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The Cheese Plate
Dear fellow food-lover,

After sweet, salty, sour, and bitter—Umami is now commonly accepted as the fifth taste. The word was first coined in Japan in 1908 and describes a “savory” flavor compound. Lucky for us cheese-lovers, many aged cheeses possess that delicious umami flavor. 
Cheeses with Umami Flavor
Alpine-style cheeses like French Comté or American Tarentaise develop umami flavors, and so do aged cheddars, washed rind cheeses, and blue cheeses such as French Roquefort, American Bayley Hazen Blue, and Rogue River Blue. Try adding these to your holiday cheese boards!
A Few of our Favorite Umami Cheeses—
Plus, a Holiday Recipe!
As Grafton Village describes it, Bear Hill is, "an American original. This cheese combines the sweet and nutty flavors characteristic of alpine cheeses with a fruity and savory complexity brought on by the sheep’s milk. The rustic rind ranges from pale tan to ruddy brown, with aromas of stone and butter.” Like many other sheep’s milk cheeses, the aging process helps develop Umami notes.  

The specific way Le Gruyère AOP is matured in Switzerland allows for the development of special flavors and aromas similar to those of browned butter and toasted nuts. As it ages, this cheese develops deep hints of Umami and a distinct savoriness.  

Like the cheeses above, the aging process is what creates such fabulous flavors in Parmigiano Reggiano. It's characteristic full mouthfeel flavor—commonly associated with Umami, is the result of the long maturation stage it endures.

We're feeling festive! Surprise your guests with these holiday inspired savory, cheesy, sun dried tomato crackers. Made with three different types of cheeses and fresh basil—these crackers are perfect for your next cheese board or as a side to soup!

Recipe adapted from, and photo courtesy of Mooney Farms

Adventures for Cheese Lovers Await in Italy
Join us in 2022 for trips to Naples and Amalfi, and Umbria
Keep in touch!
The Cheese Plate is made possible through the generous support of Emmi Roth, Gruyère AOP, Parmigiano Reggiano, FoodMatch, Gourmet–Food, and Whole Foods Market.