Monday, March 11, 2013

Hirten Cheese

 

Castello Alps Selection Hirten

I have a new cheese to recommend! The name of it is Hirten and the company who makes it is Rosenborg Castello.  I am starting to see it in all of my stores and today was the first time I got a chance to taste it.  Delicious!  It reminds me a little bit of one of my favorite cheeses called Parrano.  I would describe it as a cross between Parmesan Reggiano and an aged Gouda.  

Hirten is a cow’s milk cheese from the Bavarian Alps region in Germany.  The cows are raised on small mountain farms in the Alps. Each farm is at least 2,625 feet above sea level, and has fewer than 20 cows. I love that.  Can’t you just picture it?   It’s what make the difference in a truly flavorful cheese.  Happy cows, produce happy milk, which makes for a happy and delicious cheese!!  

Hirten is aged for 9 months and has a rich yellow/orange color and a crumbly, dry texture.  This cheese has the  crunchy protein crystals that I love so much.  Almost like mini bursts of flavor and I think the sign of a well aged cheese.   It has a rich, sharp, complex taste that I would describe as a slightly sweet caramel taste and the manufacturer says it has a a hint of pine.  I don’t think my palate if refined enough yet to detect the “pine” but I will keep that in mind each time I taste it!

Hirten Cheese

Serving ideas for Hirten would be to pair it with a lager beer, or serve with a full-bodied red wine. If white wine is preferred, serve with a white Bourgogne or Sauvignon Blanc.

So there you have it.  A new cheese to nibble with your favorite glass of wine or an ice cold beer.  I am already looking forward to the weekend and it’s only Monday!

5 comments:

Kathy @ Creative Home Expressions said...

This sounds really good, Lisa! I was thinking "this sounds like it would be good with a glass of wine" as you described its flavor. I'm adding this to my list of cheeses we like and will give it a try. Our local "gourmet" supermarket carries a lot of different cheeses so they may have it.

Ti said...

When I first opened your post, it came up in Romanian and I was asked if I wanted to translate it?? I said no, and now it's in English. How strange!

This cheese looks and sounds amazing. I love dry, crumbly cheeses.

From Beyond My Kitchen Window said...

I am going to write the name down and ask the man at the cheese store if he has it or can get it. You made it sound so delicious.

Hanukkah said...

I have a very large chunk of this cheese a friend gave me and I know nothing about cheeses. For storage purposes, I'm grating it up to put in the freezer. Is this okay? Also, the outer layer of the cheese is very hard and I've had to just slice it off but not sure how to eat it. It's hard and not easy to chew. Any ideas?

Liz Hernandez said...

Does anyone have any idea where Hirten can be purchased?