Sottocenere al Tartufo

Truffles, truffles, truffles. How can we get enough of them? I’ve never reached satiation, because they’re an ultra expensive and a very rare delicacy. Rejoice! You can enjoy truffles in an affordable manner since flakes of this extraordinary fungus are imbedded in Sottocenere al Tartufo, a semi-soft cow’s milk cheese from Italy.

Ash mixed with zesty spices cover the cheese’s rind carrying on the ancient tradition of preserving the cheese while imparting flavors that work wonderfully with the truffles inside. Sottocenere actually means “under ash” in Italian. The rind is robust and the cheese at first tastes kind of mild and then it hits you. The pungent and fresh earthy mushroomy flavor of the black truffles is now melded in your mouth via the creaminess of the cheese. What a treat.

This cheese is beautiful on your table. Simply surround a nice hunk of Sottocenere al Tartufo with sliced crusty bread and that’s it. The cheese needs no condiments as it has it own inside and on the outside. I also love to serve it with pasta simply drizzled with olive oil and tossed with the grated cheese. A glass of red wine will complete this easy and deliciously rewarding dish.

The pairing of Sotecenere al Tartufo with Nipozzano Chianti R?na Riserva DOCG is one you’ll want add to your pairings log. The earthiness of the truffles in the cheese accentuates the wine? fruit and then the spice flavors begin to rise. These all mingle in your mouth for a really complex tasting experience. Try the cheese and a sip of wine without the rind first and experience the combination. Then, take a bit of the cheese with the rind, a sip of wine and have a blast as you ride down The Cheese Highway.