. Some cheese makers swear that it makes for a better cheese, while others claim that there is no difference. Honestly, if there is one, I can’t tell. Then again, I have a hard time differentiating between CDs and vinyl, so I may not be the best judge.
The next hottest, coming in at Wow-I-Need-Some-Water is the Great Midwest Fire Mango Cheddar. This one has been one of my favorites for a while, now. The mango is just sweet enough to perk up your taste buds, while the habanero peppers really bring the heat. This one has been know to turn the unprepared bright red and running for liquid. Both Black Creek and Great Midwest are actually subsidiaries of the same company, DCI Cheese Company. Hey, at least it isn’t Kraft, right?
Lastly, coming in at Why-Are-There-Blisters-On-My-Tongue is Cabot’s Hot Habanero Cheddar. This particular cheese has a bold cheddar flavor on the front end that turns into a smoldering fire as the habanero burns its way through the fat in the cheese. It sticks with you for a while. This is not for the faint of heart or weak of taste buds! I really love Cabot. They are a Co-Op of 1,200 small, family owned farms in upstate New York and New England, pooling their resources to make some of the best cheese made here in the US.
As always, stay cheesy!