Mary Quicke's Double Gloucester (Gloucester, England)

Served with cranberry mustard

They say: "Gloucester cheeses were at one time made only with the milk from Gloucester cows, which are now almost extinct. There are two types of Gloucester cheese: Single and Double. The main difference is that Single Gloucester is made with skimmed milk combined with a small amount of while milk. Double Gloucester is made from only whole milk. Both types have a natural rind and a hard texture, but Single Gloucester is more crumbly, lighter in texture, and lower in fat. Double Gloucester is allowed to age for longer periods that Single, and it has a stronger and more savoury flavour. It is also slightly firmer. Double Gloucester is colored with annatto, but was originally colored with carrot juice. A popular saying was: 'the rosier the colour, the richer the flavour.' Double Gloucester is also used annually in a dangerous sport: Cooper Hill's Cheese-Rolling and Wake, in which the 60 lb wheels are pushed down a steep incline and feisty young lads attempt to catch them."

Cmoore says: That's gloss-ter, for those of you who, like me, would have written "savory flavor". This cheese, well, tastes like...dirt. In a good way! My first impression was "carrots", but I quickly realized it was more the flavor of carrots freshly pulled from the ground, and covered with a nice dusting of earth. So it's also accurate to say the Double Gloucester is grassy, earthy, nutty, and slightly bitter. And dirty. And vegetarian! (Those statements are not related). It's a cooked, pressed cheese, with a firm, slightly granular texture. And, like most English cheeses, it's excellent with mustard and beer!

Suggested Pairings: Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Weissbier, IPA, Pilsner, [Beer!]