Sitting on the fence is a good thing when it comes to cheese. At least for one cheese in particular — Blue Juliette from Saltspring Island, B.C. Blue Juliette lacks the typical blue ferocity that can scare off a hesitant palate, but delivers enough zing to flirt with the taste buds of a blue enthusiast.
Made from pasteurized goat's milk and surface ripened (the cheese ripens from the outside in), it develops a white, bloomy rind (similar to the edible velvety coating found on cheeses such as brie and camembert) that is laced with a blue-green mould, giving the exterior a distinctive mottled appearance.
This dappled look makes a wheel of Blue Juliette one of the "best dressed" on any cheese board; the flavour and texture are equally superb.
An aroma of mushrooms carries into your first bite. The interior is snowy white, typical of goat's milk with a soft, smooth paste.
From British Columbia, Saltspring Island Cheese Co.’s Blue Juliette lacks the ferocity of a typical blue cheese, but its full, rounded flavour doesn’t lack zing. (Rafal Gerszak for The Globe and Mail)
Related Articles
Well-balanced, its delicate, creamy side melds with a salty tang, producing a full, rounded flavour.
The blue mould on the surface is created by the addition of the culture Penicillium roqueforti (the same one used to make Roquefort and other blue cheeses), which is added to the milk after pasteurization.
Typically, blue-veined cheeses undergo a process called "needling," in which the cheese is pierced up to 50 times during ripening to allow for airflow, which in turn activates the mould development. (It is a common misconception that the mould itself is "injected" into a blue cheese.)
With Blue Juliette, however, the cheese is not pierced, leaving the mould to develop only on the exposed outer surface during ripening.
Part of the cheese maker's challenge is to ensure the bloomy rind and the blue mould develop in balance, without one overwhelming the other.
Saltspring Island Cheese Co. also produces a sister cheese known simply as Juliette, which doesn't contain the blue mould and delivers a milder, mellow experience.
A quick visual differentiation is the sprig of rosemary on top of the non-blue Juliette.
While the Juliette is worth trying, once you've experienced her sassier sister, you can't help but miss her flare.
Sue Riedl is part of the pastry team at Toronto's C5 restaurant.
Beppi's wine matches
The tangy, earthy qualities here suggest a couple of options. A good white wine choice would be a fruity, off-dry riesling from Canada. Or if you're not shy about sugar in your wine, consider a medium-sweet German riesling, such as a spatlese. The smart red choice is pinot noir, especially a red burgundy. And if Blue Juliette makes her appearance at the end of the meal, don't overlook either of two fortified partners — a medium-sweet amontillado sherry or a lively ruby port.
Beppi Crosariol
On the block
Origin: Saltspring Island, B.C.
Producers: David and Nancy Wood, Saltspring Island Cheese Co.
Milk: Pasteurized goat
Type: Artisanal, soft and surface ripened, with a bloomy, blue mould rind
Shape: 140g wheel
Food Matches: Spanish Marcona almonds (or any roasted nut), a specialty honey such as wildflower or alfalfa
Notes: For ideal flavour, this cheese is best eaten on or just after the best-before date
Distributor: Provincial Fine Foods, Provincialfinefoods.com
Available:
- British Columbia: most fine food stores and grocery stores
- Calgary: Janice Beaton Fine Cheese
- Ontario: A&P/Dominion
- Toronto: All the Best Fine Foods, Cheese Boutique, Whole Foods, Pusateri's
- Kingston: Pan Chancho Bakery
- Montreal: Fromagerie at Atwater Market
