Historic venue in Kingston setting for rebirth of Great Canadian Cheese Festival

Historic Fort Henry with Kingston, Ontario, in background.

The Great Canadian Cheese Festival, the showcase of the best in Canadian cheese and artisan foods that attracted thousands of foodies to Prince Edward County for seven years, is being resurrected by new ownership in a spectacular new venue in Kingston, Ontario.

Tickets are on sale for the May 24-25 festival at Fort Henry, a National Historic Site, built following the War of 1812.

The 19th-century fortress overlooks Kingston and Lake Ontario, offering an unforgettable backdrop for celebrating Canada’s finest cheeses and artisanal foods. With its grand stone architecture and expansive outdoor grounds, Fort Henry combines history and open space, creating a welcoming environment for festival-goers to explore Canadian flavours in a truly iconic location.

Canadian cheese ranks among the best in the world.

The fort’s vast grounds are ideal for the festival, providing ample room for vendor booths, cheese tastings, informative seminars and live entertainment, all with a scenic lakeside view. Guests can savour cheese, artisan foods and craft beverage pairings in a relaxed, spacious layout that allows for mingling with producers and artisans.

Fort Henry is a two-hour drive from Ottawa, three hours from Toronto or Montreal. Kingston offers many choices for accommodations and plenty of first-class restaurants.

The driving force behind the new Great Canadian Cheese Festival is Patricia McDermott, owner of Agrarian Market in Picton since 2012 and operator of farmers markets in the County for the last 15 years.

“After starting my cheese shop in Bloomfield in the County over 10 years ago, and attending the original Great Canadian Cheese Festival, I knew I wanted to bring my love of cheese to more people. That’s the motivation that led me to produce the new Great Canadian Cheese Festival and the Ontario Cheese Festival on rotating years.”

There will be special programming for children at the festival.

The Great Canadian Cheese Festival brings together many of the country’s best cheesemakers and artisan food producers for two full days of meeting, tasting, buying and learning.

It’s the biggest artisan cheese show in Canada, with more than 100 exhibitors and vendors offering hundreds of artisan food products, including over 300 cow, sheep, goat, and water buffalo milk cheeses, plus wine, craft beer, distilleries, zero proof, and cideries, pickles, jams, honey, charcuterie, and more.

Tutored tastings will be led and cheeses selected by acclaimed cheese sommelier Vanessa Simmons of Ottawa and cheese educator Roxanne Renwick of Toronto.

Here’s the schedule of events for two jam-packed days of cheese, cheese and more cheese:

SATURDAY MAY 24

  • 8am ‘Taking down the inter-provincial borders’
    Professional Development Seminar
  • 9am Vendor coffee meet up & set up
  • 10am Great Canadian Cheese Festival opens to the public
  • 11am ‘Everybody Loves a Winner!’
    Tutored Tasting #1 in the Great Hall
  • 12pm ‘Kids Make Cheese!’
  • Educational seminar and cheesemaking course for ages 10-17 on the Upper Patio
  • 1pm ‘The Finest Quebec Cheese’
    Tutored Tasting #2 in the Great Hall
  • 3pm ‘All Around the Farmyard’
    Tutored Tasting #3 in the Great Hall
  • 5pm Day 1 Festival Close
  • All Day Howard Lopez Jazz on the Main Stage
  • All Day Where does Milk come from? An interactive petting zoo/milking simulator
  • All Day Live activations from various sponsors

SUNDAY MAY 25

  • 8am ‘Understanding International Dairy Trade’
    Professional Development Seminar
  • 9am Vendor coffee meet up & set up
  • 10am Day 2 Festival opens
  • 11am ‘The Finest Quebec Cheese’
    Tutored Tasting #4 in the Great Hall
  • 12pm ‘Kids Make Cheese!’
  • Educational seminar and cheesemaking course for ages 10-17 on the Upper Patio
  • 1pm ‘Everybody Loves a Winner!’
    Tutored Tasting #5 in the Great Hall
  • 4pm 2025 Great Canadian Cheese Festival closes
  • All Day Howard Lopez Jazz on the Main Stage
  • All Day Where does Milk come from? An interactive petting zoo/milking simulator
  • All Day Live activations from various sponsors

To sample all the cheese and artisan foods on offer, and take in all the events, plan on making a weekend of it.

