RIAAN LOURENS

Klein River Cheese is a small, family-run cheesery. We are very hands-on, involved in all processes. We follow the production of every cheese from inoculation to maturation. We are meticulous about using the finest ingredients and we follow strict hygiene practices. Most importantly, we are passionate about cheese. I love the intense flavour of Klein River grana. It is a slow-aged, hard cheese with a complex savoury flavour — strong, yet fruity and slightly sweet with a granular texture. It is my wife’s favourite cheese from our range. She loves to use it as a flavour enhancer when cooking. We produce about 1.5 tons of Klein River

grana a month. Thirteen litres of pasteurised Jersey and Ayrshire cow’s milk is used to produce a single kilogram, with wheels of cheese weighing up to 18kg each. The pasteurised milk is stirred while being heated in the cheese vat. Special cultures are added and then rennet. Once the milk has coagulated and the curd has been cut, a portion of the whey is removed. The curd is stirred and later heated in the remaining whey. After draining, the curd is poured into moulds, where pressure is applied. The next day, the cheese has formed. It is removed from the moulds and placed in a special brine solution for 24 hours. The cheeses are now ready to go into the maturing rooms to be aged for 12 months. During this time the cheese is well cared for to ensure the development of its unique flavour.