I am a really big fan of cheese! And who can blame me? Well, okay, maybe those who are lactose intolerant might have a thing or two to say, but as I do not fall into that category I can freely enjoy the rich flavours and awesome textures of cheese. And the variety of cheeses available are staggering!
But while researching some innovative recipes using this humble dairy product, I happened upon an article describing some of the strangest cheeses in the world. I thought I would share my findings with you.
From Italy: Casu Marzu
Like caviar, Casu Marzu is enjoyed only by a select population. That's because it's served with live maggots. At this point you are either fascinated, horrified or have browsed away in order to think happy thoughts, but bear with me. It has a fan base in Sardinia, where sheep farmers for centuries have made pecorino cheese and left it to rot and attract flies. When the flies' eggs hatch the transformation takes place and the cheese becomes Casu Marzu. It's then consumed with relish or perhaps trepidation and it has an aftertaste that lasts for hours. Gordon Ramsay once called it "the most dangerous cheese in the world." Can't really blame him for that!
From Germany: Milbenkase
Just when you thought the Italians took the proverbial cheese for their maggots, along come the Germans with their mite excrement variety. Yeah, unfortunately you did read that correctly! Produced in Wurchwitz from quark (a type of German dairy product, it is made by warming soured milk until the desired degree of curdling is met, and then straining it), it sits among dust mites for several months, with some rye for them to nibble on. The mites excrete an enzyme to ripen the cheese that turns it progressively yellow, red-brown and then black, at which point it's eaten, mites and all. Bitter and zesty, the cheese is said to have curative effects for allergies to house dust. I think rather just use a broom or a vacuum cleaner, but hey, whatever makes you happy! If you'd like some cheese with your mites, there's a mite-shaped memorial in Würchwitz -- in the hollow base there's some Milbenkase left for passersby to try.
From Tibet: Yak Cheese
Imagine sucking and gnawing a piece of cheese-flavored resin for several hours and you'll get an idea of how hard this cheese is -- it could in fact break your teeth, although there are softer varieties. The cheese is made by wrapping the curd from yak's milk in cloth and pressing it to get rid of the water. When it dries out it's cut into pieces and allowed to dry, often over a wood fire. It is said to be earthy and tasty. The yak is the male of the species and doesn't produce milk, so it really should be called nak cheese after the female. Otherwise we sincerely do not want to try this cheese!
From Central Asia: Airag Cheese
Airag cheese, or horse milk cheese, is common in Central Asia where the horse is still integral to life in many places. To make airag, a mare is milked during foaling season and the milk left to ferment with an agent such as last season's airag. It's either suspended next to the ger/yurt entrance so anyone passing can stir it or it's tied to a saddle to achieve the same effect over a day's riding. The airag is then added to boiled milk to curdle it, filtered through a fabric bag and pressed. It can be eaten fresh or dried. The dry variety is a popular snack out on the steppe, softened by soaking it in tea or soup.
From Ethiopia, Mauritania, Sudan and Bedouin communities: Camel Milk Cheese
Nomadic herders across Africa have been milking their camels for centuries. Not only are the resilient beasts a more viable alternative to cows in dry climates, but their rich, earthy milk has more fat and protein. However, making cheese from camel milk is a more difficult process, so herders use camel rennet from pieces of the animal's stomach to coagulate the milk and create curds. This may account for its sour taste and pungent aroma. To enjoy camelbert (see what I did there?) options you'll have to visit supermarket shelves in Nouakchott, the UAE and Saudi Arabia. It's also found in Kazakhstan, which I hear is lovely this time of year!
From New York: Breast Milk Cheese
When the freezer of New York chef Daniel Angerer started to overflow with his wife's breast milk, he decided to experiment with it rather than throw it out. He blogged about the process online with photos of mother's milk with beets and romaine, dehydrated porcini mushroom and onion chutney. For those feeling queasy, rest assured the cheese was never produced in his restaurant or sold. As for commercial opportunities, lactating mothers can't produce anything like the quantity of breast milk needed to make large quantities of cheese.
From the United States of America: American Cheese
In a country that celebrates National Grilled Cheese Day, it should come as no surprise that American cheese remains a staple on grocery shelves -- the texture and meltability are perfect for toasted sandwiches and burgers. Which is surprising, as technically, of course, American cheese isn't even real cheese; ingredients include milk, whey, milkfat, salt, gelatine, milk powder, dyed orange, artificial flavors and oil. The odd concoction is blended with a generic processed cheese to form the smooth, creamy and super-melty slices that are either loved, tolerated or abhorred around the United States.
From Canada: Lichen Cheese
When a small Quebec company found out the Inuit once ate a fermented lichen from the stomach of caribou that tasted like blue cheese, they decided to try it for themselves. Using Quebec goat's milk and lichen, the company creates a mold from roasting and boiling the lichen, then lets it rest and ferment. The cheese is, thankfully, still in its experimental stage.
From New Zealand: Deer Milk Cheese
Reindeer milk cheese has been produced among the Sami communities in Finland for years. Now, cheese from the humble red deer may soon become a hallmark of New Zealand. The combined work of scientists and a cheese maker have resulted in the first cheese from the Kiwi bambi. At $100 per liter, the rich deer milk isn't cheap, but with half of the world's farmed red deer production in New Zealand, farmers are getting excited about the possibility of having a product to sell beyond venison. Because clearly there is not much else to do in New Zealand!
From South America: Llama and Alpaca Cheese
Life on the harsh Altiplano would be a
struggle without the alpacas and llamas that give their dung for fuel,
hide for leather, wool for clothing and milk for cheese. Comical though they may appear (they even give the occasional spit and unusual noise) they're a little tricky to milk. Once extracted, though, their whole milk can be made into a long-lasting cheese that's salty, rich and heavy in texture. This finds its way into markets and local food like empanadas, though most travelers come across it only when visiting locals.
From Serbia: Donkey Milk Cheese
At the Zasavica Special Nature Reserve, 50 kilometers out of Belgrade, you can get your hands on pule, or donkey cheese. While healthy (it has 60 times more vitamin C than cow's milk) donkeys only produce 200 ml of milk a day. About 25 liters are required to make just one kilogram of cheese. That means the white, crumbly pule is both limited and costly. Currently it goes for about €1,000 a kilo, or $576 a pound. The reserve also makes soap, a liquor and facial cream from the milk. Cleopatra claimed her beauty was due to bathing in donkey milk.
Personally, I think I'll just stick to what I find in my local supermarket!
