The Cheese: Roomano

[Pigging by Wilfrid:  October 17, 2011]

I eat a lot of soft, funky cheese, but recently I was in the mood for something firm and nutty.  Nobody, I think, eats enough aged Gouda.  Sounds kind of boring, Gouda, doesn't it?  But an old Gouda can compete with Parmiggiano for depth and complexity.

So did I buy some Gouda?  No, I bought something else.  Roomano, in fact.

It is a Dutch cheese.  It's not strictly a Gouda - it has a lower butterfat content than the minimum for Gouda, it says here, which might explain why it is so rock hard.

It is hard.  You will not be slicing this cheese, let alone spreading it.  What you will be doing is breaking off lumps and nibbling them with, well, almost anything alcoholic.  I think port is an overrated accompaniment to most cheeses, but you can certainly drink port with this.  Or a rich sherry.  Or a Sauternes.  Go in a completely different direction, and it's going to pair with crisp beers and ciders too. 

It's strong, but doesn't peel your tongue.  The initial acid quickly gives way to the deeply savory nuttiness you expect just from looking at it, followed by a long, mildly fruity finish.  Plenty of crystalline crunchiness.  Not a cheese to be eaten in large quantities.

Murray's, where I bought it, tells you more here.