Click here to order tickets before they sell out.

Personally, I cannot wait for May 24-25. From my experience as founder and director of The Great Canadian Cheese Festival in Picton from 2011 to 2017, there is nothing quite like gathering with kindred spirits to try and buy the best of artisan cheese and sample other artisan foods in the ambiance of an iconic venue like Fort Henry.

                  —Georgs Kolesnikovs

Cheese festival returns to Prince Edward County

Artisan Ontario cheese—in all its delicious manifestations—will be in the spotlight at the new Ontario Cheese Festival.

Alleluia, a cheese festival is returning to Prince Edward County!

The Ontario Cheese Festival will take place September 28 in Picton, Ontario, showcasing delicious cheese and tasty artisan foods from leading producers across the province.

There is nothing like a cheese festival for sampling and purchasing the best in artisan cheese.

Taste and buy the best in cheese made from cow, sheep, goat and water buffalo milk, plus wine, cider, craft beer and spirits, and jams, honey, charcuterie, pickles and more.

Learn about artisan cheese at tutored tastings conducted by outstanding cheese educators. Discover what pairs best with which cheese.

Ontario Cheese Festival is the brainchild of Patricia McDermott, owner of Agrarian Market in Picton since 2012 and operator of farmers markets in the County for the last 15 years.

“After starting my cheese shop in Bloomfield in the County over 10 years ago, and attending The Great Canadian Cheese Festival, I knew I wanted to bring my love of cheese to more people. I’ve supported the local food movement for over a decade and this event is the next logical step.  With the support of the Dairy Farmers of Ontario, we are excited to bring you the Ontario Cheese Festival, a celebration of Ontario cheese and dairy.”

The festival will unfold at The Cape, a meticulously restored landmark a short walk from Picton’s Main Street. The sprawling Georgian manor was built in 1863 as a private residence. While it was owned by an American railway tycoon, the residence greeted Prime Ministers and dignitaries. Today, The Cape, with its stunning façade, spacious grounds, reception rooms, veranda, ballroom and extensive garden, serves as a magnificent event space.

More than 50 exhibitors and vendors are expected for the festival, including many of Ontario’s leading cheese producers. Among the first to sign up:

Wildwoood made by Stonetown Artisan Cheese.

Stonetown Artisan Cheese of St. Marys, makers of handcrafted Alpine-style cheeses;

Mountainoak Cheese of New Hamburg, makers of award-winning Gouda and other European-style cheeses;

Empire Cheese & Butter Co-operative of Campbellford, makers of award-winning cheddars since the 1876;

A selection of cheese made by Upper Canada Cheese Company.

Upper Canada Cheese Company of Jordan Station, makers of small-batch artisan cheese made exclusively with the milk of Guernsey cows;

Bushgarden Farmstead Cheese of Elgin, where Nigel Smith uses raw milk from his own herd of cows to make cheese;

Golspie Dairy of Oxford County near Woodstock, dairy farming since 1874, making fresh milk British-style cheese since 2022.

You’ll be able to sample wine and purchase it, if 19+, from some of the best wineries in Ontario, such as Case Dea Winery of Wellington and Tawse Winery of Vineland.

For something totally different try vodka or a cream liquor made from milk at Vodkow Dairy Distillery of Mississippi Mills.

Deepen your knowledge and appreciation of cheese at three different cheese tastings and pairings. In each seminar, you’ll taste and learn about up to eight fabulous artisan cheeses, selected artisan condiments, plus offerings of wine, craft beer, cider or spirits, all from our exhibitors. You’ll learn the story of the coveted cheeses and the passionate people who make them, plus tips on how to present, pair and appreciate the culinary treasures.

