How Cheese Gets Smoked

While it’s not entirely clear when or how smoked cheese came about the odds are, like most great things, it happened by accident. Someone had a nice fire roaring in the same room they were aging a few wheels of cheese…the fire imparted it’s smokey goodness into said wheels and smoked cheese was born!

Today, the smoking of cheese is done with purpose. Cheddars, goudas, blues…there are a plethora of smoked cheese options out there.

So how exactly is cheese smoked?

One common method is by use of a smoker that wafts smoke over the cheese as it ages. Artisan cheesemakers utilize a variety of natural wood or even nut shells to achieve unique flavor profiles in the cheese.

For example, a long and gentle cold-smoking over shells from Oregon hazelnuts infuses Rogue Creamery’s Smokey Blue cheese with an added layer of rich flavor and terroir. Sweet cream flavors and caramel notes balance earthy flavors of smoke and hints of roasted nuts. The result is a cakey yet smooth blue cheese reminiscent of candied bacon.

Another smokin’ option: Grafton Village’s Maple Smoked Cheddar! This cheese is made by hand, the old-fashioned way, and cold-smoked over maple chips and hardwood for up to 4 hours. It’s simply inviting: smooth, the color of light brown sugar, with the aromas of smoked ham and a smoldering campfire. The flavor is certainly influenced by the maple smoke, but in a pleasing, not overpowering way. Expect buttery and savory flavors with a sweet finish that recalls memories of toasted marshmallows.

And don’t think we here in the U.S.A. are the only ones who are smoking our cheese. Idiazabal is a farmhouse-style produced in the Basque Country of Spain. Cheesemakers milk the sheep at the beginning of summer when they are grazing on fresh, blossoming new grass. After the cheese is made, it’s stored and ripened near fireplaces, which gives it a wonderful, natural smokiness. With tastes that are reminiscent of burnt caramel and bacon, this cheese pairs exceptionally well with red wine and cider.

All three of these smoked cheeses regularly debut in our case! Stop in for a taste and discover a new fascination for artisan smoked cheese!