From: The region of Lombardy in northern Italy
Made By:  Carrozzi Formaggi
Milk: Pasteurized goat’s milk
Curdling type: rennet
Size/ weigh: Flat square about 14″ on a side and 2 inches tall. The whole cheese weighs about 2 kilos
Rind: Rubbed with salt then placed in a pinewood case for aging. The finished rind is orange-grey and very pungent, with a slight graininess to its texture
Interior: semi firm, pale ivory color
Aged: 6 to 8 weeks in high humidity caves

Historical notes: Quader de cavra is produced in the same region as the famous Taleggio of Italy and is made in a similar style. The main difference is that Quader de cavra is made with all goat’s milk, which adds a bit of the sharp, animal flavors characteristic of goat’s milk cheeses.  In France, it is offered under the name of Chevrerousse or red headed goat, which makes sense, given it’s lively  orange rind.  Although categorized as a washed rind cheese, the round squares of Quader de cavra are not washed but rubbed with sea salt before being placed in pinewood boxes for aging in very humid caves.  The result is a pungent, full flavored rind and a mild, creamy interior.

Carrozzi Formaggi is a family run dairy and fromagerie founded in 1960 by Aldo Carrozzi. Today the dairy is run by Aldo’s great grand son Roberto Carrozzi, his wife Donata and their 3 children.  The Carrozzi family purchases all its milk from the small farmers of the area around their cheese making facility.

Tasting Notes:  The interior (or “mie” in French) is mild and creamy with flavors of fresh milk, new hay and grass, making it an ideal cheese to eat for breakfast with butter, a chunk of fresh baguette and a bowl of coffee.  With maturity, the mie takes on slightly caramelized and hazelnut notes, becomes denser and softer.  However, if eat this cheese with its rind (as I almost always do), the mild lactic flavor and rich mouth feel is complimented by a sharp salty bite and deeply musky animal flavors, making for a deeply satisfying experience.

Wine to go with:  This is a mountain cheese and therefore, mountain wines would be a good match.  I think that a rich white from the Jura such as a white Arbois would be great.  I have also tried it with the Pentes de Barenne Tursan blanc at Cafe Presse and found the pairing very rewarding (even though Tursan is flat land wine!)  In red, the lighter body of small chateau Bordeaux makes a good pairing.  For example, try the Chateau la Bouree Castillon Cotes de Bordeaux now at Le Pichet.  I am guessing that a bottle of pinot nero from the Lombardy region would be stellar.

Where to find it now:  Cafe Presse.