Seminars will be led and cheeses selected by acclaimed cheese sommelier Vanessa Simmons of Ottawa and cheese educator Roxanne Renwick of Toronto.

Sponsorship for the festival is being provided by Ontario Dairy Farmers, the marketing organization and regulatory body representing more than 4,000 dairy farmers in Ontario. Additional support comes from Longo’s, the supermarket chain.

Admission to the festival and all exhibitors and vendors is $75.00 per person which includes an insulated souvenir tote bag for your purchases, a tasting glass for sampling wine, beer, cider and spirits (19+) and free parking.

There will be live music to entertain you.

Children 10 years and younger admitted free when accompanied by an adult.

Admission to tutored tastings is $30.00 per person per tasting which covers up to eight artisan cheeses, selected artisan condiments, plus offerings of wine, craft beer, cider or spirits (19+).

Personally, I cannot wait. From my experience as founder and director of The Great Canadian Cheese Festival in Picton from 2011 to 2017, there is nothing quite like gathering with kindred spirits to try and buy the best of artisan cheese and sample other artisan foods in the ambiance of Prince Edward County.

I’m planning to make a weekend of it. I hope you will, too. See you there!

—Georgs Kolesnikovs

 

 

 

 

Best Bites: The Most Memorable Cheese of 2023

We bring the curtain down on 2023 with the help of friends in fromage recalling the most memorable cheese that crossed their palates during the past 12 months.

Check out the tasting notes and make up your shopping list for the next visit to a cheese shop or, better yet, right to the cheesemaker. If you like, you can order online for convenient home delivery.

David Beaudoin first gained popularity as the Squeaky Cheese Guy. Nowadays, he’s known as the Canadian Cheese Ambassador. Here are his picks for the most memorable cheese of the year:

L’Attrappe Cœur, La Trappe à Fromage

L’Attrappe Cœur, La Trappe à Fromage, Gatineau, Québec

This heart-shaped brie has conquered my heart and many others at weddings and gatherings. Under its velvety bloomy rind reminiscent of white mushrooms is a milky and chalky paste that keeps on “oozing” away when ripening to perfection. Mild, chalky and fresh when young, it develops beautiful aromas of mushrooms and root vegetables when ripe.

Great Plains Blue, Coteau Hills Creamery

Great Plains Blue, Coteau Hills Creamery, Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan

A young mild blue, with light blue veins throughout the cheese, creates a nice balance between earthy, mushroomy, salty and creamy. This light blue cheese made from the milk of Caroncrest Farm in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, is a great entry-level blue cheese to be discovered. Only available in Saskatchewan, and in small quantities.

Miranda, Fromagerie Fritz Kaiser

Miranda, Fromagerie Fritz Kaiser, Noyan, Québec

Le Miranda is a firm washed rind cheese with a savoury and umami flavour that still awaits to be discovered nationally. This cheese is spectacular on its own or with sweet and savoury accompaniments, and a long deep lasting flavour.

Cheese educator and cheese sommelier Vanessa Simmons says her most memorable cheese moments happen when the joy of the season is shared with good friends, family, work peers or colleagues, walking them through a memorable Canadian artisan cheese experience. Personally selected and perfectly à point, these cheeses are all uniquely special in their own way—whether award-winning, or reserve aged, rare and hard to find, or some of the last of their kind.

Here are those extraordinary cheeses:

Jackie Armet is a longtime friend in cheese who has worked with me as cheese co-ordinator at The Great Canadian Cheese Festival and then the Canadian Cheese Awards. A graduate of the Professional Fromager program at George Brown College in Toronto, Jackie lives in Prince Edward County and offers in-person tutored tastings and consulting services via Cheese Experience.

