EPICURE NEWS

A cheese that dates back to 3,000 BC, a coffee with syrupy notes, and a Singapore-inspired chocolate collection.

New openings: Berthold Delikatessen & Jam at Siri House

CHEESE

Ossau-iraty is known as the grandfather of Basque cheeses – it’s believed that it is one of the first intentionally made cheeses in Europe, dating back to 3,000 BC. Hailing from the Basque region of France, this cheese is named for the two picturesque regions in the Southwestern Pyrenees Mountains – Ossau is located in the valley of the Bearn and Iraty in the beech forests of the Pays Basque. The cheese is made from sheep’s milk, which comes from the famed Brebis sheep that graze in the valleys of Ossau and Iraty. Ossau-iraty is ivory in colour with a natural dry thick rind that ranges from an orange-yellow to a dark brownish gray.

COFFEE

El Aguacate is a 30-member, smallholder collective in the District of Santa Barbara in Nariño. Beside growing plantains and bananas, the farmers also plant Caturra varietal, a native bean of Colombia. You will taste a crisp and syrupy depth that’s rounded out by a green apple acidity and lingering cherry flavour. This is a versatile coffee bean that is fantastic as a filtered cup of java or a shot of espresso.

CHOCOLATE

Homegrown artisan chocolatier, ANJALICHOCOLAT, has leveraged its strength in handcrafting chocolates with distinct flavour pairings to launch its latest collection, “from Singapore...lah!” A box of 16 pralines showcases Kaya Toast, Mango Pudding, Kalamansi, and of course, the Singapore Sling. The star of the set is, none other than, Chinese 5 Spice, which exudes notes of pepper and smokey cinnamon.