A BIG CHEESE
best time to look out for this kind of cheese is from July and August.
“Goat’s cheese is made seasonally due to the fact that goats dry themselves up at the beginning of winter to kid,” Mulder says.
“All the other cheeses are the same throughout the year.”
In terms of cheese trends, Mulder says the making of artisanal cheeses is a growing trend around the world. He says consumers are moving away from “the well-known industrial type” cheeses and are keen to learn more about cheese than just using it as a filler on a sandwich.
“These artisans make small batches of cheese which the industrial factories cannot do.
“The cheese-eating public love these cheeses as they bring different flavours than the industrial cheeses such as Gouda, Cheddar, feta, cream cheese and processed cheese.”
Pairing cheeses with wines, spirits and even tea is another trend.
Mulder says: “Cheeses can be eaten with any food but go particularly well with vegetables, pasta, fruit and fish.
“Wine and beer are good drinks to pair cheese with, but strong cheeses go well with spirits.”
Pairing cheese with tea has become a growing trend, and just like cheese, tea can also be paired with most foods.
The experts at Carmien Rooibos Tea say this combination works just as well as cheese and wine – mainly because tea is closely related to wine in regards to its tasting profiles.
“When serving tea for pairing purposes, you don’t add any milk or sugar/honey in order to fully bring out the taste and flavour of the tea,” a spokesperson says.
“Tea should be served around 60-65ºC and aids in melting the cheese in your mouth, bringing forth the creaminess in the cheese and releasing certain flavours in both the cheese and the tea.
“As with any pairing, we marry certain foods together to bring out the best in both, thus pairing tea with cheese is an adventure of flavour.
“Not only does the tea complement the flavour in the cheese, it also refreshes, readies and opens up the palate, resulting in a sensory experience.
“Carmien Tea has an extensive variety of rooibos-based teas, so there is a flavour combination to be made with any cheese you can think of.”
Cheese aficionados can head to the 16th Annual Cheese festival from today until Sunday at the Sandringham Farm, which is located next to the N1, exit 39, between Cape Town and Paarl. The festival runs from 10am to 6pm, with tickets sold via Computicket. No tickets will be sold at the gate.