Here’s what really tickled her palate in 2023:

The Dragon’s Growl, That Dutchman’s Cheese Farm

The Dragon’s Growl, That Dutchman’s Cheese Farm, Upper Economy, Nova Scotia

It’s a creamy Gouda cheese spread made with Dragon’s Breath Blue and Old Growler Gouda.

Cow’s milk creates a subtle, creamy and rich flavour as you spread it on anything from a cracker, baguette, burger, steamed or roasted vegetables, such as cauliflower, broccoli, potatoes. Certainly takes veggies up a notch.

Fredondaine, Fromagerie La Vache à Maillotte

Fredondaine, Fromagerie La Vache à Maillotte, La Sarre, Québec

Often nicknamed the “Oka” of Abitibi, Fredondaine pleases everyone with its softness and versatility. This cow’s milk, washed rind cheese is always a good go to cheese with hints of cooked butter and slightly nutty.

STAND-OUT CHEESE OF YEARS PAST

—Georgs Kolesnikovs

Georgs Kolesnikovs, Cheese-Head-in-Chief at CheeseLover.ca, has never met a cheese he didn’t like . . . well, hardly ever. Follow him on his other adventures at On the Road, Across the Sea on Substack.

Three Canadian cheeses among the world’s best

Three Canadian cheeses were judged to be the best of the best at the World Cheese Awards held this year in Trondheim, Norway.

The annual competition attracted 4,502 cheese entries from 43 countries around the world. Thirty-two Canadian cheeses were among the winners. Three of the 32 were awarded Super Gold medals to indicate they were among the best 100 cheeses of the 4,502 entries tasted by 264 judges. They are:

Magie de Madawaska: Fromagerie le Détour, Témiscouata-sur-le-Lac, Quebec

Runny, luscious, creamy, buttery, nutty and ooey-gooey good when perfectly à point (fully ripened), that’s how Cheese Sommelier Vanessa Simmons of Ottawa describes Magie de Madawaska made with cow’s milk.

Mascotte: Fromagerie Fritz Kaiser, Noyan, Quebec

A semi-firm goat’s milk cheese, Mascotte tastes of roasted almonds with a goaty finish. Its rind releases a most appealing slightly woody aroma. An excellent cheese for raclette.

Sauvagine: Fromagerie Alexis de Portneuf, Saint Raymond, Quebec

Sauvagine is a cow’s milk cheese with a moist and supple rind that ripens from the outside in; runny ivory body; fresh butter taste with a hint of mushrooms; flavourful, culminating with a rustic taste.

For complete results from the World Cheese Awards, click here: https://worldcheeseawards.com/wca-results

Wildwood: A true taste of the Swiss Alps

Wildwood: A taste of the Swiss Alps produced by Stonetown Artisan Cheese in St. Marys, Ontario.

Appenzeller, which hails from the Appenzellerland region of northeast Switzerland, is often described as the tastiest of Swiss cheeses.

Wildwood, which hails from St. Marys in southwest Ontario, is certainly the tastiest of the Swiss or Alpine cheese produced by Stonetown Artisan Cheese.

“A true taste of the Swiss Alps, creamy and herbaceous, reminiscent of Appenzeller,” that’s how Wendy Furtenbacher, who looks after marketing and business development for Stonetown, describes Wildwood.

“It has a silky texture and flavours of brown butter and nuts,” says Tammy Miller, owner of Country Cheese Company in Ajax, my neighbourhood cheese shop, where I sourced the wedge shown in the video.

Me, I only have three words for Wildwood: delicious, delicious, delicious.

The cheese, named after the Wildwood Dam in St. Marys, is rich and creamy on the palate with a nice balance of salt. It’s really quite unique in taste and appearance.

Not only does Wildwood have a distinctive flavour, it also has a rustic and appealing appearance. The dark aromatic rind gives the cheese a contrasting texture to the interior and generates aromas typically associated with washed-rind cheeses.

