Fior di Latte

Fior originates from the Italian
word for ‘flower’ and Fior di Latte is made from
fresh cow’s milk. One 170 gram piece per tub.

Confidently pair with white wines such as Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot.

Comox Brie

What does the bloomy rind of Brie and Camembert tell you about the cheese?

A rind can protect a cheese, promote ripening, augment flavour, and provide a visual and textural contrast to the paste. When expertly made, the bloomy rind should be thin and moist enough to appear smooth with no cracks. Often these rinds will smell of fresh mushrooms. The downy covering is created from the addition of a mould called penicillium candidum, which causes the cheese to ripen from outside in.

(From “How to judge a cheese? It’s all in the rind.” by Sue Riedl, Globe & Mail, March 1, 2011)

Comox Camembert

The rind should be fine and off-white rather than like thick white velvet, and the presence of some reddish-brown pigmentation indicates the cheese is nearly ripe. Too much pigmentation, especially around the edges, means it is on the downhill slope. The aroma should be mushroomy with a yeasty, almost meaty taste. A whiff of ammonia is acceptable; a strong, discernable smell of ammonia means that the cheese has gone too far. It should feel supple from edge to centre and should not feel runny or uneven.

(From Cheese by Juliet Harbutt. 1999. General Publishing Co. Ltd. ISBN 5551441934)

Triple Cream Camembert

According to Cynthia Gold, a tea sommelier in Boston, soft, mild, creamy cheeses pair well with bright and crisp black teas. Look for an astringent first flush Darjeeling or a clean, fresh green tea such as Japanese sencha.

(From “Tea and cheese pairings? Pass the kettle.” by Sue Riedl, Globe & Mail, Oct. 11, 2011)

Buffalo Brie

Water buffalo milk is so rare in these parts that we had to wait until two more water buffalo dairies opened (for a grand total of three) to expand our line of water buffalo products. At one of these new dairies, McClintock’s Farm in the Comox Valley, all of the 15 new calves one spring had names that started with ‘A,’ like Annie. You can read more about McClintock’s Farm in this article from InFocus Magazine (June/July 2013).