Cheese Chatter - NZ Cheese Awards

The annual NZ cheese awards are being held this Tuesday, 14 March - so ahead of this event, here are my picks of what’s awesome in NZ cheese and available in-store at Sabato.

Tenara pasteurised goat’s milk, microbial rennet, 3 weeks old, made in Kaikoura. A mousse paste enrobed in my favourite bacteria Geotrichum, producing a much loved fluffy cloud of beauty. Back in season August 2017.

Cajeta may be the most delicious caramel you’ve never tasted. Unlike a basic caramel which is made from sugar, Cajeta is a goat’s milk based caramel. Cajeta has a deep and earthy complex flavour versus it’s cousin Dulce de leche which is all sweetness. Use Cajeta as a sauce for yoghurt, ice cream, a dip for apples or poured over cake or tart. While Mexican in origin, this Cajeta is made in Aotearoa, and is only available at Sabato.

The Cheese With No Name pasteurised sheep’s milk, traditional rennet, 3 weeks old, made in Central Hawkes Bay. A petit lactic set cheese with a gummy mouthfeel paste, central pith and big gutsy farm flavours. THIS CHEESE IS EPIC. You can’t imagine until you try it! Available only at Sabato.

Cwmglyn pasteurised cow milk, traditional rennet, 3 months old, made in Eketahuna. Farmhouse cheddar style cheese with a natural edible rind. The ultimate in single origin, each cheese named after the cow – one of the rarest cheeses in NZ.

Blue Monkey pasteurised cow’s milk, microbial rennet, 6 weeks old, made in Katikati.  In the tradition of Saxelby Stilton, NZ’s most famous unknown cheese, a blue butter from a different mother.