Wildwood tastes excellent in sandwiches or on a cheese platter with fruits, dried meat and bread. It also melts well and and can used in grilled cheese sandwiches, or to make an easy cheesy quesadilla for a quick lunch.

Wildwood makes an easy cheesy quesadilla for a quick lunch.

Tammy Miller recommends serving Wildwood with a cherry jam like Provisions Montmorency Cherry and Merlot Wine Jam.

Wildwood pairs well with red wine.

Aged 12 months. Ingredients: Unpasteurized milk, salt, rennet, bacterial culture.

Wildwood has won many awards, most recently being named Grand Champion at the 2023 SIAL International Cheese Competition.

Cheesemakers Jolanda and Hans Weber came to Canada in 1996 from their native Switzerland, with three children in tow, to begin a new life in St. Marys on their own dairy farm.

“Having previously worked in the Swiss Alps, it was always our dream to produce delicious, high quality cheese reminiscent of the renowned Swiss mountains and made from our own milk,” the Webers explain. “With a profound commitment to creating cheese of the highest quality, and the support of our family, as well as Ramon Eberle, a Master Cheesemaker from Switzerland, our humble dream became a reality.”

Fresh milk comes from 250 Holstein cows—who sleep on beach sand all year round. Two sons, together with their families, look after the cows while Jolanda and Hans handcraft the farmstead cheese: “In order to obtain a great taste, the milk is unpasteurized and has no additives. This ensures the cheese is pure and natural.”

The milk is thermized, which means its heated to reduce spoilage bacteria with minimum collateral heat damage to milk components. Artisan cheesemakers prefer thermization to pasteurization as the former does not cause changes in flavour.

Wendy Furtenbacher Madonna, a certified cheese professional widely known in a cheese circles as Curdy Girl, regularly samples Stonetown cheeses in Toronto-area supermarkets and cheese shops. Next week she’ll be sampling at Queensway Sobeys and the following week at Todmorden Sobeys, followed by Pantry Fine Cheese on Gerrard Street in Toronto. Details are generally posted on her Facebook page.

She also represents Mountainoak Cheese of New Hamburg, Ontario.

—Georgs Kolesnikovs

Georgs Kolesnikovs, Cheese-Head-in-Chief at CheeseLover.ca, has never met a cheese he didn’t like . . . well, hardly ever. Follow him on his adventures at On the Road, Across the Sea on Substack.

 

 

 

In praise of younger cheddars

When you’re craving a fully flavoured cheddar, your best bet will be a cheddar aged two years or more. Fortunately, there are many excellent Canadian cheddars in the three- to five-year range.

But don’t overlook younger cheddars. They can be quite tasty, and they melt like crazy when you’re cooking or grilling. I have been reminded of these truths in cheese by the lovely Balderson Marble Cheddar.

It’s only aged about six months, like a medium cheddar, so the flavour profile is definitely understated and mild, but it makes for a very tasty snacking cheese, especially after it comes to room temperature. A mixture of white and coloured cheese curds give it a marbled appearance.

But Balderson Marble Cheddar really shines in a grilled cheese sandwich or cheese toastie. At our house, we have a preference for caraway rye bread generously buttered to make grilled-cheese sammies. As we have reported earlier, we love the smell and the taste of ooey gooey.

A younger cheddar like Balderson Marble melts like crazy in a grilled-cheese sammie.

The nice thing about a mass-produced cheese like Balderson Marble Cheddar is that it’s generally available in supermarkets everywhere and often at a good price. We purchased ours at $5.99 for a 280-gram block which works out to about $20 per kilo which is a great price for a fine cheese made without additives or modified milk ingredients. Like, it’s real cheese!

Balderson cheddars were first made 142 years ago, making it one of Canada’s oldest cheddars. In 1881, dairy farmers in Lanark County, near Perth in Eastern Ontario, had a bright idea. They decided to form a dairy collective, pool their excess milk production and build a factory to produce a cheddar cheese.

