Top-Value Cheeses for Tight Times
Seems like everything’s going up but the stock market. My neighborhood bakery just hiked the price of my favorite loaf by 33 percent. Ouch. That’s serious inflation. Cheese is hardly immune, and the stresses in the grain market guarantee more sticker shock to come. We cheese lovers just have to shop smarter. The values are out there. I’ve rounded up a few well-priced favorites for these inflationary times. There aren’t many cheeses that make me think “Is that all?” when I see what I’ve spent, but these dozen do.
Of course you can find deals at Costco and Trader Joe’s, but the cheeses I’ve chosen are reasonably priced—$22 a pound or less—even at independent markets. Here are a dozen selections (plus a few more) that over-deliver for the price.
Beecher’s Flagship (WA): Life would be grim without affordable Cheddar. Among the best of the rindless block Cheddars, Beecher’s is mellow and snackable. Other great values in this category include Hook’s 5-Year Cheddar, Face Rock Aged Cheddar and the various Deer Creek Cheddars.
Bleu d’Auvergne or Fourme d’Ambert (France): These two creamy, buttery cow’s milk blues can seduce even blue cheese avoiders. My Whole Foods also often has the luscious Bleu 1924, a wheel made in the same region (Auvergne) but from a blend of cow’s and sheep’s milk. Point Reyes Original Blue is a contender here, too, if you like a tangier style.
Caña de Cabra and Caña de Oveja (Spain): Inspired by Bucheron, the log-shaped French goat cheese, Caña de Cabra surpasses it with its lemon-custard aroma and fluffy texture. Caña de Oveja, a sheep’s milk version from the same producer, has more of a mushroom scent and big, tangy flavor.
La Dama Sagrada (Spain): A raw goat’s milk wheel made in a Manchego style and aged about 6 months. My winemaker husband calls it “the cheese version of quaffable.” I have no idea how this artisan cheese arrives in the U.S. at such a low price.
Feta PDO (Greece): Feta is my desert-island cheese so thank goodness it remains budget-friendly. I love Trader Joe’s private label although I loved it more when it was 100% sheep’s milk. It’s now part goat’s milk and not quite as creamy but still top quality. Even in specialty cheese shops, Greek feta rarely tops $15 a pound.
Matos St George (CA): The Matos family has been making this raw cow’s milk wheel for more than 40 years. Modeled after the best-known cheese of their homeland, the Azores, it is dense and sturdy, reminiscent of Cheddar, with a grassy scent. The family milks only 32 cows and the cheese isn’t widely distributed, but their website price is ridiculous--$8 a pound for the 3-month-old wheels, rising to $15 a pound for a 16-month-old wedge. Place an order with friends to share in the shipping.
Piave Vecchio (Italy): Made near Belluno, in the Dolomites, this 10-month-old cow’s milk wheel has the texture of a young Parmigiano-Reggiano—firm and dense, yet not quite grateable—with a roasted-walnut aroma and a caramel finish that may remind you of aged Gouda. A delicious nibble with sparkling wine.
Point Reyes Farmstead Toma (CA): I have a hard time thinking of a cheese that consistently delivers more quality for the price. Made with cow’s milk from the family farm, Toma smells like warm melted butter and finishes with a buttermilk tang.
Red Witch (Switzerland): Made from raw cow’s milk and aged 6 to 8 months, this paprika-rubbed wheel is sweet and nutty, with an aroma that suggests peanuts, toasted hazelnuts, bacon and brown butter. The satiny interior is often dotted with crunchy protein crystals. French Comté and Swiss Gruyère are in the same family, equally well priced and reliable.
Roth Grand Cru Reserve (WI): From the wizards at Roth Cheese, a Swiss-owned Wisconsin producer, this Gruyère look-alike is made in a copper vat, brine-washed repeatedly and matured on spruce planks for a minimum of six months. The texture is super silky, with aromas that suggest toasted nuts and warm cream. I often see it at Whole Foods.
Taleggio (Italy): This classic washed-rind cow’s milk cheese can offer excellent value if you find it in good shape. It should bulge on the sides and be supple all the way through, with a robust aroma of mushroom, truffles, earth and beef. It suffers in plastic wrap, so rewrap it in cheese paper or wax paper when you get it home, if necessary.
Vella Cheese Mezzo Secco (CA): In theory, Mezzo Secco is midway between a soft Monterey Jack and a firm Dry Jack. Matured for about 4 months, the cow’s milk cheese has a mild, milky flavor, faintly nutty aromas and an appealing balance of acidity, sweetness and salt. It’s not super complex but it sure is easy to eat, a crowd pleaser for an antipasto board with salumi and olives.