Elena Lobito, who is known in the cheese world as Cheezette, calls this cheese her Trifecta. I call it a tri-milk cheese that sends me to the moon, especially when I drink it with Nipozzano Chianti Rufina Riserva DOCG. This cheese is Gran Canaria. In last month’s Cheese of the Month, I wrote about fourth-generation Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker Sid Cook. I thought it would be interesting to let you know about another of Sid? cheeses, Gran Canaria. This cheese is unique in the world…a one of a kind. And just fantastic with wine. Sid’s cheese creativity has no bounds
Gran Canaria is a blend of goat, cow and sheep’s milk. The recipe is closely held secrete and I can see why. I’ve never tasted a cheese with this particular complexity. It is a firm cheese with a light golden paste with a texture a little like Parmesan. When I smell it, I can actually “taste” this cheese with just my Snozz. The robustness of this blend is aged in flavorful olive oil that permeates the cheese just slightly.
Speaking of olive oil, I love to drizzle a little Tuscan olive oil over a slice of bread and then place a piece of Gran Canaria on it. Then you take a bite and a sip of the wine and you will be a happy traveler along The Cheese Highway. Enjoy!