Balderson Cheese Factory in 1881. Improperly called a “shack” in the video above.

They built a small, wood-frame building at a crossroads known locally as Balderson Corners. The dusty junction was named after John Balderson, a retired sergeant from the British army who was among the first homesteaders in the area in the 1860s.

The Balderson Corners Cheese Factory is no more but there still is a cheese shop at the junction.

Production of Balderson cheddars now takes place a bit farther east, in Winchester, in the township of North Dundas, 45 kilometres south of downtown Ottawa, in Canada’s largest cheese plant.

Ownership of Balderson now is in the hands of Lactalis Canada. Lactalis is a French multinational dairy products corporation, owned by the Besnier family and based in Laval, Mayenne, France. Lactalis is the largest dairy products group in the world.

In addition to Balderson, Lactalis Canada owns iconic brands such as Cracker Barrel, Black Diamond, Astro, IÖGO, Lactantia, Beatrice and Président. Named on Forbes list of Canada’s Best Employers, Lactalis Canada directly employs 4,000+ Canadians and has more than 30 operating sites across the country.

A far cry from 1881 when a handful of men working in a small building at Balderson Corners started making cheddar, but you have believe the spirit of those early years still is reflected in the smooth flavour of Balderson Marble Cheddar.

Before you go, please hit the subscribe button so we can stay in touch to celebrate cheese, especially Canadian cheese.

—Georgs Kolesnikovs

Georgs Kolesnikovs, Cheese-Head-in-Chief at CheeseLover.ca, has never met a cheese he didn’t like . . . well, hardly ever. Follow him on his adventures at On the Road, Across the Sea on Substack.

 

Best Bites: The seven most memorable cheeses of 2022

Maggie’s Christmas Cheese Ball/La Fromagerie Les Folies Bergères.

We bring the curtain down on 2022 with the help of friends in fromage recalling the most memorable cheese that crossed their palates during the past 12 months. We add our favourites, too.

Check out the tasting notes and make up your shopping list for the next visit to a cheese shop or, better yet, right to the cheesemaker. If you like, you can order online for convenient home delivery.

Let’s begin with cheese educator and cheese sommelier Vanessa Simmons, our BF in fromage:

My most memorable cheese taste of 2022 is Maggie’s Christmas Cheese Ball by Maggie Paradis of La Fromagerie Les Folies Bergères. Not only does Maggie make a variety of amazing goat, sheep and cow milk cheeses, but she and her husband, shepherd Christian Girard, are passionate, talented and wonderful people.

This coveted, sell-out cheese makes an appearance once a year for the holidays and is a combination of Maggie’s locally made cow and sheep milk cream and hard cheeses with a few added extras like scallions, lemon juice and sriracha that deliver its zing and umami, savoury flavour. Finished with crushed pecans for festive flair, it’s the best, silky, cheesecake-like cheese ball you will ever enjoy—made with love.

Pair with a local oaky Chardonnay, caramelized onion, bacon or apricot/peach jam and your favourite crusty baguette or sourdough bread and you have an instant party on your hands.

Gurth Pretty is a professional chef and cheese connoisseur whose goal is to show to Canadians and the world the delicious cheese produced in Canada. He combined his love for Canada and his passion for cheese to write The Definitive Guide to Canadian Artisanal and Fine Cheese and The Definitive Canadian Wine & Cheese Cookbook, co-written with Tony Aspler. These days he owns and operates Lakeview Cheese Galore in Mississauga, Ontario.

Greystone/River’s Edge Goat Dairy.

One of my most memorable cheese this year was Greystone, produced by Katie and Will at River’s Edge Goat Dairy. They use the milk from their herd of goats, located at their farm near Arthur, Ontario.

The appearance of this ash-coated, white bloomy rind goat ball reminds me of a French Bonde de Gâtine cheese. As Greystone ripens, its paste becomes creamier and develops a more noticeable goat aroma.

