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GENERAL CHEESE MAKING BOARDS (Specific Cheese Making in Boards above) => EQUIPMENT - Aging Cheese, Everything Except Caves => Topic started by: Tom Turophile on June 23, 2010, 02:48:13 AM

Title: Cheese wrapped in straw
Post by: Tom Turophile on June 23, 2010, 02:48:13 AM

Does anyone know of any cheeses that are traditionally wrapped in straw?  I know there are some, but I can't find them -- google keeps finding recipes for cheese straws.  Saint Maure or Buche has a straw through the middle, but I don't think is aged in it.

Title: Re: Cheese wrapped in straw
Post by: Gina on June 23, 2010, 04:01:16 AM

I dont know if this helps, but I googled straw wrapped cheese and found one picture (no name of cheese - in English anyway) and another reference to a cheese that is sometimes wrapped in straw.

""It can excite your culinary instincts to both purchase and eat Banon cheese. It tends to be sold in its chestnut wrappers, and may also be wrapped in straw or raffia. Thus, you purchase a very pretty package when you purchase Banon cheese.""

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-banon-cheese.htm (http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-banon-cheese.htm)



and a photo: 

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/GSyTT0ERKx8KOdfAI93zgg (http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/GSyTT0ERKx8KOdfAI93zgg)


Add: here's another link for another cheese:  http://www.forevercheese.com/pic.asp?iCat=9&iPic=360 (http://www.forevercheese.com/pic.asp?iCat=9&iPic=360)

Title: Re: Cheese wrapped in straw
Post by: Alex on June 23, 2010, 03:28:10 PM

Spanish Manchego - it's special appearance is a result of originally being aged, wrapped in a "bandage" made from the Esparto grass.

Title: Re: Cheese wrapped in straw
Post by: MarkShelton on June 24, 2010, 01:27:25 AM

Here's a better picture of the banon that Gina posted about earlier. Were you looking for soft cheeses like banon or hard ones like manchego? Or do you have a bunch of straw that you need to use for something? ;)

Title: Re: Cheese wrapped in straw
Post by: Tom Turophile on July 23, 2010, 09:09:19 PM

Thanks everyone.  I've had a super-aged Banon in France -- it was so intense, I almost couldn't eat it, but the restaurant had brought it to me since it was my honeymoon, so I had to.  I'll never forget it!

When I did my Pennsylvania trip, I was talking to an Amish cheesemaker who had a straw hat, and I mentioned that some cheeses actually used straw.  Since he can't exactly google, I said that I would do some research for him.

Title: Re: Cheese wrapped in straw
Post by: BigCheese on July 24, 2010, 04:34:34 AM

I recently came in contact with the nicest, most pleasurable hay grower in the world. We will be getting everything either from her fields or brokered through her from now on. Anyway, she has befriended the women from Cowgirl Creamery and they are in the process of working together to start experimenting with aging cheeses in straw.

Just thought I would name drop like I am part of the cheese community or something :o