Spokane Food Blog

Did you know there are people out there who don’t like cheese? I kid you not, they exist. We at the Spokane Food Blog Editorial Board™ (SFBED™ for short) do not consider ourselves part of that group of Lesser Tasters, and recently picked up four cheeses from Huckleberry’s Natural Market for an official inspection.

Red Hot Dutch Gouda: We didn’t dislike this gouda per se, but it certainly wasn’t loved either. The main issue was that the peppers overpowered the slightly sweet flavor of the gouda. This not so much because of the hotness — the peppers weren’t too spicy at all — but because the actual cheese was so mild. The combined flavor would quite possibly be a lot better if paired with a creamy cheese, but as it is, the SFBED™ can’t call this a favorite.

Sorry…

White Stilton with Blueberry: If there ever was a stereotypical dessert cheese, this would be it. The SFBED™ wouldn’t drive miles and miles to track down the flavored Stilton, and nor did we have to, seeing that it’s readily available at Huckleberry’s. It’s certainly something anybody should try at least once during their lifetime, therefore we are a bit less strict on judging the Stilton. (Surprisingly enough it is not on the Omnivore 100 list.) Don’t expect to taste too much from the actual cheese, though the creamy texture works well with the blueberry. Overall, it is a fine finale to a cheese platter, if not an original one.

Not exciting, but…

BelGioioso Italico Cheese: Despite its name, this Italian style washed rind cheese is actually from Wisconsin. That’s not a bad thing, of course, and the Italico is very tasty, with a slightly earthy flavor. Dunk it on a crusty Bouzies’s bread and pair it with a few slices on apple, and baby, you got yourself a fall meal going.

We gladly give it…

Ridder: Norwegian for “knight,” Ridder is a semi-hard cheese with a nice, slightly sharp, nutty flavor. It is not the most challenging of cheeses, and The SFBED™ is just OK with that. Open up a bottle of red, put on the Herbie Hancock The Doobie Brothers, and groove out with some Ridder. Indeed, Ridder would be smooth jazz yacht rock if it was a musical style.

We approve…