It is a delicious artisanal farmstead cheese!

Jackie Armet is a longtime friend in cheese who has worked with me as cheese co-ordinator at The Great Canadian Cheese Festival and then the Canadian Cheese Awards. A graduate of the Professional Fromager program at George Brown College in Toronto, Jackie lives in Prince Edward County and offers in-person tutored tastings and consulting services via Cheese Experience.

Wildwood/Stonetown Artisan Cheese.

My most memorable and impressive cheese this year is Wildwood made by Stonetown Artisan Cheese in St. Marys, Ontario. It was given to me as a mystery cheese and I felt it was from Europe. It has all the features that make Comte and Appenzeller outstanding. It could certainly be a challenger to the throne.

For Debbie Levy, longtime cheese educator, the cheese experience of the year was delivered by Blue Moo made by COWS Creamery of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.

Blue Moo/COWS Creamery.

We are fortunate in Canada to have some great blue cheese makers and now I have added Blue Moo to the list. Love the texture of this triple cream. Although it’s a milder blue, there is something about its buttery savoury notes that just has me reaching for more!

During a cross-Canada road trip this year, we spent the better part of a day with Chef Dustin Peltier in the tiny make room at Loaf and Honey in Winnipeg learning about the trials and tribulations of producing Golden Prairie.

Golden Prairie/Loaf and Honey.

The recipe and method behind the cheese dates back to the 1700s in Trappist monasteries in France. It has been made in Manitoba by Trappist monks at Notre Dame des Prairies monastery since 1918, since the 1940s by Brother Alberic. When Dustin Peltier learned Brother Alberic, then in his 80s, planned to stop making Fromage de la Trappe, he was determined to continue the tradition. He spent a year being mentored by Brother Alberic, aiming to continue making the cheese in its traditional way, with raw, unpasteurized milk.

Unfortunately, Dustin ran into a bureaucratic maze at Manitoba Agriculture, which prevented him—or any other artisan producer in the province—from using raw milk in cheese production. Thus, he was forced to use non-homogenized, pasteurized organic cow milk in the making of Golden Prairie. The cheese is still hand-washed daily and aged for 60 days before being released to the public.

Golden Prairie has a unique flavour profile, with a touch of tang and loads of dairy. Only available for purchase in Manitoba at selected cheese shops.

During our camping trip to the Rockies, we also visited an old friend in cheese, Ian Treuer, now cheesemaker at Lakeside Farmstead Cheese in Sturgeon County just north of Edmonton. Here we found two memorable cheese tastes of 2022:

Chaga Cheddar/Lakeside Farmstead.

We’ve already reported on how the world’s first Chaga Cheddar came to be with its unique appearance and distinctive flavour, all the result of cheddar curds soaking in a bath of chaga tea before being molded, pressed and aged for up to seven weeks. The resulting cheese is beautifully marbled and has a creamy texture and mild, nutty flavour.

Clothbound Cheddar/Lakeside Farmstead.

The other memorable cheese we discovered was Lakeside Farmstead Clothbound Cheddar, a truly full-flavoured cheddar. Each wheel is made in the old-world tradition, hand-wrapped with cheesecloth, then sealed with wax and carefully aged for a minimum of one year. Clothbound Cheddar exhibits delightful nutty, fruity/citrus and caramel/sweet undertones with a complex and lingering finish. It has some crumble and crystallization providing a desirable mouth feel. All in all, it’s really delicious.

Lakeside cheese is available only in Alberta at present, from selected cheese shops and a retail store at the farm open Wednesday through Saturday.

—Georgs Kolesnikovs

Georgs Kolesnikovs, Cheese-Head-in-Chief at CheeseLover.ca, has never met a cheese he didn’t like . . . well, hardly ever. Follow him on his travels across Canada on Substack at On the Road, Across the Sea.

 

 

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