Taleggio - A Cheese Profile

“Taleggio! Taleggio!” that’s what Johnny says the children of Italy run through the cobbled streets yelling. And with good reason! This was my favorite cheese of the group I bought from Whole Foods on a Wednesday evening.

Johnny invited me to accompany him on his daily stop at Whole Foods after work to help me choose some interesting cheeses. Among them: Monterey Jack (real Monterey Jack, a hard cheese with a texture like Parmesan and a strong flavor that inhibits me from incorporating into any type of food), a typical goat cheese Brie, Taleggio, and (of my own choosing) truffle Gouda. We spent a full fifteen minutes giving the Whole Foods employees anxiety by putting our noses in the cheese displays. Johnny picked up and described different cheeses, which were worth the money, which were over-priced (American soft cheeses like Red Hawk and St. Pat by Cowgirl Creamery). After going home and experimenting with my precious loot, Taleggio has been by far the most fun to create recipes around and most delicious to eat alone.

Technical notes: Taleggio is a smear-ripened Italian cheese that is one of the oldest known soft cheeses – it’s even mentioned in the writings of Pliny the Elder!

You know what else? IT MELTS! I didn’t expect this of a super creamy and gooey cheese. Spread it on a crusty piece of French bread and place it in the toaster oven or under the broiler. The tangy and yet milder soft cheese oozes into the bread with the ease of mozzarella. This has been a wonderful snack alone, but also pairs well with dried apricots. I enjoy it on the side of a green salad for lunch.

Taleggio has also been my lunchtime companion when I am at work for lunch (no access to a toaster oven). I can pack a cucumber sandwich brown bag lunch that consists of thinly sliced country bread, Taleggio spread on one slice and avocado on the other, slices of cucumber in between them, and drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with fresh dill. As always, don’t forget a square of dark chocolate for dessert.

Overall a great adaptable cheese, it is much like Brie but has a more elastic consistency and better flavor. It pairs best with Pinot Noir (or Rosé of Pinot Noir if, like me, you haven’t made the jump to reds). And word to the wise: no suave points for eating the rind here, it’s not edible.